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Coordinates: 51°27′18″N 0°11′31″W / 51.455°N 0.192°W / 51.455; -0.192
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{{Short description|District of London, England}}
{{Cleanup|date=August 2007}}
{{distinguish|London Borough of Wandsworth}}
{{infobox UK place|
{{other places}}
|country = England
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
|map_type = Greater London
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
|region= London
{{infobox UK place
|population=
| country = England
|official_name= Wandsworth
| region = London
|latitude= 51.4644
| official_name = Wandsworth Town
|longitude= -0.1924
| coordinates = {{coord|51.455|-0.192|display=inline,title}}
|london_borough= Wandsworth
| london_borough = Wandsworth
|constituency_westminster= [[Battersea]]
| constituency_westminster = [[Battersea (UK Parliament constituency)|Battersea]], [[Tooting (UK Parliament constituency)|Tooting]] and [[Putney (UK Parliament constituency)|Putney]]
|post_town= LONDON
| post_town = LONDON
|postcode_area= SW
| postcode_area = SW
|postcode_district= SW18
| postcode_district = SW18
|dial_code= 020
| dial_code = 020
|os_grid_reference= TQ255755
| os_grid_reference = TQ255755
| static_image_name = (former) Ram Brewery complex and Brewery Tap pub.jpg
| static_image_caption = The former Ram Brewery, a landmark in Wandsworth's town centre
| population = 18,072
| population_ref = (Wandsworth Town as of [[United Kingdom Census 2021|2021 census]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.datawand.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Census-2021-results-Wandsworth-APRIL-23-PUB.pdf |title=Census Data 2021 Wandsworth |page=13 |first1=Kate |last1=Ive |first2=Sally |last2=Bahri |date=4 April 2023 |access-date=26 November 2023 |publisher=[[Wandsworth Borough Council]]}}</ref>
| charingX_distance_mi = 4.2
| charingX_direction = NE
}}
}}
'''Wandsworth Town''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɒ|n|z|w|ər|θ}}) is a district of [[south London]], within the [[London Borough of Wandsworth]] {{convert|4.2|mi|km|1}} southwest of [[Charing Cross]]. The area is identified in the [[London Plan]] as one of 35 major centres in [[Greater London]].<ref name=london_plan_f08>{{cite web|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/the_london_plan_consolidated_with_alterations_since_2004_reduced.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021055850/https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/the_london_plan_consolidated_with_alterations_since_2004_reduced.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-21 |url-status=live|author=Mayor of London|author-link=Mayor of London|publisher=[[Greater London Authority]]|title=London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004)|date=February 2008}}</ref>
'''Wandsworth Town''' is an exclusive town on the south bank of the [[River Thames]] in south-west [[London]]. It is at the centre of the [[London Borough of Wandsworth]], made up of [[Balham]], [[Battersea]], [[Clapham Junction]], [[Earlsfield]], [[Nine Elms]], [[Putney]], [[Roehampton]], [[Southfields]], and [[Tooting]]. Wandsworth takes its name from the [[River Wandle]], which enters the Thames at Wandsworth. Many people say they live in Wandsworth, but are referring to the borough rather than the town. Wandsworth town is a relatively small, roughly triangular-shaped stretch of land, running down to the Thames.


==Toponymy==
Wandsworth appears in [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as ''Wandesorde'' and ''Wendelesorde''. It was held partly by William, son of Ansculf and partly by St Wandrille's Abbey. Its domesday assets were: 12 [[hide (unit)|hide]]s. It had 5½ [[plough]]s, 22 acres of [[meadow]]. It rendered £9.<ref>[http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm Surrey Domesday Book]</ref>
Wandsworth takes its name from the [[River Wandle]], which enters the [[River Thames|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.<ref>Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names. p 482.</ref> To distinguish it from the London Borough of Wandsworth, and historically from the [[Wandsworth District (Metropolis)|Wandsworth District of the Metropolis]] and the [[Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth]], which all covered larger areas, it is also known as '''Wandsworth Town'''.


