South of the River
Wimbledon Common – Home to a windmill and the famous tennis complex. Wimbledon is worth a visit even when there’s no one on Centre Court.
Tube: Wimbledon
From the station, turn right past the busy shops on Wimbledon Hill Road and walk up the hill, past Ridgway, to Wimbledon village. Continue along the High Street past the Rose and Crown pub to the war memorial and the edge of Wimbledon Common. Recently unearthed evidence shows that the common was used as far back as 1,000BC.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries it was a favourite duelling ground for affronted noblemen (commoners tended to sort these maters out in the pub parking lot). Follow the horse path away from the war memorial to head into the wilds of the common. Turn right onto gravelled Windmill Road before the white Thatched Cottage and head toward the large windmill. Dating from 1817, the windmill is open to visitors in the summer. Back outside, turn right along Windmill Road to the busy Parkside. Those with no interest in tennis can continue exploring the common before catching the 93 bus back to the Wimbledon tube station.
Tennis devotees should continue along Parkside, turn left onto Somerset Road, bear left onto Newstead Way and turn right, back onto Somerset Road; the immaculate All England Tennis Club will soon come into view. The slightly expensive Tennis Museum is at Gate 4 on Church Road, a right turn and 400 yards from Newstead Way. When you’ve finished with your visit, the 493 bus from outside Gate 4 will take you to the Southfields tube station.
Battersea Park – One of only two park in London not administered by the Royal Parks Authority, Battersea has an informal feel and some wonderful views of the river and the city.
Tube: Battersea Park Overground
The train deposits you in the vast shadow of the disused Battersea Power Station. Unlike its glamorous cousin Bankside, which was converted into the Tate Modern Art Gallery, this station has not been developed, as none of the plans for renovating it ever seem to make it off the ground.
Two right turns bring you to the eastern entrance of Battersea Park, opposite the old blue gas tower. Cross the park past the Boating Lake, following Carriage Drive East to Carriage Drive North. Turn left. To the left is a children’s zoo and ahead is the river, which looks wonderful at dusk as the lights come on.
Behind the zoo is the British Genius Site, a covered area that hosts numerous events throughout the year. Soon you come across the impressive Peace Pagoda, erected in 1985 by Japanese Buddhists. Turn left at the river and walk towards the pastel-coloured Albert Bridge. The path takes you briefly on to the bridge where a plaque reads “All troops must break step when marching over this bridge”. Rejoin the river path and head for Battersea Bridge, one of the river’s most elegant bridges. Just before it, in front of a colossal new office complex, is the old Victorian sail barge called the SB Atrato. A sign tells of its rich history. Up on the bridge look left to the pretty barge community on the other bank before catching the 239 bus to the Victoria tube station.
Brixton – Brixton has become a model of rejuvenation and is now one of the most popular destinations for nightlife.
Tube: Brixton
The street traffic in front of the Brixton tube station makes it one of the most noisy and boisterous sites in London: it’s a quiet day when there isn’t at least one person passionately preaching on the steps. Take a left on Brixton Road, past Electric Avenue, the entrance to a thriving weekend market. The next left is Coldharbour Lane, home to the Satay Bar and the comfortable Bookmongers. But carry on across Coldharbour Lane to the beautifully restored movie cinema, the Ritzy Theatre, originally opened in 1911. Check out the first floor café and its pleasant balcony. Next is the community-based Tate Library, built with funds from Sir Henry Tate, inventor of the sugar cube. Follow Effra Road towards the imposing St. Matthew’s Church.
Housed in the building behind the classical Greek portico is a DJ lounge called the Bug Bar and a dance club called, fittingly for the location, Mass, as well as St. Matthew’s Parish Church.
For a unique dining experience, book a table at Bug in the church’s crypt. Behind the church, follow St. Matthew’s Road, one of the first residential roads in Brixton. A right on Brixton Water Lane leads to Brixton Hill. The White Horse stands where an earlier inn provided stabling for travellers coming from Brighton. Take the hill back down towards Brixton, passing legendary club The Fridge. Down Brixton High Street turn left in the alleyway beside Marks and Spencer – it’s officially called Dorrell Place. At the end is SW9, a perfectly hip café. The tube station is right across the street.
Kennington – Although it will never be considered the best-looking borough in London, Kennington houses some fascinating clues to the city’s past.
Tube: Lambeth North
From the tube station, cross to Kennington road and follow it right to Lambeth Road. A left will take you past the home of William Bligh, infamous commander of the HMS Bounty. Across the street loom 200-ton guns used in the Royal Navy battleships. Behind them sits the Imperial War Museum, which included a walk-through re-creation of a trench from the Somme.
Upon leaving the museum turn right along Lambeth Road. At St. George’s Circus take Blackfriars Road, a walk made worthwhile at the end by the pub The Ring. Across the street stood the boxing areana The Ring (from 1910 to 1940), the true citadel of English boxing. The building, erected in 1783, was originally a chapel; it was constructed in the form of a circle so that the devil would have no place to hide. A left on The Cut goes past the theatre company the Young Vic, built in 1970; its alumni include Jude Law. Calder Books is at number 51 and at 103 is the Old Vic, open since 1818 and the location where Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud delivered their finest performances. A dip right onto Waterloo Road leads to The Fire Station, a noted pub housed in…you guessed it!
Cross Waterloo Road onto Lower Marsh, which, as the name suggests sits on the site of the ancient Lambeth Marshes. Cubana may look like another trendy rum bar, but it’s owned by a former Conservative Member of Parliament; Fidel Castro is reputed to be a shareholder. Cide Skate Shop has a tiny gallery downstairs for the occasional graffiti art show. A left at the end of Lower Marsh will lead back to the tube.
Clapham – A walk through Clapham, far from the madding crowds, offers a window into the pleasures of South London life, including a stroll through the Common.
Tube: Clapham South
From the tube, follow the path along Clapham Common South Side, past Eagle Pond, where members of the Clapham Angling Preservation Society can be found trawling the not-so-deep depths. Take a right onto Windmill Drive into the Windmill on the Common pub. Turn left along the walkway into the Common, famous as the setting of Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair. Turn right, away from the bandstand and towards Long Pond. Cross Rookery Road and Clapham Common Long Road. To the left is the Church of the Hold Trinity, where in 1807, William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect campaigned successfully for the abolition of slavery.
Leave the church by its drive and continue north on Clapham Common North Side, which leads to the POW, a charming pub filled with bizarre objects hanging from the ceiling. Continue on Rectory Grove and veer right on Larkhall Rise. Look left at Brayburne Avenue to see a view of the majestic, unused Battersea Power Station in the distance. A right on Clapham Manor Street leads to Bread and Roses, home of the famous Workers Beer. Follow Cresset Street, then Venn Street as it curves to the left. The excellent Gastro can provide a fix of absinthe and authentic French cuisine. A right on Clapham High Street will lead to Clapham High Street to reach Clapham North tube.
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