This area guide to Battersea offers a brief overview of the district, including its local shops, attractions, properties, schools, history, council tax and public transport links.

Overview

Battersea, a sought-after area in the London Borough of Wandsworth in South West London, is home to a vibrant mix of established residents, new families and young professionals.

Battersea has a real sense of community to it, with the small town feel of the area being one of the major reasons why local residents feel so passionately about where they live. Battersea has many active community groups, including the Battersea Power Station Community Group and The Battersea Society.

Shopping

There is an array of high street and independent boutique style shops on Northcote Road, many of which are favoured by the fashion conscious residents living in Battersea giving nearby Chelsea a run for its money.

St Johns Road, St John's Hill and Falcon Road are some other popular shopping streets offering a range of large and smaller retailers, specialising in a range of sectors, from fashion to interior design.

The markets in Battersea include Battersea High Street Market, which sells household goods, cards, fruit and vegetables, and Northcote Road Market, which features some wonderful deli products and clothing.

Attractions

There is no shortage of green spaces with Battersea Park, Wandsworth and Clapham Common all offering an abundance of events and activities including rowing, football, rugby, fishing, bowls, cricket, croquet, jogging and a children's playgrounds.

The Thai festival, which takes place in July, offers delicious Thai food stalls, Thai dance events, martial arts, and fashion shows.

The Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park with a leading role in the local cultural life of Battersea has new exhibitions every few months with plenty of events happening throughout the year.

A variety of comedy and theatre is put on at the Battersea Arts Centre.

Food and Drink

There are countless bars, cafes and restaurants to choose from in Battersea appealing to a range of tastes. The family friendly Bolingbroke offers a contemporary British menu. International cuisine is widely available - Argentinean steaks, Caribbean dishes, Italian, Thai, Indian and American-style Pizza are some of the choices available locally.

Local bars and clubs play a part in the lively feel of the area. Bars, pubs, and clubs range from the Peacock bar with an eclectic vintage look offering cocktails and burlesque cabaret, the Alchemist attracts a lively crowd up for dancing the night away, there is the 1970's-style Mishmash bar or Le QuecumBar, which provides gypsy swing-jazz most nights of the week.

History

The area got its name from the old village of Battersea, a former Thames island settlement that once formed part of Surrey. The spot of the original settlement is marked by St Mary's Church, which is now within the district of Southwark.

People have long lived in Battersea. The original inhabitants in Battersea were fishermen. This explains why Battersea's economy was for centuries reliant on fishing and farming. By around 1700, it is estimated that almost half of all inhabitants in Battersea were farmers, fishermen or agricultural labourers.

London's first super power station, Battersea Power Station, was built on the south bank of the River Thames in the 1930's to the design of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

Property Market

Battersea is a highly desirable place to live. There is an array of different types of residential property in the area, as a consequence of the wide range of residential architectural changes that have taken place in Battersea over the years.

The waterfront has been transformed in recent years with the construction of new riverside developments featuring luxurious apartments. Meanwhile, around the village area, there are more townhouses and maisonettes. There are also a number of Victorian terraces in Battersea.

Both property purchase and rental prices are at the higher end of London's property market, fuelled by the strong demand to live in the area.

Council Tax Rates

The annual rate of council tax varies and is dependant on the valuation band, which is determined by the value of the property and the current rates for the local council. Battersea is represented by the London Borough of Wandsworth, which offers one of the lowest council taxes in London.

Wandsworth Borough council tax rate:

Band Grade Value Annual Council Tax Cost
Band A Up to & including £40,000 £454.54
Band B £40,001 - £52,000 £530.30
Band C £52,001 - £68,000 £606.06
Band D £68,001 - £88,000 £681.81
Band E £88,001 - £120,000 £833.33
Band F £120,001 - £160,000 £984.84
Band G £160,001 - £320,000 £1136.36
Band H More than £320,000 £1363.62

Education

Battersea has a high standard of primary schools with most performing much higher than the national average in English, Science and Maths. John Burns Primary school and Chesterton Primary School are just two of the state schools that have been found to be outstanding by Ofsted inspectors. Here is a list of the schools and colleges in Battersea:

  • Chelsea Childrens Hospital
  • Christ Church Primary School
  • Falconbrook Primary School
  • Highview Primary School
  • John Burns Primary School
  • Chesterton Primary School
  • Wix Primary School
  • Belleville Primary School
  • Christ Church Primary School
  • Westbridge Primary School
  • Christ Church Primary School
  • Balham Preparatory School
  • Battersea Park School
  • Burntwood School
  • Centre Academy
  • Chestnut Grove School
  • Elliott School
  • Emanuel School
  • Ernest Bevin College
  • Graveney School
  • Hall School Wimbledon
  • Ibstock Place School
  • John Paul II School
  • Putney High School
  • Putney Park School
  • Saint Cecilia's
  • ADT College
  • Salesian College
  • Southfields Community College
  • Thames Christian College
  • Battersea Technology College

Hospitals

Just over the river there is the famous Royal Brompton Hospital providing specialist cardiothoracic care and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is another NHS general hospital. Lister Hospital, part of the HCA international group is on Chelsea Bridge Road.

The good and improving transport links have made the area popular with young professionals who easily commute into work daily.

There is no tube within the local vicinity. The nearest tubes are Clapham Common and Clapham South, both served by the Northern Line.

However, Clapham Junction train station is in Battersea, where commuters can catch a fast train into Victoria and Waterloo, and further afield, if necessary.

Buses and night buses provide a good service into and from Central London.

It is possible to access local amenities by foot or bike as there are many marked cycle routes through Battersea Park.

This area guide is intended to give a general overview of the area, whilst the information contained is believed to be accurate at the time of publication no responsibility is accepted for any errors or subsequent alterations.