==Description==
==History==
[[File:Vincent wandsworth.png|thumb|left|''Middle Mill, Wandsworth'' by George Vincent (1796–1839), Government Art Collection]]
Wandsworth, like its neighbour Battersea, is a town of extremes (a fact highlighted in the film ''[[Love Actually]]'') containing some light industry and warehouse sites, rapidly being surrounded by luxury riverside housing. The last twenty years has seen Wandsworth join the ranks of the most expensive and desirable London towns. In February 2007 the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' placed Wandsworth as a borough with the third most million-pound property sales in the capital, behind Kensington/Chelsea and Westminster. Many of these sales are due to Wandsworth's (The Town) rapid riverside development, catering for the Chelsea overspill.
At the time of the [[Domesday Book]] (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 [[hide (unit)|hide]]s, with {{frac|5|1|2}} [[plough]]s and {{convert|22|acre|m2}} of [[meadow]]. It rendered £9.<ref>[http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm Surrey Domesday Book] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030192829/http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm|date=30 October 2007}}</ref> Since at least the early 16th century, Wandsworth has offered accommodation to consecutive waves of immigration, from Protestant [[Netherlands|Dutch]] metalworkers fleeing persecution in the 1590s, [[Huguenot Burial Site|Huguenots]] in the 17th century, to recent [[Eastern Europe]]an members of the [[European Union]].<ref name=timeout>{{cite book|title="Time Out" London for Londoners|publisher=Ebury Publishing|year=2006|location=London|isbn=978-1-904978-52-7}}</ref>


[[File:Wandsworth Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg|thumb|left|A map showing the wards of Wandsworth Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.]]
Since at least the early 16th century, Wandsworth has offered accommodation to consecutive waves of immigration; from Protestant [[Netherlands|Dutch]] metalworkers fleeing persecution in the 1590s, to recent Eastern European members of the [[European Union]].<ref name="timeout">{{cite book | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = ''Time Out'' London for Londoners | publisher = Ebury Publishing | date = 2006 | location = London | pages = | url = | doi = | isbn = 978-1-904978-52-7 }}</ref> An influx of French [[Huguenot]] refugees in the early 17th century is remembered in many local street names. There is a band of small and expensive terraced housing (known as The Tonsleys) behind Old York Road &mdash; the former centre of old Wandsworth &mdash; 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 [[public housing|council blocks]].
[[File:Wandsworth Town Hall-13492313114.jpg|thumb|left|[[Wandsworth Town Hall]]]]
Between Wandsworth town centre and the river is the site of [[Young's Brewery|Young & Co's Ram Brewery]]. [[Shire horse]]-drawn brewery [[Wagon|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 Ltd|Charles Wells]] of [[Bedford]], 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<ref name=rambreweyredevelopment>{{cite news|url=http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/11553/exhibitions_for_new_ram_brewery_proposal|title=Exhibitions for new Ram Brewery proposal|date=20 November 2012|publisher=[[Wandsworth Borough Council]] website|access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref> and approved in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://europe-re.com/ram-brewery-development-gains-planning-consent-uk/41757|title=Ram Brewery development gains planning consent|date=25 July 2013 |publisher=Europe Real Estate website|access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cask-marque.co.uk/sambrooks-set-to-move-to-site-of-the-old-youngs-brewery/|title=Sambrook's set to move to site of the old Young's Brewery|work=cask-marque.co.uk|date=10 July 2019}}</ref>


Wandsworth [[Gasworks|gas plant]] was built in 1834 against the River Thames near [[Wandsworth Bridge]].<ref name=Archives>{{cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/3d635472-970c-45ba-8b69-28f4984e9651#0|title=Wandsworth and District Gas Company|work=Access to Archives|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref> The undertaking became the [[Wandsworth and District Gas Company|Wandsworth and Putney Gaslight and Coke Company]] in 1854 and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1856.<ref name=Archives/> Coal for making [[coal gas]] was brought by sea from [[North East England]] and unloaded on the Thames beside the gasworks.<ref name=Archives/> The firm grew by a series of mergers and takeovers so that by 1936 it served a considerable area of south-west London.<ref name=Archives/> 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]].<ref name=Archives/> The company was nationalised in 1949 and became part of the [[gas board|South Eastern Gas Board]].<ref name=Archives/>
According to an article in ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2004:
<blockquote>
Wandsworth has a greater proportion of people whose lifestyle, views and trends shape the zeitgeist more than anywhere else in the UK. Wandsworth, in other words, is groovier than everywhere else in Britain.</blockquote>


