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Wandsworth Area Guide

This is an area guide to Wandsworth, and contains information about the best things to do, and places to eat in the borough. You will also find information about the different districts within Wandsworth, and what they have to offer.

things to do in wandsworth
where to eat in wandsworth
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Wandsworth Area Guide

Click on the tiles below for more information about different areas of Wandsworth.

Battersea
Earlsfield
Tooting
Wandsworth Common

What Areas Come Under Wandsworth?

The parliamentary boundaries in Wandsworth divide the borough into three areas: Putney, Battersea, and Tooting. These three general election constituencies are then spilt into 22 local council wards.

The main town centres in Wandsworth include Wandsworth Town, Tooting, Balham, Putney, Clapham Junction, and Battersea.

Wandsworth Borough Map

What Zone is Wandsworth in?

The London Borough of Wandsworth falls within zones 1-3.

Zone 1

The only two underground stations in Wandsworth within Zone 1 are Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms Station on the Northern Line.

Zone 2

Wandsworth stations within zone 2 include: Wandsworth Town railway station, East Putney, Clapham Junction, and Wandsworth Road.

Zone 3

Wandsworth areas within zone 3 include: Balham, Tooting and Southfields.

What Districts are in Wandsworth?

Wandsworth can be divided into fifteen different different districts. Discover more about these different districts through the links below.


1. Tooting

Tooting is a busy, multicultural area that is popular with young professionals due to its affordable rents. The area can be spilt up into three main parts: Tooting Broadway, Tooting Bec and Furzedown.

Tooting has become well known in Wandsworth as the best place to go for a curry, and for its famous market. It also includes the large green space of Tooting Common.

Tooting Market
Tooting Market. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

2. Earlsfield

Earlsfield is located in between Wimbledon Common, and Wandsworth Common, and is centred around Garratt Lane.

Most of Earlsfield includes quiet residential streets, and Victorian houses. It has become a popular place for commuters since trains from Earlsfield Station are only 15 minutes to central London.

Earlsfield station
Earlsfield Station. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

3. Balham

Balham is an area that runs from Tooting Bec up to Clapham South. It has both an overground and underground station, so it has excellent transport links.

In recent years Balham has become a busy and vibrant area, that has developed a reputation for its excellent brunch spots.

Balham station
Balham tube station. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

Places of Interest in Balham


4. Between the Commons

The area between the commons is the part of Wandsworth that falls between Wandsworth Common and Clapham Common, and includes Northcote Road. This is one of the most desirable places in Wandsworth to live since it’s surrounded by open green spaces, and close to a vibrant shopping area.

Northcote Road has a festival and Christmas market every year, and is known as a great location for live music and restaurants. It is also within easy walking distance from Clapham Junction station.

Wandsworth area guide to the area between the commons

5. Clapham Junction

Since Clapham Junction railway station is the busiest station in Europe, it helped to turn the area around it into a vibrant district with popular pubs, and places to eat.

Although the area is known as Clapham Junction, it’s actually the commercial centre of Battersea.

Clapham Junction Station
Clapham Junction Station. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

Places of Interest in Clapham Junction


6. Lavender Hill

The Lavender Hill area is situated close to Clapham Junction. Lavender Hill itself is a road in the south of Battersea, that gets its name from the lavender that was once grown here.

This area is a neighbourhood that’s home to around 250 shops, restaurants and small businesses.

Battersea arts centre

Places of Interest in Lavender Hill


7. Wandsworth Common

This area runs from Bellevue Road in the south, to Spencer Park in the north. It is filled with small streets of independent shops, and has a michelin star restaurant, Chez Bruce.

The area includes the toast rack, which is one of the most desirable places in Wandsworth to live. The nearest overground stations are either Wandsworth Common Station in the south, or Clapham Junction station in the north.

Wandsworth Common
Wandsworth Common. Photograph by Peter Graham

8. Wandsworth Town

The area of Wandsworth Town includes Southside Shopping Centre, Wandsworth Town Hall, and the shops on Old York Road.

Wandsworth Town is also the area of Wandsworth where the river Wandle meets the Thames at The Causeway.

This area has seen lots of new riverside flats built in the Ram Quarter. It also includes King George’s Park which is popular among local residents who use the tennis courts, bowling green, and skatepark.

Wandsworth Town station is only 14 minutes from London Waterloo.

Southside shopping centre
Southside Shopping Centre. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

9. Putney

Putney is an affluent area of south west London that includes beautiful green spaces and woodland such as Putney Heath and Wandsworth Park.

