What to do in Battersea, South London
New buildings surround the old Battersea power station building .
Battersea is one of London’s latest trendy destinations. Visiting Battersea today, it’s almost hard to believe it was once a depressed and forgotten industrial area. At its heart is the newly renovated Battersea Power Station, a towering historic structure that once powered the city, but has been recently repurposed as a luxury shopping center and entertainment facility.
With its combination of new and old, Battersea is an interesting and authentically London-esque neighborhood with a riverside village, lovely green spaces, varied food options and entertainments as well as new luxury apartment complexes.
Is going to Battersea Power Station worth it?
Getting ready to watch The King’s Speech at The Cinema in The Arches.
Yes, we think it is. With everything getting so overcrowded with tourists these days, it can be refreshing to go to some of these less “iconic places” and still have an authentic modern London experience.
If you want to do the iconic London places here are a few posts:
This and other areas of South London are becoming trendy and chic, so it’s worth checking out what is happening there. Especially if you’ve been to London before and are looking for something different to do other than seeing the Changing of the Guard or the usual central London entertainments.
We first stumbled into the newly renovated Battersea Power Station development semi-accidentally, when we learned of a special showing of The King’s Speech at The Cinema in The Arches at Battersea, during Coronation Week in 2023. It’s one of my favorite films, about one of my historical heroes, King George VI, so we took the tube to this part of South London where we’d never been, for a fun date night.
How to get to Battersea Power Station
The area known as Battersea is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea.
By tube: Take the Northern Line to the Battersea Power Station located on Battersea Park Road. It is also a short walk from the Sloane Square, Victoria, or Vauxhall Underground stations.
By Bus: The nearest bus stop to the Grosvenor Arch entrance is Battersea Park/ Chelsea Gate, served by buses 44, 137, 452.
The nearest bus stop to the entrance at Pump House Lane is Battersea Power Station.
Buses 156, 344, 436 at this stop, and It’s about a 10-minute walk along the pedestrian route to Circus West Road.
By River Bus: RB1, RB2 and RB6 river buses call at Battersea Power Station Pier. It’s a 5-minute walk from the pier via Riverside Walk.
Parking: If driving to the Power Station, Parking is available in Circus West Village. 24 hours a day. To access the car park, enter from Battersea Park Road and drive along Pump House Lane to the roundabout with the white sculpture, then turn left at the security point.
The modern Battersea Power Station tube stop.
Visiting Battersea Power Station
A behemoth in the South London skyline, Battersea Power Station with its four sky-reaching chimney towers, once supplied over one fifth of London’s electricity. No longer an operational power station, having been decommissioned back in 1983, it lay dormant for a long period of time.
You might recognize it from the iconic Pink Floyd album cover Animals. (There’s a whole amusing story - worthy of Monty Python - of how the inflatable pig escaped its moorings during the photo shoot and flew over Heathrow, grounding planes and causing a panic before ingloriously landing on a farm in Kent. A fun look-up if it interests you!)
A display featuring the Pink Floyd album cover Animals.
Today the Power Station has been refurbished into a high-end shopping center and multipurpose public space, touted as one of the best mixed use neighborhoods in the world.
It offers shops, bars, numerous food courts and restaurants, entertainment venues, parks and historical experiences. There is even a luxurious co-working space, The Engine Room.
And make no mistake, denizens of co-working spaces are whom Battersea is looking to attract. You only have to look as far as the architecturally magnificent topsy-turvy Frank Gehry apartment buildings on Prospect Place as you approach the Power Station to get a feel for what this once down-and-dirty industrial area has now become. Much loved by today’s young professionals because of its close proximity to the heart of the city, Battersea is now a trendy - and expensive! - place to live.
But for the humble visitor, it is more of a fancy shopping mall in very striking, thought provoking surroundings.
Interestingly designed buildings at Battersea.