[[Wandsworth power station]] was built on The Causeway and supplied electricity to the district of Wandsworth from 1897 to 1964.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Garcke|first=Emile|title=Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3|publisher=P. S. King and Son|year=1898|location=London|pages=154–160}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Garrett|first=Frederick C.|title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-105, A-137}}</ref> There is an operational 132 kV national grid substation to the east of the River Wandle.
According to the ''Evening Standard''"Wandsworth is the hotspot" for those people in London earning over £100,000.</blockquote>


==Geography==
==Areas in Wandsworth==
The former [[wharf]] 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]] respectively.
==== The River Front ====
[[File:Church Row 01.JPG|thumb|Church Row, 1–6, Wandsworth Plain, London SW18]]
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, and is adjoined by an area known locally as "the Toast Rack" that has some of the most expensive townhouses in London,<ref name=timeout/> as well as the restaurant ''[[Chez Bruce]]'', formerly ''Harveys'', where chef [[Gordon Ramsay]] 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]], which now contains flats, a theatre school and a restaurant.
==== Wandsworth Common ====
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<ref name="timeout"/> across from Bellevue Road containing several boutiques and the famous restaurant ''[[Chez Bruce]]'', formerly ''Harveys'', where chef [[Gordon Ramsay]] learned his trade, and voted one of London's favourite restaurants in 2006.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} 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 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 (UK TV series)|Outnumbered]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/08_august/17/outnumbered_production.shtml|title=Press Office: Outnumbered: Production notes |publisher=BBC|date=17 August 2007|access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref>
==== St John's Hill ====
There are many independent cafés, bars and restaurants on St John's Hill, including the Evening Standard award winning Fish Club and Out Of The Blue, a popular wine bar.


[[Wandsworth High Street]] is dominated by the regenerated [[Southside Wandsworth|Southside shopping centre]], cinema and restaurant complex (formerly called the [[Arndale Centre]]). Behind the shopping centre, and following the River Wandle upstream towards [[Earlsfield]] and further south to [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]], is [[King George's Park]].
==== The Tonsleys/Old York Road ====
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 in comfortable middle class surroundings. 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 and are in close proximity to the Wandsworth Town train station. The houses are very popular with city workers.


[[Wandsworth Museum]] previously occupied the former Victorian library in [[West Hill, Wandsworth|West Hill]] having been moved there in 2007. The museum closed in March 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://artuk.org/visit/venues/bac-moving-museum-wandsworth-collection-4895|title=BAC Moving Museum: Wandsworth Collection |website= Art UK |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829163112/https://artuk.org/visit/venues/bac-moving-museum-wandsworth-collection-4895 |archive-date= Aug 29, 2022 }}</ref> The [[De Morgan Centre]] is currently situated in Wandsworth Museum and houses a collection of Victorian artwork. 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.
==== East Hill ====
An area of Large Victorian houses bordered by the west side of Wandsworth Common. The [[De Morgan Centre]] houses a collection of Victorian artwork.


The underpass beneath the Wandsworth Bridge roundabout was the location for the scene in [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' in which a tramp is attacked.{{cn|date=August 2022}}
==== Wandsworth High Street ====
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]], cinema and restaurant complex (formerly, and still and more commonly, referred to as the [[Arndale Centre]]).


There are several schools in Wandsworth including Shaftesbury Park Primary School.
== Trivia ==


Wandsworth Town Library is on Garratt Lane.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.better.org.uk/library/london/wandsworth/wandsworth-town-library|title=Wandsworth Town Library &#124; Wandsworth |website= Better libraries |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527130226/https://www.better.org.uk/library/london/wandsworth/wandsworth-town-library |archive-date= May 27, 2023 }}</ref> The library opened in 2009 and is located in the former court house, a listed building.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/11549357.15m-library-which-opened-in-2009-could-be-relocated-under-new-proposals/|title=£1.5m library which opened in 2009 could be relocated under new proposals|date=22 October 2014|work=Wandsworth Guardian |first1=Sophia |last1=Sleigh |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231226165730/https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/11549357.15m-library-which-opened-in-2009-could-be-relocated-under-new-proposals/ |archive-date= Dec 26, 2023 }}</ref>
Nearby is [[Wandsworth (HM Prison)|Wandsworth prison]], which is the largest [[prison]] in the London area, and the second largest in Britain, after Liverpool.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


