Battersea
Battersea is a residential district of south London in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is 4.8 km south west of Charing Cross. The district has one of southwest London’s key parks, Battersea Park.
In 2001, Battersea had a population of 75,651, but by 2011 the number stood at 73,345, noting a modest reduction. There is a large area of public housing estates constructed during the mid-20th century, virtually all situated north of the key railway lines from Fairfield to Queenstown. There are 4 substantially large estates; Surrey Lane Estate towards the north, Doddington and Rollo Estate, Patmore Estate towards the east plus the Winstanley Estate, that is identified for being the birthplace of the garage collective So Solid Crew.
There are several notable landmarks in Battersea, one of which is the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Before that, the Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs was based in Battersea just after moving from Holloway in 1871. Other landmarks consist of the New Covent Garden Market, a major vegetable and fruit wholesale marketplace, along with the now disused Battersea Power Station which was built between 1929 and 1939. There have been several redevelopment projects since the 1980s to make the station into an entertainment and commercial centre, but up to now all attempts have failed.