Battersea is a residential district of south London in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is 2.9 miles south west of Charing Cross. The district has one of southwest London’s major parks, Battersea Park.
In 2001, Battersea had a populace of 75,651, but by 2011 the number stood at 73,345, noting a modest reduction. There is a large section of public housing estates built during the mid-20th century, virtually all situated north of the key railway lines from Fairfield to Queenstown. There are four significantly significant estates; Surrey Lane Estate towards the north, Doddington and Rollo Estate, Patmore Estate to the east and the Winstanley Estate, which is identified for being the birthplace of the garage collective So Solid Crew.
There are many notable landmarks in Battersea, one of that is the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Before that, the Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs was based in Battersea after moving from Holloway in 1871. Other landmarks contain the New Covent Garden Market, a major fruit and vegetable wholesale marketplace, 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 make the station into an entertainment and commercial centre, but so far all attempts have failed.