Places to See in South London - Battersea Park and Power Station

This is a blogpost on Battersea, an area lying right by the River Thames. Cross one of three bridges in Battersea (Albert, Battersea or Chelsea) and you'll find yourself in Central London around Sloane Square, Chelsea and Victoria. It would thus be a perfect place for property developers to come over and build a series of flats, perhaps renovate an old coal power station, and invite countless people to live near that power station for exorbitant prices. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Battersea is part of the Wandsworth borough, with its power station proudly included on its logo as part of the Wandsworth skyline. The chimneys are very prominent as you head to the area, and the power station itself, comprising of two stations - A and B - have become somewhat local London landmarks, with them even making it into music history as the cover of Pink Floyd's album Animals, partly because bassist Roger Waters lived near it at the time of the album's production. 

I visited the power station last year partly due to the album (which I consider one of Floyd's best) as well as wanting to see how the area looked, but also simply due to its landmark status. As a result, I can't remember all that much from my visit, and I admittedly haven't come back to look inside the power station which is apparently "London’s most exciting new shopping and leisure destination" - reading about it on the Battersea Power Station website, I'm not sure I'm all convinced. Lots of the shops included are about fashion and cosmetics, an endless list of brands which doesn't particularly strike me as "exciting", and many independent coffee shops - a specialty of gentrified areas - though they do seem to have turned Control Room B into a cocktail bar, so at least they've not turned the whole thing into an entertainment complex whilst disregarding its history. Part of me wishes the power station was open as a museum, but what do I know...I've not been to see the shopping centre yet, partially because when I recently went to Battersea, it would have been closed anyways.

Regardless, the area around Battersea Power Station is a rather pleasant one, with deckchairs and outdoor bars allowing you to bask in the sun instead of staying cooped inside looking at clothes all day. And the power station stands over you, looking as impressive as it does from afar, having been completely renovated a couple years back. And if you want to stay in Battersea Power Station for the rest of your life (let alone the day), you can book an appointment to find out whether you want to stay in the unusual looking apartments that stand beside the power station (some even have a roof garden). Anyone can buy an apartment there, but it's easier if you're rich.

But how could you get to Battersea Power Station? It's rather simple - a branch of the Northern Line opened back in 2021, making transport from Central London easier. There's also the riverboat, which stops on the aptly named Battersea Power Station Pier, part of the RB1 (as its terminus), RB2 and RB6 routes. It's also a rather new stop, having opened in 2017, and conveniently allows you directly onto the site of the development. TfL's recent Central London bus consultation also suggests the 211 bus route might be diverted to terminate at Battersea Power Station, so even Hammersmith residents can get in on the action.

Perhaps it's not the kind of place coal fanatics would love to visit nowadays, but this power station is worth a visit, if not to just look around and see the abstract sculptures that can be found around here, such as the orange man sculpture, made by Jessi Wine in the style of Henry Moore.

Now for a place that's more green and with a less checkered environmental history - the nearby Battersea Park. I'll write about it in a more simplified fashion, seeing that I've rambled on about the power station.

How big is it? Very big - 200 acres big, so says the Wandsworth website. It shouldn't be too surprising it's that big - it was built over sixteen years from 1854 to 1870. 

Built? Yes - it used to be a popular place to duel - as in, the marshy fields that were once here. In 1845, developer Thomas Cubitt thought this would be a terrific place to have a park, so a bill was submitted, an act was passed, money was promised, land was bought and construction began. Chelsea Bridge, built in honour of Queen Victoria, was opened in 1858 directly next to the park, and roads were built around it. 

Are there any historical events of notice that occurred in the area? London played Sheffield in a football match here on the 31st March 1866. London won 2-0, scoring two goals as well as two touch downs (similar to rugby tries). Apparently they could have been used as tiebreakers if a match was level. The park was used as an air raid defence during World War Two as well, whilst also being part of Festival of Britain celebrations in 1951.

What's there to see? In the photo above, the Peace Pagoda can be seen amongst the trees. The pagoda itself is an example of a Buddhist stupa - there are many examples of them around the world, and this specific one was erected in 1984, with statues depicting the stages of the Buddha's life encircling it. 

There are also the gardens, home to various flora and fauna. They're dotted around the park, all with different styles depending on which one you go to. There's the Russell Page Garden, created for the Festival of Britain by the architect of the same name, with rather elaborate designs - these are near a set of fountains, as well as a small coffee kiosk (for this is Battersea).

There's also this sculpture, one of a few in the park - this one's by Barbara Hepworth, made from 1961-62, and called Single Form. What looks like a hole in a slab is actually rather poignant, as it's a memorial to her friend Dag Hammarskjold who died in a plane crash.

You can also simply walk through the large park, taking in the nature and admiring its beauty, as I did. There are countless lakes which you can walk by, such as the large Boating Lake and the smaller connecting Ladies Pond. I could mention the bandstand in the centre, but I don't have any photos of it - you could take some of your own should you visit it. If you're there come Guy Fawkes Night (Nov 5), you can watch the fireworks display should you buy a ticket. You could also by ice cream from the countless vans selling it, the prices all rather high for ice cream.

How can I get there? Trains run to nearby Battersea Park and Queenstown Road stations.

Any final statements before this blogpost finishes? None, just this photo, with the power station far in the distance - the perfect contrast in environment.