Beautiful Battersea

Battersea Park, with the Peace Pergola, from the Albert Bridge over the Thames River.

When I began to look at where I would like to stay in London, I wanted a location that was safe and within a reasonable distance to the areas I wanted to spend time in. I began researching hotels, hostels and Airbnb to find a place that "spoke to me", was affordable and comfortable.

The houses along Albert Bridge Road have architectural charater

I came across a room in Battersea on Airbnb located within about 20-30 minutes by transit of most of the places I thought I'd like to visit. It was close to several bus routes and the area was lovely and had character. I began a conversation with the host and it became clear very soon that this would be a perfect spot for me.

Battersea Park

May 25th was my first full day in London and I wanted to explore, but not too far. I wasn't yet sure of my bearings. The cab from the train station had taken me by some interesting spots that I knew couldn't be too far away.

I decided to just go out and see what I could see. I headed north on Albert Bridge Road and took a stroll into Battersea Park . The park was not far from my flat and was lovely to wander into. On the paved trails were young families going for strolls, cyclists, walkers and runners.

There were people sitting on the benches and visiting. It was a beautiful community area. There was so much green space and from time to time I came across memorials to commemorate veterans or early saints. There was so much character in this park and I was glad it was so close to visit!

I wandered out of the park through the Albert Gate and saw the Prince Albert Pub, established in 1866. I decided to pop in and see about getting some lunch. I decided to try the Albert Burger, which I would recommend!

This was my first English pub experience, and I thought it was a pretty good one. The servers were friendly, the food was good and it was obviously a hub for people to meet. Dogs were welcome and it was decorated with images of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, English hunting scenes and even one of Prince Charles pouring a brew at the bar.

After I was finished eating, I asked if I walked across the Albert Bridge, what would they recommend I see. It was suggested to just walk in the neighbourhoods and check out the plaques on the various buildings. That seemed easy enough, so off I went.

The Albert Bridge, of whom the street takes his name, was completed in 1874 and is one of many London memorials named after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband (died 1861). The bridge accommodates both foot and vehicle traffic. However, vehicles must be within a certain width to cross. If you can't fit through the allotted space, you better get out of the way quickly, or you'll have a symphony of horns directed at you! There are traffic islands at both ends of the bridge, which cause the vehicle to slow down, but also prevents any damage caused by vehicles that can't fit (my cab driver said the Range Rover is the greatest offender of getting stuck). This bridge does not accommodate large vehicles, buses, trucks, etc. They can use Chelsea Bridge or Battersea Bridge to cross from one side of the Thames to the other.

It didn't take me long to cross the bridge, and that included taking time to stop and take photos. The view from the bridge both up and down the Thames is interesting. To the east, you can see the London Eye on a clear day. To the west, you see modern buildings and a typical city view. Barges and houseboats are docked along the Chelsea embankment, and a pier at the north end of the bridge is where I would get the water taxi when I used it for travel (more on that later!).

I was looking forward to my visit to Chelsea, after all, I was intrigued by what I saw the day before on the way to my flat. What would I discover?