==Transport==
Between the town centre and the river lies the site of [[Young's Brewery|Young & Co's]] ''Ram Brewery'', in the heart of Wandsworth. Traditional draught beer was produced on the site from 1581, which made the Ram Brewery the oldest site in Britain on which beer had been brewed continuously.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Until late in 2006, [[shire horse]]-drawn brewery [[dray]]s were still used to deliver beer to local pubs. However, beer production was stopped in September 2006 when Young & Co merged their brewing operations with [[Charles Wells]] of Bedford and a new use for the site is being discussed. Young & Co however still have their Headquarters in Wandsworth.
The nearest railway stations are [[Wandsworth Town railway station|Wandsworth Town]]; [[Wandsworth Common railway station|Wandsworth Common]] (one stop from [[Clapham Junction railway station|Clapham Junction]], and 12 minutes' train ride from [[London Victoria railway station|London Victoria]]); and [[Earlsfield railway station|Earlsfield]], (one stop from [[Clapham Junction railway station|Clapham Junction]], and 12 minutes' train ride from [[London Waterloo railway station|London Waterloo]]). Wandsworth Town is also served by [[Southfields tube station]] in the [[Southfields]] area of the Town.


==Churches==
One of the [[underpass]]es under Wandsworth roundabout was used in the opening scene of ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'', where a gang of youths beat up a rough sleeper using baseball bats.
[[All Saints Church, Wandsworth|All Saints']] is the original parish church of Wandsworth, dating back to the 13th century, although the present building is mostly of the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://southwark.anglican.org/church/wandsworth-all-saints/|title=Wandsworth, All Saints |website=The Diocese of Southwark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929080428/https://southwark.anglican.org/church/wandsworth-all-saints/ |archive-date= Sep 29, 2023 }}</ref> [[St Anne's Church, Wandsworth|St Anne's]] and Holy Trinity churches were built in the 19th century to accommodate a growing population.


==Wandsworth Prison==
The Pet Shop Boys' Iconic "west End Girls" Cover was shot in Charterhouse Works.
Built in 1851, [[HM Prison Wandsworth|Wandsworth Prison]] is a [[Category B Prison|Category B]] men's prison. It is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in Europe,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/02/jails-britain-chris-atkins-book/606730/|title=In Britain, Even Jails Have a Class System|last=Lewis|first=Helen|date=20 February 2020|work=The Atlantic}}</ref> with a similar capacity to [[HM Prison Liverpool|Liverpool Prison]].

In December 2006, [[Sport England]] published a survey which revealed that residents of Wandsworth were the seventh most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 27.2% of the population participate at least three times a week for 30 minutes.<ref>{{cite web | last = Sport England | first = | authorlink = Sport England | coauthors = | title = Active People Survey | work = | publisher = | date = | url = http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/research/active_people/active_people_survey_headline_results.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-01-27 }}</ref>

In the Genesis song "The Battle of Epping Forest" (from their album "Selling England by the Pound") about a street fight between rival hoodlum gangs, the nearby prison is referenced: "And his friend, Liquid Len by name, Of wine, women and Wandsworth fame..."

[http://www.example.com link title]==Famous residents==
* [[Naveen Andrews]] &mdash; actor
* [[Alun Armstrong (actor)|Alun Armstrong]] &mdash; actor
* [Tony Blair];Former Prime Minister and [Lord Charlie Falconer] (shared)
* [[Marcus Brigstocke]] &mdash; comedian
* [[Jack Dee]] &mdash; comedian/actor
* [[Sophie Dahl]] &mdash; model
* [[Daniel Defoe]] &mdash; author
* [[George Eliot]] &mdash; author
* [[Jason Flemyng]] &mdash; actor
* [[Edward Gibbon]]
* [[Mark Owen]] &mdash; singer
* [[Ainsley Harriott]] &mdash; TV chef
* [[Kiera Knightley]] &mdash; actress
* [[David Lloyd George]] &mdash; former Prime Minister
* [[Kevin Pietersen]] &mdash; cricketer
* Natalie Pinkham &mdash; TV presenter
* [[Gordon Ramsay]] &mdash; chef
* [[Prunella Scales]] &mdash; actor
* [[Jessica Taylor]] &mdash; singer with Liberty X
* [[William Makepeace Thackery]] &mdash; novelist
* [[Dana International]] &mdash; Israeli winner of the Eurovision Song Contest
* [[Johnny Vaughan]] &mdash; television presenter
* [[Voltaire]] &mdash; French philosopher
* [[Emma Ferguson]] &mdash; actress
* [[Timothy West]] &mdash; actor
* [[Thomas Craig]] &mdash; actor
* [[Michael Nicholson]] &mdash; journalist
* [[Oliver Krahelski]] &mdash; skiier
* Marcus Jones &mdash; philanthropist
* Jonathan Ansell &mdash; singer
* [[Phil Spencer]] &mdash; TV presenter

