Wandsworth
Encyclopedia
Wandsworth is a district of south
London
, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth
. It is situated 4.6 miles (7.4 km) southwest of Charing Cross
. The area is identified in the London Plan
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London
.
, which enters the Thames at Wandsworth. Wandsworth appears in Domesday Book
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
, which all covered larger areas, it is also known as Wandsworth Town.
s, with 5½ plough
s and 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) of meadow
. It rendered £9. Since at least the early 16th century, Wandsworth has offered accommodation to consecutive waves of immigration, from Protestant Dutch
metalworkers fleeing persecution in the 1590s to recent Eastern European members of the European Union
.
The heart of Wandsworth, between the town centre and the river, is the site of Young & Co's
Ram Brewery. Traditional draught beer was produced on the site for 425 years starting from 1581, which made the Ram Brewery the oldest site in Britain at which beer had been brewed continuously. Shire horse
-drawn brewery drays were still used to deliver beer to local pubs. However, brewing stopped in September 2006 when Young & Co merged its operations with Charles Wells of Bedford. A new use for the site is being discussed. Young & Co still has its headquarters in Wandsworth.
Wandsworth gas works was built in 1834 beside the River Thames near Wandsworth Bridge
. 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
was brought by sea from North East England
and unloaded on the Thames beside the gasworks. The undertaking 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 undertakings, but from 1936 it was the Wandsworth and District Gas Company
. The company was nationalised in 1949 and became part of the South Eastern Gas Board.
.
The River Front is a former wharf
area, and now a long river walk towards Battersea
Village and the West End. It is now lined with new apartment blocks, with several bars and restaurants. Notable pubs include The Ship Inn near Wandsworth Bridge
. The Waterfront on Battersea Reach is a very large bar with excellent view towards Chelsea Harbour
.
Wandsworth Common is set back from the river, at the top of East Hill, containing an area known locally as "the Toast Rack" that has some of the most expensive townhouses in London across from Bellevue Road containing several boutiques and the famous restaurant Chez Bruce
, formerly Harveys, where chef Gordon Ramsay
learned his trade, and which co-owner Bruce Poole gained a Michelin star in 1999, subsequently voted one of London's favourite restaurants in 2006. The area also contains one of Wandsworth's most impressive buildings, the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, which now contains flats, a theatre school and the "Le Gothique" 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 contains three notable pubs, the Royal Standard, the East Hill and The Alma. Brady's Fish Restaurant serves traditional fish and chips. The area was recently used as the location for the BBC TV series Outnumbered
. Houses in this area, although small, sell from £600k to over £1 mil, and are desired because they retain their Victorian character and are in close proximity to the Wandsworth Town train station. The houses are very popular with city workers, lawyers, advertising executives and other professionals.
East Hill is an area of Large Victorian houses bordered by the west side of Wandsworth Common. The De Morgan Centre
houses a collection of Victorian artwork.
Wandsworth High Street is a rather traffic-choked street, picking up much of the traffic from the A3, the High Street is dominated by the recently-regenerated Southside shopping centre
, cinema and restaurant complex (formerly, and still and more commonly, referred to as the Arndale Centre). Behind the shopping centre, and following the River Wandle upstream towards Earlsfield
and further south to Wimbledon, is King George's Park
which is home to picturesque ponds, tennis courts, football pitches and cycle paths. Wandsworth Museum occupies the former Victorian library in West Hill having been relocated here in 2007. A green plaque to commemorate aviation pioneer Alliott Verdon Roe
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.
; Wandsworth Common train station
, (one stop from Clapham Junction, and 12 minutes train ride from Victoria
); and Earlsfield railway station
, (one stop from Clapham Junction, and 12 minutes train ride from Waterloo Station
).
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
. It is situated 4.6 miles (7.4 km) southwest of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. The area is identified in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
as one of 35 major centres in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
.
Toponymy
Wandsworth takes its name from the River WandleRiver Wandle
The River Wandle is a river in south-east England. The names of the river and of Wandsworth are thought to have derived from the Old English "Wendlesworth" meaning "Wendle's Settlement". The river runs through southwest London and is about long...
, which enters the Thames at Wandsworth. Wandsworth appears in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
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
Wandsworth District (Metropolis)
Wandsworth was a local government district within the metropolitan area of London, England from 1855 to 1900. It was formed by the Metropolis Management Act 1855 and was governed by the Wandsworth District Board of Works, which consisted of elected vestrymen.Until 1889 the district was in the...
and the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a Metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965.The borough was formed from five civil parishes: Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth...
, which all covered larger areas, it is also known as Wandsworth Town.
History
It was held partly by William, son of Ansculfy, and partly by St Wandrille's Abbey. Its Domesday assets were 12 hideHide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
s, with 5½ plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s and 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) of meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
. It rendered £9. Since at least the early 16th century, Wandsworth has offered accommodation to consecutive waves of immigration, from Protestant Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
metalworkers fleeing persecution in the 1590s to recent Eastern European members of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
The heart of Wandsworth, between the town centre and the river, is the site of Young & Co's
Young's Brewery
Young's is a British pub chain operating nearly 220 pubs.The company was founded as a brewery in 1831 by Charles Young and Anthony Bainbridge when they purchased the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth...
Ram Brewery. Traditional draught beer was produced on the site for 425 years starting from 1581, which made the Ram Brewery the oldest site in Britain at which beer had been brewed continuously. Shire horse
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
-drawn brewery drays were still used to deliver beer to local pubs. However, brewing stopped in September 2006 when Young & Co merged its operations with Charles Wells of Bedford. A new use for the site is being discussed. Young & Co still has its headquarters in Wandsworth.
Wandsworth gas works was built in 1834 beside the River Thames near Wandsworth Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge crosses the River Thames in west London. It carries the A217 road between the areas 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 Parsons Green, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and...
