This part of Wandsworth sits snugly beneath Wandsworth Town centre, slightly away from the busiest part of Wandsworth but close enough to have easy access to local amenities. Towards the east of the neighbourhood is Wandsworth Common, a popular local open space which is not only a lovely local spot, but is also a designated conservation area in the Wandsworth local plan. The neighbourhood area itself is marked by the intersection between the East Hill Road, which leads on from Wandsworth High Street, and the A214 road, one of the large access points for vehicles to central London from as far away as Streatham, Crystal Palace and Eden Park. The Wandsworth Common area is an incredibly desirable part of Wandsworth, nicknamed ‘nappy village’ for its village-feel and access to great local schools.

In terms of local history, Wandsworth has been very much influenced by its proximity to the river Wandle, as well as the River Thames. It was this river that provided power for the mills which fuelled local industry from as early as the 1000’s, and by the seventeenth century even more uses were found for the river, including gun powder making, iron-working and oil pressing. Beyond this history of trade in Wandsworth, the opening of the first railway – the iron railway in 1802 – and subsequent rail lines which were implemented over the course of the century, opened up Wandsworth to more travel and trade. Residential development really expanded in the latter half of the 19th century, ultimately taking shape as a popular residential area near central London in the 20th century.

One famous resident who resides in the Wandsworth Common area is British comedy-favourite Jack Dee, the stand-up comedian best known for a string of shows and his Celebrity Big Brother win in 2001. If you’re lucky, you may even spot him taking a stroll through the common with his family, as he still lives nearby.

One of the oldest public railways in the world ran through Wandsworth. The Surrey Iron Railway runs from Wandsworth to Surrey via Croydon, with a length of almost 9 miles, and opened in 1803. Interestingly though, it wasn’t fuelled by steam, but in fact pulled by horses. In other transport news, Wandsworth is also home to the only licensed Heliport in London. The landing pad for Helicopters opened in 1959, and was once owned by Harrods.

Unfortunately, the downside of having no tube station in the immediate vicinity of the neighbourhood area is the reliance most commuters have on taking national rail services which pass through Wandsworth Town. Not only are delays and cancellations common on Southern Rail services which pass through the area, but one of the services that runs through Wandsworth Town was officially named the worst train journey in the country after running late 240 times in 2017. Despite these frustrating travel situations, there are a number of positive things happening in the neighbourhood. For example, a recent consultation with the residents around Wandsworth Common was held, in order for the council to decide how to best spend money on its maintenance and improvement. Following these consultations and with the aim to “set out how the common will be cared for and managed, and how the council can ensure local people continue to benefit from it”, the Wandsworth Common
Management and Maintenance Plan was developed and released in late 2019.

One exciting opportunity for local initiatives is Wandsworth Council’s Grant Fund, which has now been operating for 7 years since 2015. It is a great opportunity for local projects to receive some much-needed financial support, targeted towards projects in need of between £500 and £10,000 of funding. One of the projects that received funding recently was non-other than the Summerstown 182 Stripes of Peace Project. The area is also experiencing new construction as developer interest in the neighbourhood increases. An example of this is One East Hill, a developement that is expected to be completed in 2022 and offers 8 luxury apartments designed to high specification and environmental standard.