Borough

Wandsworth

About:

The London Borough of Wandsworth is in south west London and forms part of Inner London.

The London borough of Wandsworth is the largest of the inner London boroughs with a population of 260,000, spanning an area of more than 13 square miles. It was formed in 1965 when the London boroughs were replaced with larger boroughs and the London borough of Wandsworth now encompasses Balham, Battersea, Tooting and Putney, amongst other areas.

The Wandsworth skyline is notable for Battersea Power Station and the borough certainly played its part in the Industrial revolution. Prior to industrialisation the area was an expanse of farmland, and some of its place names (e.g. Lavender Hill) reflect this.

In 1803 the world's first public railway opened running from Wandsworth to Croydon, close to the route of the River Wandle. Unfortunately the Surrey Iron Railway was not a financial success and, from the 1830's, had to compete with the new steam railways. The Surrey Iron Railway Company went out of business in 1846.

Routes that go through Wandsworth:

Capital Ring:

Section 5 (Streatham Common to Wimbledon Park)

Section 6 (Wimbledon Park to Richmond Bridge)

Thames Path National Trail:

Section 1 (Hampton Court to Albert Bridge)

Population:

260,380 which is 3.6% of the total London population (2001 Census)

Area:

35 square kilometres

Tube:

The borough is served by the District and Northern lines. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/ for more information.

Rail:

Clapham Junction is in the North East of the borough and is the busiest railway station in the UK. It provides mainline services to the South and South East and the central London terminals of Waterloo (International) and Victoria. Rail services in the borough are run by Southern, South West Trains and Silverlink Metro. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/rail/ for more information.

Bus:

The borough is served by a comprehensive network of bus routes. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ for more information.

Green space:

The London borough of Wandsworth contains some 670ha (1600 acres) of green space in the form of parks, commons, allotments and cemeteries, which is the largest proportion for any inner London borough. At 92ha (221 acres), the continuous green swathe of Tooting Common in the south of the borough, between Balham and Streatham, is Wandsworth's largest public open space.

Local Authority:

Wandsworth Borough Council

Other Information:

Visit London Walks for an audio guide of the Riverside Walk which follows part of the Thames Path from Barnes Bridge to Putney Bridge underground station.