Category Archives: Environment

A spruce up for the Battersea Business Centre on Lavender Hill

A lot of neighbours don’t really know what’s behind the blue gate at 99 Lavender Hill – but it’s a source for quite a sizeable amount of local employment, housing lots of local small independent businesses in what was once … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, Retail | 2 Comments

The enduring mystery of Sisters Avenue’s giant blue shed

It’s rare to see a street in Battersea without a construction site somewhere along it. Scaffolding, a slightly muddy pavement, maybe a front garden full of rubble and old timber awaiting collection. More ambitious projects might see the front garden … Continue reading

Posted in Curiosities, Environment, Planning, Street by street | 3 Comments

In pictures: Wandsworth’s newest Council estate

‘Luxury’ flats are flying up everywhere – but it’s not every day that you see a new estate made up entirely of rental properties owned by, and run by, a local Council. But that’s exactly what has just been completed … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Housing, Planning | 5 Comments

All welcome to help build the community garden next to Battersea Arts Centre

Back in 2018 we first reported on Battersea Arts Centre’s ambitious plans to turn a private, ‘dead end’ road full of car parking in to a community garden. This was an ambitious and imaginative project and we loved it – … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Street by street, Useful to know | Leave a comment

The ‘Commercial Buildings’ ghost sign on Lavender Hill is back

We always like finding a ghost sign – those big faded advertisements in the ends of buildings that date back to before the era of poster boards and LED displays, advertising local businesses and products. There’s one at the junction … Continue reading

Posted in Curiosities, Environment, Local history | Leave a comment

A refresh for Clapham Baptist Church’s mural

It’d be fair to say the mural along the side of Clapham Baptist Church, at the eastern end of Lavender Hill, has seen better days. It’s been there for a good few years and has done remarkably well considering it’s … Continue reading

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Several new cycle sheds on the streets & estates around Lavender Hill

Last summer a whole bundle of new on-street cycle hangars were announced, with 74 planned for streets and another 15 for estates across Wandsworth. They’re useful facilities, in a borough with one of the highest numbers of cycle commuters in … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Housing, Street by street, Transport | Leave a comment

The new rooftop floor is appearing Clapham Junction’s landmark Arding & Hobbs building

The first signs of the new two storey extension have appeared on the roof of Clapham Junction’s former Debenhams, as part of the work to turn the upper floors in to an office building.  As we have previously posted, the … Continue reading

Posted in Arding & Hobbs, Business, Environment | Leave a comment

The lost community & uncertain future of Culvert Road

It’s best avoided after dark. A winding footbridge, with suspicious yellow puddles and high walls either side that are hard to see over, followed by a big and somewhat muddy yard with stacks of flytipped debris, where you’re completely on … Continue reading

Posted in Curiosities, Environment, Local history, Street by street, Transport | 13 Comments

In pictures: Lavender Hill’s fading mural still has plenty of charm

London is perfect territory for murals. Wartime destruction, postwar estate development, and the occasional over-ambitious road project all conspired to leave a lot of Victorian terraces sliced in two, with large messy-looking blank walls – occasionally with the odd chimney … Continue reading

Posted in Curiosities, Environment, Local history, Street by street, Useful to know | 1 Comment