Wandsworth Town () is a district of
south London
South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...
, within the
London Borough of Wandsworth
Wandsworth () is a London boroughs, London borough in southwest London; it forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main named areas are Battersea, Balham, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth, Wandsworth ...
southwest of
Charing Cross
Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...
. The area is identified in the
London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority.
The regional planning document was first pu ...
as one of 35 major centres in
Greater London
Greater may refer to:
*Greatness, the state of being great
*Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality
*Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film
*Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record
*Greater (song), "Greate ...
.
Toponymy
Wandsworth takes its name from the
River Wandle
The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about , the river passes through the London boroughs of London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Sutton, Sutton, Londo ...
, which enters the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
at Wandsworth. Wandsworth appears in
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086 as ''Wandesorde'' and ''Wendelesorde''. This means 'enclosure of (a man named) Waendel', whose name is also lent to the River Wandle. To distinguish it from the London Borough of Wandsworth, and historically from the
Wandsworth District of the Metropolis and the
Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a Metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965.
History
The borough was formed from five civil parishes: Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth. In 1904 t ...
, which all covered larger areas, it is also known as Wandsworth Town.
History
![Vincent wandsworth](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Vincent_wandsworth.png)
At the time of the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
(1086), the manor of Wandsworth was held partly by William, son of Ansculfy, and partly by St Wandrille's Abbey. Its Domesday assets were 12
hides, with
plough
A plough or plow ( US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden, iron or ...
s and of
meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...
. It rendered £9. Since at least the early 16th century, Wandsworth has offered accommodation to consecutive waves of immigration, from Protestant
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
metalworkers fleeing persecution in the 1590s,
Huguenots
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...
in the 17th century, to recent
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
an members of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
.
![Wandsworth Town Hall-13492313114](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Wandsworth_Town_Hall-13492313114.jpg)
Between Wandsworth town centre and the river is the site of
Young & Co's Ram Brewery.
Shire horse
The Shire is a British breed of draught horse. It is usually black, bay, or grey. It is a tall breed, and Shires have at various times held world records both for the largest horse and for the tallest horse. The Shire has a great capacity for ...
-drawn brewery
drays were still used to deliver beer to local pubs. Whilst brewing by Young's stopped in September 2006 when Young & Co merged its operations with
Charles Wells of
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
, brewing does continue on the site by a master brewer albeit in small amounts. A planning application to redevelop the site for residential and shopping/leisure "mixed use" was submitted in 2012
and approved in 2013. In 2019 it was announced that Sambrook's Brewery will continue to brew beer on the site moving from their brewhouse on York Road in 2020 with John Hatch (former master brewer of Youngs Brewery) taking an active role in tours.
Wandsworth
gas plant was built in 1834 against the River Thames near
Wandsworth Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge crosses the River Thames in west London. It carries the A217 road between the area of Battersea, near Wandsworth Town Station, in the London Borough of Wandsworth on the south of the river, and the areas of Sands End and Par ...
.
The undertaking became the
Wandsworth and Putney Gaslight and Coke Company in 1854 and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1856.
[ Coal for making ]coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made from coal and supplied to the user via a piped distribution system. It is produced when coal is heated strongly in the absence of air. Town gas is a more general term referring to manufactured gaseous ...
was brought by sea from North East England
North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...
and unloaded on the Thames beside the gasworks.[ The firm grew by a series of mergers and takeovers so that by 1936 it served a considerable area of south-west London.][ The company's name evolved each time it merged with or took over neighbouring gas companies, but from 1936 it was the ]Wandsworth and District Gas Company
The Wandsworth and District Gas Company was a maker and distributor of coal gas in southwest London from 1834 until 1949.
History
The Wandsworth gasworks was built in 1834 on the Surrey bank of the River Thames near Wandsworth Bridge. Its supplied ...
