This residential Battersea neighbourhood sits just to the south of the rumbling train tracks that travel south west out of Vauxhall, in what was once part of Lavender Hill. Set out in a unique diamond grid shape, the roads that spread from the busy High Street, which splits the diamond down the middle, are lined with quaint Victorian terraces, that give the area a rather more desirable quality than some of the surrounding neighbourhoods. While still quite industrial, particularly to the east and the north with the London Stone Business Estate, the locale does retain a touch of green space in the form of Heathbrook Park, and the local high street of Lavender Hill provides all the conveniences one could need. Queenstown Road station operates on the South Western Railway network, and Wandsworth Road station provides more convenient, but less far-reaching Overground services. The reasonably sized houses and convenient location have made this once working-class urban suburb into a thriving commuter zone, while remaining untouched by the large developments taking place closer to the river.

Originally a part of Lavender Hill, the neighbourhood would have been part of a sparse settlement centred around St Mary’s Church on the riverbank to the west. Before the Industrial Revolution, the majority of the area was farmland, which would have provided food for the City of London, with Lavender Hill itself specialising in the growing of lavender for food, oils and perfumes. The area’s proximity to the river made it popular with water-intensive industry, which spread from the mid-1800s. The introduction of the railways and the opening of the local stations of Vauxhall and Queenstown Road in the mid- to late-19th century encouraged residential development. Battersea Power Station to the north was opened in 1939 and became a major employer for locals, before it closed in the 1970s and local industry declined, with much of the nearby derelict land used to build high density housing and Heathbrook Park, which opened in 1978.

Lavender Hill high street has become well known because of the 1951 BAFTA Award-winning Ealing comedy, The Lavender Hill Mob, named as such because of the leading character’s seedy boarding house residence on the street. It has also featured as a popular filming location for 70s classics such as On The Buses and The Sweeney, as well as being the inspiration for The Kinks’ single “Lavender Hill”.

The noise pollution caused by the raised train tracks to the north have often been cited by residents as a nuisance, particularly with the older Victorian properties in the neighbourhood. The industrial developments happening closer to the river can also have a knock-on effect in this area because of the traffic caused by vehicles looking for an alternative route to avoid the congested riverside.

London’s largest building transformation is happening just on the neighbourhood’s doorstep. The power station recently finished a £9bn residential, retail and leisure development, much of which was designed by Foster + Partners and apartments by Frank Gehry architects. When the site is complete, it is expected to house 25,000 people and attract 25 million to 30 million of visitors every year.