Some of the surrounding areas include Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park.

Wandsworth Park
Wandsworth Park. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

Places of Interest in Putney


10. West Hill

West Hill is a desirable residential area in between east Putney and Wandsworth Town. It is home to London’s first purpose-built mosque. The Fazl-Mosque, or London Mosque opened in 1926.

Wandsworth area guide to West Hill

Places of Interest in West Hill


11. Roehampton

Roehampton is on the edge of the the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located in between Richmond Park and Putney Heath.

Wandsworth area guide to Roehampton

Places of Interest in Roehampton


12. Southfields

Southfields is the area in between Garratt Lane and Putney Heath, and includes some of Wimbledon Park.

Places of Interest in Southfields


13. Queenstown

This is the eastern part of Battersea. It has good transport links with Queenstown Road and Battersea Park stations. It’s also close to Battersea Park.

Battersea Park with the power station in the background
Battersea Park with the power station in the background.

14. Old Battersea

Battersea is one of the oldest recorded place names in London. The old part of Battersea includes the area around St Mary’s Church, and Battersea Square.

Battersea Square
Battersea Square. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

15. Nine Elms

Nine Elms is an up and coming area of Wandsworth that has had lots of recent regeneration, with new homes and leisure areas being built. It’s the one area of Wandsworth that falls within zone 1, and includes the Grade II-listed Battersea Power Station.

Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station. Photograph by Olivia Herlihy

What to do in Wandsworth

If you’re looking for local activities and attractions, I’ve rounded up all the best things to do in Wandsworth, or you can check out the following posts:

Where to Eat in Wandsworth

I’ve visited a number of different restaurants, cafes and pubs in Wandsworth. Check out my round up posts on the best places to eat in the borough:


The River Wandle in Wandsworth

The River Wandle was once surrounded by the old civil parish of Wandsworth. Today, the old boundaries for the civil parish no longer exist, but the river still, in effect, divides the modern borough of Wandsworth into two.

Both the River Wandle and Wandsworth are also inextricably linked through their names, which originate from a man called Waendel, who once owned the land here at the time of the Domesday Book.

If you are walking along the River Wandle Trail, these are the points you will pass as you enter Wandsworth:

river wandle wandsworth

What is Wandsworth famous for?

Below are 7 things Wandsworth is famous for:

  1. Wandsworth was the site of the oldest public railway – the Surrey Iron Railway was a was a horse-drawn railway that opened in 1803. It ran nearly 9 miles from Croydon to Wandsworth, and transported goods such as coal, corn and building materials.
  2. Wandsworth Bridge was one of the only structures in London to be built during the second world war – the bridge opened at the height of German air raids on London. This is the reason why it is painted blue and grey, so it would be camouflaged against the River Thames.
  3. Wandsworth was home to the Putney debates in 1647 – the Putney debates were a series of political discussions that took place after parliament’s victory over Charles I. These discussions have shaped our current democracy, and inspired much of the language used in the US Declaration of Independence.
  4. Wandsworth is home to London’s largest prisonWandsworth Prison is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in Europe.
  5. Wandsworth is home to Battersea Power Stationat its peak, the power station supplied a fifth of London’s electricity, including to the House of Commons and Buckingham Palace. Today it has been redeveloped into a mixture of shops, bars and restaurants.
  6. Wandsworth is home to Britain’s busiest train station – Clapham Junction opened in 1863, and sees around 2000 trains pass through it every day. It is the country’s busiest station in terms of the number of people who pass through it every day.
  7. Tooting was named one of the coolest places on earth by Lonely Planet – Tooting has become well known amongst locals as the best place to go for a curry. It’s also home to the famous Tooting Market, as well as some great cafes to go for brunch.

FAQs About Wandsworth

Is Wandsworth a posh area?

Mostly yes, but like anywhere in London, Wandsworth is a mixed area. The parts of Wandsworth which are often considered posh include: most of Putney, Wandsworth Common, Balham, the old Battersea High Street, and Northcote Road.

Is Wandsworth safe?

Wandsworth is one of the safest inner London boroughs, based on Metropolitan police statistics.

Why is Wandsworth council tax so cheap?

During the 1980s and 90s Wandsworth became famous for setting low rates of tax under its Conservative administration. In fact, for a time, it was in competition with Westminster each year for setting the lowest rate in the country.

Although pressures on local government finance have seen tax increase since, Wandsworth still issued the lowest average bills in the country when the Conservatives lost control in 2022. Council tax increases have been capped for the last decade, so this is likely to continue for some time

Wandsworth Area Guide

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