Battersea Power Station felt a little like Hudson Yards in NYC to us, with the type of shopping it offers - brands like Uniqlo, Tommy Hilfiger, Lululemon, Jo Malone, Abercrombie & Fitch, L’Occitane and Le Creuset - but not as sterile in character, because it isn’t all new like Hudson Yards, and it embraces the industrial history of the site wholeheartedly. I do like when cities make use of historic places like this, rather than just bulldoze them. That being said, it does have some of that newly designed “corporate” feel.
You can still see the original brick walls and metal supports inside the building, and the new interior design incorporates a very industrial look. The main thoroughfare of the shopping area is aptly called Electric Boulevard, and bits of old equipment have been repurposed into works of art and funky environments for dining and drinking.
Much like Hudson Yards in its precision-planned spaces, it could very well become one of those “you either love it or you hate it” situations. But the location on the south shore of the Thames is pretty darn nice, ain’t gonna lie. It’s quite a pleasant area to hang out for a while. Public events are often hosted in the outside Power Station Park, usually free, but I was just as happy to nap a little in one of the big chairs.
Birdies, an indoor mini-golf course.
This is a huge complex. From unusual attractions such as Bounce Battersea (a table tennis bar), Birdies Battersea (an indoor mini-golf course) to a Lift ride that takes you up one of the chimney towers, there is no shortage of entertainment both inside the station and along the circular Circus Road that surrounds it, as well as within the adjacent railway arches.
Of course, there is no charge to enter the power station, walk around, and shop. But specific things, like the Lift ride, you have to pay for. Many of the restaurants can be considered somewhat expensive, but with so many food options, there really is something for everyone.
Here are a few highlights of Battersea Power Station:
A model of the Battersea complex on display at the Learning Hub.
Heritage and Learning Hub
Just a quick stop, but if you want to know more about the history and renovation of the Power Station, the Heritage and Learning Hub is pretty interesting. It is located in the Grosvenor Railway Arch.
A historic model of the Power Station is the main attraction. Besides its industrial history though, the small exhibit also touches on its cultural history - like the aforementioned Pink Floyd album cover.
Battersea Power Station has been used as a filming location for several movies - and lo and behold, The King’s Speech is one of them! Before the renovation of Turbine Control Room A into an event space, the 1930’s era control room was used as the setting for the BBC control room in the opening scenes of the film. Who knew?!
After renovation, Control Room A is now a swank private event space that has been meticulously restored to its 1930s Art Deco glory and with control panels left in place. Not somewhere you can just casually “stop by” and check out - except by private tour - but wow, it’s a pretty amazing space if you are planning high-end events.
Control Room B
Billing itself as “ London’s most unique all-day cocktail bar experience” the Power Station’s Control Room B is a fun setting where you can sip your “Voltmeter” or other industrially-theme cocktail surrounded by the original dials and controls in the Power Station’s Control Room B. They also serve sandwiches and nibbles and have a special Sunday menu.
You will most likely need a reservation.
Arcade Food Hall & Bar
Located in the heart of Battersea Power Station, the large Arcade Food Hall is a global-style food court of sorts, featuring a wide range of ethnic cuisines and seating for 500. It also features two bars, three restaurants, and a private dining room. So everyone should be able to find something to satisfy their taste buds here!
The original Battersea Power Station building.
The Chimney Lift Experience at Battersea Power Station: Lift 109
A big attraction at Battersea Power Station is Lift 109, a glass elevator experience that travels 109 meters up one of the refurbished iconic chimneys to a 360-degree glass-enclosed viewing platform to witness stunning panoramic views of London’s skyline.
The Lift 109 ascent to the top begins in Turbine Hall A, with displays of the Power Station’s history. The glass elevator ride includes some “constellations of light” guiding your way.
The aerial view from the top of the chimney is said to be one of the best in the city.
It’s probably a good idea to book your tickets ahead from their website. At £17 for an adult, I don’t think the price is too bad compared to similar experiences.