==Nearest places==
* [[Balham, London|Balham]]
* [[Battersea]]
* [[Clapham]]
* [[Fulham]]
* [[Putney]]
* [[Southfields]]
* [[Streatham]]
* [[Tooting]]
* [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]]

==Local Attractions==

Notable Restaurants
* [[Chez Bruce]], Wandsworth Common
* Ditto Wandsworth, East Hill
* Konnigans,Old York Rd.
* Brady's Fish Restaurant, Old York Rd
* Le Gothique, The Royal Victoria Patriotic Building

Notable Bars and Pubs
* The [[Old Sergeant (Pub)|Old Sergeant]], Garrat Lane
* The Oak, East Hill
* Space Lounge, Wandsworth Highstreet
* The Ship
* The Alma, Old York Rd
* The Waterfront, Battersea Reach
* The County Arms
* The Cats back
* The East Hill, Alma Rd

Places of Interest
* [[Wandsworth Museum]] and Local History Service

==Transport==
Nearest railway stations:
* [[Wandsworth Town railway station]]
* [[Wandsworth Common railway station|Wandsworth Common train station]], (one stop from [[Clapham Junction]], and 12 minutes' train ride from [[Victoria Station (London)|Victoria]].)


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of people from Wandsworth]]
*[[De Morgan Centre]]
*[[List of schools in Wandsworth]]
*[[Southside (shopping centre)|Southside Shopping Centre]]
*[[The Borough of Wandsworth Rifle Club]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references/>

==Further reading==
* {{Citation |publisher = John Murray |location = London |title = Handbook to the Environs of London |author = James Thorne |date = 1876 |chapter= Wandsworth |hdl = 2027/mdp.39015063815677?urlappend=%3Bseq=261 |chapter-url= http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015063815677?urlappend=%3Bseq=261 }}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{wikivoyage-inline|London/Wandsworth|Wandsworth}}
*[http://wandsworthsociety.org.uk/ The Wandsworth Society]
{{Commons category|Wandsworth Town}}
*[http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/Home/LeisureandTourism/Museum/default.htm Wandsworth Museum and Local History Service]
*[http://www.westcotestudios.co.uk Wandsworth Art Studios]
{{LB Wandsworth}}
{{LB Wandsworth}}
{{London Districts}}
{{London Districts}}


[[Category:Districts of London]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Neighbourhoods of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Districts of London on the River Thames]]

[[Category:Major centres of London]]
[[fr:Wandsworth (ville)]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[hi:वंड्सवर्थ]]
[[nl:Wandsworth (wijk)]]

Latest revision as of 03:25, 17 April 2024

Not to be confused with London Borough of Wandsworth.
For other places with the same name, see Wandsworth (disambiguation).

Wandsworth Town
The former Ram Brewery, a landmark in Wandsworth's town centre
Wandsworth Town is located in Greater London
Wandsworth Town
Wandsworth Town
Location within Greater London
Population18,072 (Wandsworth Town as of 2021 census)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ255755
• Charing Cross4.2 mi (6.8 km) NE
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtSW18
Dialling code020
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°27′18″N 0°11′31″W / 51.455°N 0.192°W / 51.455; -0.192

Wandsworth Town (/ˈwɒnzwərθ/) is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth 4.2 miles (6.8 km) southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.[2]

Toponymy[edit]

Wandsworth takes its name from the River Wandle, 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.[3] 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.

