This station is a recent addition to the list as it isn’t marked on the Tfl maps. But my thanks goes to Google Maps for finding this one. You see one of the hidden features of Maps is that if you click on a station, Maps will highlight all the lines running through it, so I was surprised when doing a little advanced research on the ‘as yet unbuilt’ Battersea Power Station to stumble across this one.
The station only has three daily weekday services shuttling to/from Dalston Junction (so another station to visit added to my list) with trains departing at 0633Hrs and 2303Hrs and one arriving at 2248Hrs. Sadly to date London Overground have not responded to my enquiry about the purpose of these limited services. However a quick search shows these are parliamentary trains, more commonly known as ‘ghost services’ introduced to avoid the full cost of closing down services. This linked article above makes for an interesting read.
With the exception to the three Overground trains each weekday, this tired Victorian station predominantly serves the Brighton line courtesy of Southern Railways. The station is unsurprisingly close to Battersea Park, Battersea Power Station and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and surrounded by residential houses and high rise offices. Platform seating made out of reused church pews is a creative example of recycling. It was here I also met Tomas, a rail enthusiast who spends some of his time before starting work enjoying the delights that passing trains can offer.
The main entrance way has some distinguishing Victorian features which I suspect most commuters passing through fail to notice. But look up and around and enjoy the pillared and arched roof now classically restored and repainted.
Behind the station in an area now occupied by a fashionable apartment block, there once stood some old fashioned gas towers which were demolished to make way for this housing development. Whilst the towers were no doubt an eye-sore in their unused and unloved state, there are remnants incorporated into the area which help remind passers by of their purpose along with nearby murals by a local artist Ben Murphy.
Chelsea Bridge and the north shore
For the bridge enthusiasts, Chelsea Bridge is one of the 33 bridges crossing the tidal river, and the current bridge was the first ever self-anchored suspension bridge built in Britain. And no matter how many times I cross the Thames, I’m always intrigued by the ever changing scenery London provides.
On the north shore, stepping into the London Borough of Chelsea, I capture this shot of what strikes me as a somewhat unrepresentative view of Chelsea depicting squalor in what I presume to be an affluent area. However it serves as a stark reminder that littering and drinking are not the preserve of less affluent areas.
I’m on the edge of the boundaries between Chelsea, Pimlico and Belgravia, but there’s no clear distinction to show me which part of London I’m walking through. Nevertheless there are some interesting reminders of the past and present. The first is the tower of Bazalgette’s Western Pumping Station which stands proudly as a reminder of London’s vital sewage system now, thankfully, being modernised.
Nearby is the Grosvenor Canal, once the waterway between Victoria and the Thames, but now simply a water feature in a rather affluent Grosvenor Waterside property development where you can pay over £4million for the leasehold of a top floor penthouse with views over the Thames.
Within its grounds, I stumble across this three storey ‘Shack Stack’ aluminium installation. It depicts sheds piled on top of each other and has been created by the artist Richard Wilson who has referenced the allotment sheds that once were dotted around the area when the canal was at its busiest. In doing so, the artist has created an artistic connection between the site’s past and its current incarnation.
A visit to Battersea can’t be complete without a stroll around the iconic Power Station, even though it’s undergoing a massive and extensive regeneration. There’s a Heritage Trail to inform and educate visitors about the power station’s history and as you approach the area, you can’t miss the welcoming bridge mural that draws in visitors and casual observers alike by its colourful entrance. It’s well worth a visit.
But how things have changed. The area is being developed by a conglomerate of three businesses under the imaginative name of ‘Battersea Power Station’, and according to Matthew at their marketing suite, once complete, prices for a top floor penthouse suite will top £50million. Phase 1 of 5 is already complete with the prestigious Circus West Village offering a variety of food outlets to attract residents and visitors alike.
Of the many and varied eateries, the Mother restaurant particularly caught my eye. Tucked under the railway arches, its moody lighting and stripped back look gives it a 60’s cavern feel and the staff were more than happy for me to take photos. Here’s a couple of them by way of sharing the mood with you.
As with the Grosvenor Waterfront development across the water, this development also has its share of art based displays and from my observations through my travels I applaud this approach as a positive step in introducing art more widely into everyone’s consciousness. In partnership with the Cass Sculpture Foundation, Battersea Power Station has unveiled works by two artists as joint winners of the inaugural Powerhouse Commission. One, by Malaysian artist Haffendi Anuar entitled ‘Machines for Modern Living’ is seen in the piazza of the Circus West Village, and I guarantee you, no matter your taste in art, you’ll have a view on this work. The second work of art features under my ‘picture of the day below’.
Travel to the power station is being improved with a new Northern line underground terminus scheduled to open in 2021: can I wait that long? There’s also a pier serving the River Bus service too. Not one I’ve tried yet, but if their landing stage is anything to go by, then it’ll be a first class service.
Now this takes me back to my childhood having once visited the park when staying with relatives in Wembley when I was very young. My recollections are of a fair and a treetop walkway, neither of which exist now, although there is a more adventurous GoApe for those with an adrenaline rush craving. Nevertheless it was refreshing walking through this large park which has many features on offer.
My first stop is at the fountains near the bandstand and I try my hand at some high and slow speed photography to capture the shapes created by the fountains which I’ve amalgamated into this brief animation.
On the other side of the bandstand is an old bowling green, now used as an events area housing a large screen showing the Wimbledon Tennis. Mid afternoon, and there aren’t too many people about, but I’m assured by the ‘gatekeeper’ that as offices close, the area will fill quite quickly especially as the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi final between England and the USA is being screened. He also explained the purpose behind the ‘Loveparks’ theme being sponsored by Wandsworth Council. I took many shots of the empty deckchairs to demonstrate the area’s emptiness but I can’t decide which one to show, so I’ve created this collage to highlight the effect.
My final stop is on the south side of the lake by the Barbara Hepworth sculpture entitled ‘Single Form’. This is a smaller version of the original which stands outside the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. It was commissioned as a memorial to Dag Hammarskjöld, secretary general of the United Nations and a friend of Hepworth whose work he collected. The positioning of the young couple enjoying a lakeside picnic looking out over the water adjacent to the sculpture stuck me as romantically poignant. I took some pictures with their permission, and this one is a fitting end to today’s travels. My thanks to Dario and Sammy and good to meet you both.
Picture of the Day
This, the second of the art installations mentioned above, is by Jesse Wine and entitled ‘Local Vocals’. It’s outside the marketing suite and within an open piazza overlooking the river and adjacent to a viewing platform. You can’t miss the bright orange reclining figure representing workers who have stopped for a rest and a cup of tea.
Getting this shot was a bit tricky as there were others nearby sitting in the frame who detracted from the effect I wanted to create. Anyway, after a little time they moved on freeing me up to ‘own’ the space for a short time. The striking colour is what first drew me in and the figure’s reclining effect is mirrored in a number of ways: by the red/white deckchairs which are available for those watching the large screens behind the figure showing the tennis at Wimbledon; and by the reclining chairs in the foreground which I’ve framed to emulate the shape of the reclining figure. The figure’s black cap and a cup of tea contrasts nicely with the orange, and the addition of a ‘bazaar’ Google Photos filter helps to heighten the contrast of the orange with the blue hue of the surrounding buildings.
Settings: Camera – Canon EOS 200D; Aperture – ƒ5.6; Shutter Speed – 1/250; Focal Length – 27mm; Film Speed – ISO100
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