.[ The company was nationalised in 1949 and became part of the ]South Eastern Gas Board
The area gas boards were created under the provisions of the Gas Act 1948 enacted by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government. The Act nationalised the British gas industry and also created the Gas Council.
History
From the early 19th century ...
.[
]Wandsworth power station
Wandsworth power station supplied electricity to the London district of Wandsworth and to Putney, Tooting Graveney, Streatham and Clapham from 1897 to 1964. It was owned and operated by the County of London Electric Supply Company, County of Lon ...
was built on The Causeway and supplied electricity to the district of Wandsworth from 1897 to 1964. It was owned and operated by the County of London Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was decommissioned in 1964. There is an operational 132 kV national grid substation to the east of the River Wandle.
Geography
The former wharf
A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...
area of the river-front is now lined with new apartment blocks, with several bars and restaurants. Notable pubs include the Ship Inn and the Waterfront, on the western and eastern side of (the southern bridgehead of) Wandsworth Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge crosses the River Thames in west London. It carries the A217 road between the area of Battersea, near Wandsworth Town Station, in the London Borough of Wandsworth on the south of the river, and the areas of Sands End and Par ...
respectively.
Wandsworth Common
Wandsworth Common is a public common in Wandsworth, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south London. It is and is maintained and regulated by Wandsworth Council. It is also a Ward of the London Borough of Wandsworth. The population of the ward ...
is set back from the river, at the top of East Hill, and is adjoined by an area known locally as "the Toast Rack" that has some of the most expensive townhouses in London,[ as well as the restaurant '']Chez Bruce
Chez Bruce is a restaurant located at 2 Bellevue Road in Wandsworth, London, England.
History
The restaurant was opened in February 1995 by Bruce Poole and his business partner Nigel Platts-Martin, a proprietor of several other Michelin Guid ...
'', formerly ''Harveys'', where chef Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay (; born ) is a British chef, restaurateur, television personality and writer. His restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall; it currently holds a tot ...
learned his trade, and for which co-owner Bruce Poole gained a Michelin star in 1999. Also in the area is the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building
The Royal Victoria Patriotic Building is a large Victorian building in a Gothic Revival style combining Scottish Baronial and French Châteauesque. It is located off Trinity Road in Wandsworth, London. It was built in 1859 as the Royal Victori ...
, which now contains flats, a theatre school and a restaurant.
The Tonsleys/Old York Road is a residential area of old Wandsworth close to the river and town centre, so called because many of the street names have the word "Tonsley" included. It has a village feel with the Old York Road's cafes and shops at its heart. The area has three notable pubs: the Royal Standard, the East Hill and the Alma. East Hill is an area of large Victorian houses bordered by the west side of Wandsworth Common. From 2007 to 2014 the area was used as the location for the BBC TV series '' Outnumbered''.
Wandsworth High Street
Wandsworth High Street is the main shopping street in Wandsworth, London, England. It forms part of the London inner ring road, the South Circular Road; it is also part of the westbound A3 (the eastbound carriageway follows a parallel road).
T ...
is dominated by the regenerated Southside shopping centre, cinema and restaurant complex (formerly called the Arndale Centre
Arndale Centres were the first "American style" malls to be built in the United Kingdom. In total, twenty three Arndales have been built in the United Kingdom, and three in Australia. The first opened in Jarrow, County Durham, in 1961, as a ped ...
). Behind the shopping centre, and following the River Wandle upstream towards Earlsfield
Earlsfield is an area within the London Borough of Wandsworth, London, England. It is a typical London suburb and comprises mostly residential Victorian terraced houses with a high street of shops, bars, and restaurants between Garratt Lane, Al ...
and further south to Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
, is King George's Park
King George's Park is a main park spanning Wandsworth and Southfields, South London.
Summary
The park was originally called Southfields Park and was laid out in 1922. It was officially opened by King George V in 1923. The park is about long, ...
.
