London Borough of Wandsworth Tourist Information

Location:

The London Borough of Wandsworth lies along the south bank of the River Thames. It is directly across the water from The London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and part of The London Borough City of Westminster.

Facts and Figures:

The pretty borough of Wandsworth is in the heart of South London. It covers a sizeable 34km. and has a population of 284,000 people, of whom 66% are ethnically White.

The Borough of Wandsworth now encompasses the old municipal boroughs of Battersea, Tooting and Putney, which are still three separate parliamentary constituencies.

Battersea is best known for its Lost Dogs' Home. It also has a zoo and a number of parks.

One of the borough's most iconic buildings is the Khalifatul Masih, which was the first purpose-built mosque in London.

Famous residents connected with the borough include musician Bob Geldof, train robber Ronnie Biggs, tennis star Greg Rusedski and TV chef Gordon Ramsey.

Description:

The London Borough of Wandsworth is easy to find with the iconic chimneys of Battersea Power Station dominating the skyline. Once an area of farmland, reflected in the local names such as Lavender Hill, the area rapidly developed during the Industrial Revolution.

The most prosperous area of Wandsworth borough is along the Thames riverside where there are many new and refurbished buildings including the Chelsea Bridge Wharf.

Wandsworth has five main bridges across the Thames which connect it with the London Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster. They are the Chelsea Bridge, Albert Bridge, Battersea Bridge, Wandsworth Bridge and Putney Bridge.

Putney is where the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race begins each spring.

Borough Attractions:

Battersea Park is the borough's main green space and is known for its free fireworks displays which can be seen from across the Thames. The park includes a boating lake, a small zoo and a landmark Buddhist Peace Pagoda.

Other green spaces in Wandsworth are Tooting Commons, the west side of Clapham Common, and Wandsworth Common which has several public sports pitches.

St Mary's Church in Putney has had an important role in British history. It was the site of the 1647 Putney Debates. Diarist Samuel Pepys also visited the church on occasion and recorded one of his visits in his famous diary.

From Putney Pier there are many boat trips on offer up the river to Royal Botanic Gardens Kew or down to Westminster. For more adrenalin-surging activity, Wandsworth offers the UK's tallest bungee jump from the 300-foot Observation Tower in aptly named Adrenalin Village which also hosts major concerts.

The New Covent Garden Market has occupied a purpose built hall in Battersea since 1974. It sells mainly wholesale fruit, flowers and vegetables.

Jongleurs is a popular comedy venue in the borough for up-and-coming artists. Ben Elton and Lenny Henry are two former performers.

Getting There:

The Borough of Wandsworth is served by the District and Northern lines of the London Underground. Public transport around Wandsworth is very good as the London Victoria station is just three minutes by train from the UK's busiest station - Clapham Junction, both in Wandsworth.