Lift 109 is open from 10 am to 6 pm M-W, and 10 am to 8 pm Thursday thru Sunday.
The Cinema at the Power Station & The Cinema at the Arches
We very much enjoyed our date night at The Cinema in The Arches. This is one of two cinemas at Battersea, and is branded as a “boutique” film lover’s experience, staffed by people who “live and breathe all things film.” It didn’t disappoint! What a great place to see a classic film.
There was complimentary Prosecco for the occasion and the theater was extremely comfortable, with plush seats and lots of elbow room. I can’t even explain how welcome I felt; the staff was so nice and so excited to pour our celebratory drink and chat with us - they were excited about the “special event”.
We also bought some tasty gourmet snacks in the Sweet Shop and carried everything into the theater in a basket and set it out on a good sized personal table in front of us.
How nice is that?!
The Cinema in the Arches is located at 22 Arches Lane, SW11 8AB (built into the railway arches) and not in the Main Power Station Building.
The other movie theater - which is actually located in the Power Station building - is aptly named the Cinema at the Power Station. This is a state-of-the-art modern movie theater featuring new releases and boasting two screens, Dolby sound and a “sumptuous reclining seat”. They will serve you snacks and house-made cocktails at your seat, and there are also a few private boxes with individual mini-bars!
The best part - they will validate your parking for four hours.
The Cinema at Battersea is located on level 3 of Turbine Hall B, right across from Control Room B cocktail bar.
Power Station Park and the Coaling Jetty
Debbie relaxes in a huge seat at Battersea.
The outside area of the Power Station, dubbed Power Station Park, is a great place to hang out riverside along the Thames to just enjoy a respite from your shopping or to catch a special event.
The area hosts Summer Showtimes of movies in the open air, as well as special events like sports broadcasts on large screens. Our son recently relaxed and watched some of the Wimbledon matches there.
Some of these events are ticketed but many are free.
Close by is the Coaling Jetty, a former industrial jetty built to unload coal from barges on the Thames for the Power Station in the 1920s. Today it is a popular BYO picnic spot with great river views and is also a location for special events, bringing in food stalls and vendors.
Chelsea Bridge over the Thames at sunset.
Battersea Park
It’s worth mentioning that Battersea Park is not far from Battersea Power Station. This is a park with a rich history in the area, and is one of London’s biggest and best green spaces. You could easily walk, bike or drive there from the Power Station complex.
The park is home to picnic areas, a boating lake, a small children's zoo, a bandstand, and all-weather outdoor sporting facilities including tennis courts, a running track, and football pitches. It also hosts festivals and concerts.
A few interesting curiosities about Battersea Park:
It was once a popular dueling grounds in the 1700s and early 1800s!
The park is home to the London Peace Pagoda, erected in 1985, and a popular point of interest. A Buddhist monk looks after the pagoda every day.
The is an art gallery in the center of the park: The Pump House Gallery, which is housed in a four-storey Grade II listed Victorian Tower that was once the pump house for the nearby boating lake.
Battersea Park is on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Along the park's eastern edge is a Nature Reserve, home to several protected species of woodland birds and butterflies.
The 1951 Festival of Britain took place in part in Battersea Park. An area of the park next to the River Thames was requisitioned to form the Festival Gardens.
A wonderful dinner at Tonkotsu Battersea.
We finished our date-night evening with delicious Ramen at Tonkotsu Battersea and a walk toward Chelsea Bridge - which is a lovely view from here. Everything was lit up in patriotic colors for Coronation Week and felt very celebratory. Just made me want to shout - God Save the King!
(“I keep saying that but nothing ever happens”....King George VI in the King’s Speech)
This post was researched and written by Debbie of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here
Where to stay in Battersea
art'otel London Battersea Power Station powered by Radisson Hotels
Upscale hotel with views
Stunning rooftop pool
Gym and spa on-site
Restaurant
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