Wandsworth Museum
Wandsworth Museum was a local museum in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest London, England. This community museum covered the cultural and social history of Wandsworth, especially artefacts and artworks that show contemporary and tradit ...
previously occupied the former Victorian library in West Hill having been moved there in 2007. The museum closed in March 2015. The De Morgan Centre
]
The De Morgan Centre for the Study of 19th Century Art and Society was a gallery in the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, which was home for a few years to the De Morgan Collection.
From 2002 the De Morgan Centre provided public access ...
is currently situated in Wandsworth Museum and houses a collection of Victorian artwork. A green plaque to commemorate aviation pioneer Alliott Verdon Roe
Sir Edwin Alliott Verdon Roe OBE, Hon. FRAeS, FIAS (26 April 1877 – 4 January 1958) was a pioneer English pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of the Avro company. After experimenting with model aeroplanes, he made flight tr ...
was unveiled by Wandsworth Council and members of the Verdon-Roe family beside the A3 close to Wandsworth Fire Station on the site of Roe's first workshop in the stables of his brother's house at 47 West Hill.
The underpass beneath the Wandsworth Bridge roundabout was the location for the scene in Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
's ''A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' in which a tramp is attacked.
There are several schools in Wandsworth including Shaftesbury Park Primary School.
Wandsworth Town Library is on Garratt Lane. The library opened in 2009 and is located in the former court house, a listed building.
Transport
The nearest railway stations are Wandsworth Town
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
Toponymy
Wandsworth takes its name ...
; Wandsworth Common
Wandsworth Common is a public common in Wandsworth, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south London. It is and is maintained and regulated by Wandsworth Council. It is also a Ward of the London Borough of Wandsworth. The population of the ward ...
(one stop from Clapham Junction
Clapham Junction is an urban locality around Clapham Junction railway station in London, England. Despite its name, it is not located in Clapham, but forms the commercial centre of Battersea.
Clapham Junction was a scene of disturbances durin ...
, and 12 minutes' train ride from London Victoria
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...
); and Earlsfield
Earlsfield is an area within the London Borough of Wandsworth, London, England. It is a typical London suburb and comprises mostly residential Victorian terraced houses with a high street of shops, bars, and restaurants between Garratt Lane, Al ...
, (one stop from Clapham Junction
Clapham Junction is an urban locality around Clapham Junction railway station in London, England. Despite its name, it is not located in Clapham, but forms the commercial centre of Battersea.
Clapham Junction was a scene of disturbances durin ...
, and 12 minutes' train ride from London Waterloo
Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station of ...
). Wandsworth Town is also served by Southfields tube station
Southfields is a London Underground station in Southfields in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The station is on the District line between and stations. The station is located on Wimbledon Park Road at the junction with Augustus Road and Re ...
in the Southfields
Southfields is a district of inner London located within the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, 5.6 miles (9 km) south-west of Charing Cross. Southfields is mainly residential, historically a part of Wandsworth itself, and is divided b ...
area of the Town.
Churches
All Saints'
All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...
is the original parish church of Wandsworth, dating back to the 13th century, although the present building is mostly of the 18th century. St Anne's and Holy Trinity churches were built in the 19th century to accommodate a growing population.
Wandsworth Prison
Built in 1851, Wandsworth Prison
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Pri ...
is a Category B men's prison. It is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in Europe, with a similar capacity to Liverpool Prison
HM Prison Liverpool (formerly Walton Gaol) is a category B local men's prison in Walton, Liverpool, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
Liverpool Prison (originally known as Walton Gaol) was constructed between 184 ...
.
See also
*List of people from Wandsworth
Among those who were born in the London Borough of Wandsworth, or have lived/live within the borders of the modern borough are ''(alphabetical order)'':
* Kyle Sinckler — rugby player
* Leomie Anderson - model
* Michail Antonio — football ...
* List of schools in Wandsworth
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{London Districts
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Wandsworth
Districts of London on the River Thames
Major centres of London