History[edit]

Middle Mill, Wandsworth by George Vincent (1796–1839), Government Art Collection

At the time of the Domesday Book (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 5+1⁄2 ploughs and 22 acres (89,000 m2) of meadow. It rendered £9.[4] 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, Huguenots in the 17th century, to recent Eastern European members of the European Union.[5]

A map showing the wards of Wandsworth Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.
Wandsworth Town Hall

Between Wandsworth town centre and the river is the site of Young & Co's Ram Brewery. Shire horse-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, 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[6] and approved in 2013.[7] 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.[8]

Wandsworth gas plant was built in 1834 against the River Thames near Wandsworth Bridge.[9] The undertaking became the Wandsworth and Putney Gaslight and Coke Company in 1854 and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1856.[9] Coal for making coal gas was brought by sea from North East England and unloaded on the Thames beside the gasworks.[9] The firm grew by a series of mergers and takeovers so that by 1936 it served a considerable area of south-west London.[9] 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.[9] The company was nationalised in 1949 and became part of the South Eastern Gas Board.[9]

Wandsworth power station was built on The Causeway and supplied electricity to the district of Wandsworth from 1897 to 1964.[10] 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.[11] There is an operational 132 kV national grid substation to the east of the River Wandle.

Geography[edit]

The former wharf 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 respectively.

Church Row, 1–6, Wandsworth Plain, London SW18

Wandsworth Common 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,[5] as well as the restaurant Chez Bruce, formerly Harveys, where chef Gordon Ramsay 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, 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.[12]

Wandsworth High Street is dominated by the regenerated Southside shopping centre, cinema and restaurant complex (formerly called 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.

Wandsworth Museum previously occupied the former Victorian library in West Hill having been moved there in 2007. The museum closed in March 2015.[13] The De Morgan Centre is currently situated in Wandsworth Museum and houses a collection of Victorian artwork. 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.

The underpass beneath the Wandsworth Bridge roundabout was the location for the scene in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange in which a tramp is attacked.[citation needed]

There are several schools in Wandsworth including Shaftesbury Park Primary School.

Wandsworth Town Library is on Garratt Lane.[14] The library opened in 2009 and is located in the former court house, a listed building.[15]

Transport[edit]

The nearest railway stations are Wandsworth Town; Wandsworth Common (one stop from Clapham Junction, and 12 minutes' train ride from London Victoria); and Earlsfield, (one stop from Clapham Junction, and 12 minutes' train ride from London Waterloo). Wandsworth Town is also served by Southfields tube station in the Southfields area of the Town.

Churches[edit]

All Saints' is the original parish church of Wandsworth, dating back to the 13th century, although the present building is mostly of the 18th century.[16] St Anne's and Holy Trinity churches were built in the 19th century to accommodate a growing population.

Wandsworth Prison[edit]

Built in 1851, Wandsworth Prison is a Category B men's prison. It is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in Europe,[17] with a similar capacity to Liverpool Prison.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ive, Kate; Bahri, Sally (4 April 2023). "Census Data 2021 Wandsworth" (PDF). Wandsworth Borough Council. p. 13. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  2. ^ Mayor of London (February 2008). "London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004)" (PDF). Greater London Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 October 2017.
  3. ^ Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names. p 482.
  4. ^ Surrey Domesday Book Archived 30 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b "Time Out" London for Londoners. London: Ebury Publishing. 2006. ISBN 978-1-904978-52-7.
  6. ^ "Exhibitions for new Ram Brewery proposal". Wandsworth Borough Council website. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Ram Brewery development gains planning consent". Europe Real Estate website. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Sambrook's set to move to site of the old Young's Brewery". cask-marque.co.uk. 10 July 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Wandsworth and District Gas Company". Access to Archives. The National Archives. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  10. ^ Garcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3. London: P. S. King and Son. pp. 154–160.
  11. ^ Garrett, Frederick C. (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-105, A-137.
  12. ^ "Press Office: Outnumbered: Production notes". BBC. 17 August 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  13. ^ "BAC Moving Museum: Wandsworth Collection". Art UK. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Wandsworth Town Library | Wandsworth". Better libraries. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023.
  15. ^ Sleigh, Sophia (22 October 2014). "£1.5m library which opened in 2009 could be relocated under new proposals". Wandsworth Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Wandsworth, All Saints". The Diocese of Southwark. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023.
  17. ^ Lewis, Helen (20 February 2020). "In Britain, Even Jails Have a Class System". The Atlantic.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wandsworth Town.
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