. The undertaking became the Wandsworth and Putney Gaslight and Coke Company
Wandsworth and District Gas Company
The Wandsworth and District Gas Company was a maker and distributor of coal gas in south-west 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 Wandsworth, Putney and part of Battersea...
in 1854 and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1856. Coal for making coal gas
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
was brought by sea from North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
and unloaded on the Thames beside the gasworks. The undertaking 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 undertakings, but from 1936 it was the Wandsworth and District Gas Company
Wandsworth and District Gas Company
The Wandsworth and District Gas Company was a maker and distributor of coal gas in south-west 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 Wandsworth, Putney and part of Battersea...
. The company was nationalised in 1949 and became part of the South Eastern Gas Board.
Geography
There is a band of small and expensive terraced housing (known as The Tonsleys) behind Old York Road — the former centre of old Wandsworth — rising to an area of grander, terraced, semi-detached and detached housing along the roads bounded by West Side Wandsworth Common, Earlsfield Road and East Hill. In contrast, at the base of East Hill is a collection of high-rise council blocksPublic housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
.
The River Front is a former wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
area, and now a long river walk towards Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
Village and the West End. It is now lined with new apartment blocks, with several bars and restaurants. Notable pubs include The Ship Inn near Wandsworth Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge
Wandsworth Bridge crosses the River Thames in west London. It carries the A217 road between the areas 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 Parsons Green, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and...
. The Waterfront on Battersea Reach is a very large bar with excellent view towards Chelsea Harbour
Chelsea Harbour
Chelsea Harbour is a mixed-use development in Central London, situated on the north bank of the River Thames, in the Sands End area. It lies within the eastern boundary of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and on the southwestern boundary of the Royal Borough of Kensington and...
.
Wandsworth Common is set back from the river, at the top of East Hill, containing an area known locally as "the Toast Rack" that has some of the most expensive townhouses in London across from Bellevue Road containing several boutiques and the famous restaurant Chez Bruce
Chez Bruce
Chez Bruce is a restaurant located at 2 Bellevue Road in Wandsworth, London, England. The restaurant was opened in February, 1995 by Bruce Poole and his business partner Nigel Platts-Martin....
, formerly Harveys, where chef Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
learned his trade, and which co-owner Bruce Poole gained a Michelin star in 1999, subsequently voted one of London's favourite restaurants in 2006. The area also contains one of Wandsworth's most impressive buildings, the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, which now contains flats, a theatre school and the "Le Gothique" 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 contains three notable pubs, the Royal Standard, the East Hill and The Alma. Brady's Fish Restaurant serves traditional fish and chips. The area was recently used as the location for the BBC TV series Outnumbered
Outnumbered
Outnumbered is a British sitcom. Airing on BBC One since 2007, it stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner as a father and mother outnumbered by their three children...
. Houses in this area, although small, sell from £600k to over £1 mil, and are desired because they retain their Victorian character and are in close proximity to the Wandsworth Town train station. The houses are very popular with city workers, lawyers, advertising executives and other professionals.
East Hill is an area of Large Victorian houses bordered by the west side of Wandsworth Common. The De Morgan Centre
De Morgan Centre
The De Morgan Centre for the Study of 19th Century Art and Society is a museum and gallery in the London Borough of Wandsworth, England, that houses a large collection of the work of the Victorian ceramic artist William De Morgan and his wife, the painter Evelyn De Morgan.The ceramics collection...
houses a collection of Victorian artwork.
Wandsworth High Street is a rather traffic-choked street, picking up much of the traffic from the A3, the High Street is dominated by the recently-regenerated Southside shopping centre
Southside (shopping centre)
Southside Wandsworth is a shopping centre in Wandsworth, London, England. When it was built it was the largest indoor shopping centre in Europe.-Overview:...
, cinema and restaurant complex (formerly, and still and more commonly, referred to as the Arndale Centre). Behind the shopping centre, and following the River Wandle upstream towards Earlsfield
Earlsfield
Earlsfield is an area within the London Borough of Wandsworth, London, England.Earlsfield is a typical London suburb and comprises mostly residential Victorian terraced houses with a high street of shops, bars, and restaurants between Garratt Lane, Allfarthing Lane, and Burntwood Lane...
and further south to Wimbledon, is King George's Park
King George's Park
King George's Park is a park in Wandsworth, South London.- Park description :The park was originally called Southfields Park and was laid out in 1922.[1] It was officially opened by King George V in 1938. The park is about 770 m long in the nouth-south direction, with an average width of 120 m. The...
which is home to picturesque ponds, tennis courts, football pitches and cycle paths. Wandsworth Museum occupies the former Victorian library in West Hill having been relocated here in 2007. A green plaque to commemorate aviation pioneer Alliott Verdon Roe
Alliott Verdon Roe
Sir Edwin Alliott Verdon Roe OBE, FRAeS was a pioneer English pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of the Avro company...
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.
Transport
Nearest railway stations are Wandsworth Town railway stationWandsworth Town railway station
Wandsworth Town railway station is in the London Borough of Wandsworth, in south London, in Travelcard Zone 2. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains.-Services:The typical off-peak service from the station is:...
; Wandsworth Common train station
Wandsworth Common railway station
Wandsworth Common railway station is in the London Borough of Wandsworth in south London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern, and it is in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...
, (one stop from Clapham Junction, and 12 minutes train ride from Victoria
Victoria station (London)
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo, and includes an air terminal for passengers...
); and Earlsfield railway station
Earlsfield railway station
Earlsfield railway station is in the London Borough of Wandsworth in south London. The station, which is in Travelcard Zone 3, is operated by South West Trains, as are all the trains serving it....
, (one stop from Clapham Junction, and 12 minutes train ride from Waterloo Station
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
).