Battersea area guide

It’s appropriate that the New Covent Garden Market is in Nine Elms, because the area was historically known for market gardening (Lavender Hill takes its name from the fact that lavender was a major crop there). These days there’s a weekend farmers’ market in Northcote Road.

Vauxhall’s Pleasure Gardens were a favourite resort for Victorian Londoners, and green space still plays an important role in the appeal of the area, albeit in the more substantial 500 acre form of Battersea Park. Across the road the regeneration of the iconic Battersea Power Station is finally moving to fruition, offering new luxury homes and leisure facilities, symbolising the changes going on in the wider area.

As with so much of London the coming of the railways (in this case in 1838) was the force for change, and much of the area’s older housing stock was built over the fields in the years that followed. Ironically through the later part of the 20th century the relative weakness of local transport links to central London held the area back, but the substantial improvement of the overground rail network has changed the picture again. There’ll be a further step change with the extension of the Northern Line from Kennington to Battersea via Nine Elms, finally plugging the area directly into the London Underground and offering particularly easy access to the City. The extension is part of a plan to bring around 16,000 new homes and 20-25,000 new jobs to Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea. All seems set for the area to become a vibrant and characterful district in its own right, mixing hi tech and traditional homes, with excellent shops, restaurants and bars, and fast access to the City and West End.

Key streets and locations in Battersea

Power station – one of the best loved landmarks, serving London with electricity for 50 years.

Battersea Park – no other green space in the capital can boast Thames views, an art gallery (The Pump House) and a zoo.

Battersea Square – dating back to the eighteenth century, in 1990 the square was pedestrianised with a new floorscape using traditional materials and appropriate street furniture. It received a Civic Trust Commendation in 1991.

Battersea Arts Centre took over the Town Hall in 1979 and has been providing theatre, art, comedy, music, kids’ clubs and more ever since.

Northcote Road Market, which has stalls selling everything from fruit and veg, meat, cheese and flowers, to antiques, clothes and art.

Battersea transport times

(Source TFL)

Battersea Restaurants

Angoletto Trattoria

New City Chinese Restaurant

The Lost Angel & Gaslight Grill

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Gastronhome

(Source Tripadvisor)

Council tax bands in Battersea

Lambeth (for St George’s Wharf)

Wandsworth (for Battersea)