Visit the home of one of London’s largest parks (Battersea Park) and come to Battersea, which has an unbeatable buzz about it and a huge variety of shops, restaurants and bars for you to try out! This vibrant riverside location with a unique small-town feel and character about it, is located in the borough of Wandsworth (central London), surrounded by places like Clapham, Chelsea, South Lambeth and Kennington. It’s in zone 2 of the London Underground and although Battersea doesn’t have its own tube station, you will find Clapham Common Tube Station really close by. You will also be able to use Battersea Park Train Station and nearby Clapham Junction Train Station to whisk you to the heart of London, Gatwick Airport and even the south of England.

The area takes its name from the old village of Battersea, an island settlement established in the river delta of the Falconbrook (a river that rises in Tooting Bec Common and flows underground through south London to the River Thames). The name Battersea actually means marshy island and the area was once famous for growing asparagus. As with many former Thames island settlements, Battersea was reclaimed by draining the marshland.

In the late nineteenth century the parish grew and areas of open land were soon taken up by railway companies who laid track and built their workshops. The riverside windmills and wharves then gave way to new industries, such as Prices Candles, Carton's Glucose factory, flour mills, breweries and the Nine Elms Gas Works. When Clapham Junction Station opened in 1863, the focus of Battersea changed from the riverside to St. John's Hill and St. John's Road (which became the main shopping centre). The urban area was relieved by Clapham and Wandsworth Commons but the major attraction was Battersea Park, in which all sorts of recreational activities were available. For 50 years Battersea stayed relatively unchanged, until the bombing of the Second World War destroyed much of the property in the area. After the War a large part of Battersea was re-built and today you’ll find a fantastic, riverside location that’s overflowing with things to see and do. It’s a really popular part of London and if you stay here you’ll have trendy shops, bars and restaurants (and one of the best parks in the Capital!) right on your doorstep.

You’ll never be short of things to do in Battersea. When you’re not exploring Battersea Park you can make the most of this vibrant shopping area with a great range of specialist shops and chain stores. Why not explore the popular market on Northcote Road with beautiful arts and crafts? Or maybe you’d prefer the fascinating covered antique market? When you do fancy discovering other parts of London you’ll be able to walk across either of the bridges that serve Battersea and reach places like exclusive Kings Road with its fabulous shopping and nightlife. Battersea Park Train Station (and nearby Clapham Common Tube Station or Clapham Junction Train Station) will transport you into the heart of central London. You can even reach the south of England and Gatwick Airport with ease from here!

Unfortunately, Battersea doesn’t have its own tube station to whisk you around London, but as Clapham Common Tube Station is close by this won’t really affect you at all. You could also make the most of the fantastic bus links from Battersea Bridge - with direct services reaching London hotspots like Sloane Square, South Kensington, Victoria and the West End. Alternatively you could catch a train to Victoria, London Bridge or Waterloo from Battersea Park Train Station and nearby Clapham Junction Train Station. As with all parts of London the area can be pricey, but there’s so much choice in Battersea that a stay here is bound to suit your budget.