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 major parks, Battersea Park.
In 2001, Battersea had a population of 75,651, but by 2011 the number stood at 73,345, noting a slight reduction. There is a big section of public housing estates built in the mid-20th century, virtually all situated north of the key railway lines from Fairfield to Queenstown. There are 4 significantly significant estates; Surrey Lane Estate to the north, Doddington and Rollo Estate, Patmore Estate towards the east along with the Winstanley Estate, which is identified to be the birthplace of the garage collective So Solid Crew.
There are many 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 following moving from Holloway in 1871. Other landmarks include the New Covent Garden Market, a major vegetable and fruit wholesale market place, as well as the now disused Battersea Power Station which was built between 1929 and 1939. There have already been many redevelopment projects since the 1980s to change the station into an entertainment and commercial complex, but at this point all attempts failed.