Battersea on the map

Where is Battersea?

Some people and organisations still remain confused as to whether they are in Battersea. Others wonder where Battersea starts and ends. If you wish to see whether you live or work in Battersea, a modern day map which has had added to it the old boundaries of the former Borough of Battersea and the current Battersea Parliamentary Constituency can be viewed via the following link:

You will discover from the map that Battersea stretches beyond SW11 and includes parts of SW4 like Clapham Common Northside and Westside (the latter originally being an extension of Battersea Rise), and half of Clapham Common itself including its famous Bandstand. Battersea also includes parts of SW8 around the Queenstown Road diamond conservation area and Nine Elms. We intend to add further older maps over time, to help people orientate themselves to the Battersea of today and yesterday.

Incredibly, there is only one place in all the world called Battersea (excepting a very small settlement in Ontario), and its here in south west London in an area formerly part of the historic County of Surrey. Battersea has existed with different descriptive labels and legal identities over history. Here are some examples in historical order, all of which have or have had specific although often almost contiguous boundaries:

  1. The Manor of Battersea (which fits very much with the bounds of the parish) - see old map
  2. The Parish of Battersea (whose bounds are reflected today by those of a number of parishes, and are almost identical to the combined parish boundary of Battersea)
  3. The Metropolitan Borough of Battersea (now incorporated within the London Borough of Wandsworth)
  4. The Parliamentary Constituencies of North Battersea and South Battersea (subsequently combined into the single one that exists today)
  5. The Parliamentary Constituency of Battersea

Which Battersea is the SW11tch campaign focused on?

So, you may wonder which Battersea is the SW11tch campaign focused on. The answer is the old Metropolitan Borough of Battersea, which encompassed almost exactly the same area as the Parish of Battersea. 

Battersea Parish maps

The present day Battersea Deanery in the Diocese of Southwark has boundaries that appear to have retained the same borders as the earlier single parish of Battersea.

A list of the Churches that are a part of this Deanery today with details of the older parishes they have incorporated can be seen via this link: Battersea Deanery.

Further information including maps showing the boundaries of each Battersea Parish can be seen via this link:

      • Battersea Parishes - on the page of each Church scroll down to "Maps and Directions" and click to change "Show this church on" to the words underneath "Parish Map with Parish Boundary".

Of particular interest is the Parish of St. Luke's Battersea which incorporates much of south Battersea. The map showing this parish's boundaries can be viewed here. Its southern boundary fits very closely with the recorded southern boundaries of the older original Battersea Parish, Metropolitan Borough and Manor of Battersea.  

The Parish of St. Luke Battersea also encompasses much of Clapham Common, where its eastern boundary fits exactly with that of all other past and current boundaries of Battersea that lay across the Common.

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