Clapham Junction to Knightsbridge Station

Clapham Junction is one of the busiest stations in London, and can be reached from many stations to the south and direct from Victoria and  Waterloo mainline stations, and on London Overground from Willsden Junction.  It is also served by a number of local buses.  The exit where the walk starts is to the north of the station on Grant Road, by platforms 1 & 2..

If arriving at Clapham Junction by bus, go past the front of the Station and turn left into Falcon Road. Walk down Falcon Road and continue  under the railway bridge and, once past the bridge, take the first left into Grant Road. The station entrance will be about 50 m. along the road to your left.

1. Leave Clapham Junction Station by the exit by platforms 1&2 (Grant Road exit).  Turn right and cross the road at the crossing.  

2. Fork right on the footpath and continue, crossing Bramlands Close, until you reach Falcon Road.  Be careful crossing the cycle path adjacent to the Falcon Road footpath. Turn left and continue until you reach the junction of Battersea Park Road and York Road. at the traffic lights.   

3. Cross this busy road and continue ahead down Battersea High Street.  Follow the High Street round to the right under the railway bridge, eventually reaching Battersea Square, the original heart of old Battersea.   This is now a pleasant pedestrian area with a number of restaurants.

4. Keep to the right and cross the road into Battersea Church Road (ignoring Westbridge Road).  When the road bends to the right, turn left down Vicarage Walk to the river. Turn right along the river, noting the houseboats moored to the left. Enter St Mary's church yard, passing in front of the church and carrying on beside the river.  Note the old houses and houseboats on the Chelsea side of the river. Again watch out for cyclists on this broad stretch of what is now the Thames Path.

5. Cross Battersea Bridge Road and turn left across the bridge.  

6. Cross the embankment /Cheyne Walk and turn right.  (There are no pedestrian lights at this junction: look out for traffic turning right from Battersea Bridge). Cross Danvers Street and go down the steps into Ropers Garden.  (For those unable to use the steps, the garden is accessible from the other side).  Emerge from the garden on the far side, having admired the Epstein sculpture at the far end of the garden.  Cross Old Church Street and, keeping the church on your left,  continue along Cheyne Walk past the church.  Note the statue to Sir Thomas More.  The church has a pretty garden, which surrounds the surviving part of the original church.  The garden has a memorial to Sir Hans Sloane and to Philip Miller, curator of the Chelsea Botanick Garden, now known as the Chelsea Physic Garden. Cross the street  and turn left to walk through Chelsea Embankment Gardens, to reach Oakley Street, noting the statue of Thomas Carlyle.  Cross over Oakley Street, noting Albert Bridge to the right, one of the nicest bridges in London. Bearing left and keeping the gardens on your right, continue along Cheyne Walk , noting on the left Cheyne Mews, the site of Henry VIII's manor house.  Continue on, noting Blue Plaques to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Swinburne, Ford Madox Brown and George Elliot.  

7. Where Cheyne Walk meets Royal hospital Road, continue round to the left along Royal Hospital Road, passing first the back wall of Chelsea Physic Garden, and then the National Army Museum. Continue on and past the Royal Hospital to reach Lower Sloane Street.at the traffic lights  Turn left to reach Sloane Square.

(Alternatively, take the left turn down Flood Street, then turn right into Robinson Street towards Christ Church.  At the church, turn left, and follow the road round to the right into Christchurch Street, a pretty road of  early Victorian cottages on the left. Cross over and turn down Tite Street to Royal Hospital Road and turn left to rejoin the walk).

8. Cross to the island to reach Sloane Street. Walk up the right hand side of Sloane Street past two pretty private gardens which form Cadogan Place Gardens to reach Knightsbridge Station.  

[A] St Mary's Church Battersea.  This church was built in 1777 on the site of an Anglo Saxon Church possibly dating back to 800 AD.  The original church was replaced several times before the current church was built.  William Blake was married in the church and JMW Turner painted there.

[B]Ropers Garden  This garden was built on the site of older houses demolished by a bomb in WW2.  The site was part of a marriage gift in 1521 from Sir Thomas More to William Roper and his daughter Margaret, and was originally part of Sir Thomas's orchard.  The sculpture at the far end of the garden is by Jacob Epstein, who lived in a studio on the site, also demolished by the bomb. 

[C] Albert Bridge was built in 1873, and is a listed Grade 2* structure.  Structurally delicate, it had undergone a number of strengthening modifications to cope with the weight of traffic, but has saved from demolition.

[D] Chelsea Old Church.This church dates from the 13th century, probably replacing an older building on the site.  Most of the church was demolished by the bombing in 1941, but was rebuilt exactly as it had been, opening for worship in 1950.  It has retained many of the original monuments, said to be among the finest outside Westminster Abbey. http://www.chelseaoldchurch.org.uk/history_church.htm.  Among the monuments in or near the churchyard at hose to:

[D1] Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) was a noted doctor, botanist, collector and founder of the British Museum.  He lived in Chelsea from 1742, and was buried at Chelsea Old Church.

[D2]  Sir Philip Miller was gardener to the society of Apothecaries (1722-70), in whose care the Chelsea Physic Garden became an outstanding botanic garden, renowned throughout Europe particularly for its North American plants.  The Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in 1673, as the Apothecaries' Garden, with the purpose of training apprentices in identifying plants.  The land was later bought by Sir Hans Sloane, and was leased to the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries for £5 in perpetuity on condition it kept the name of Physic. http://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/garden/index.html

[D3]Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) was a statesman, scholar, lawyer and author, and was Henry VIII's Chancellor from 1529-1532.  He fell out with Henry over the reformation, and was finally tried for treason and executed in 1535. 

[E] Henry VIII's Manor House.  King Henry swapped the property with its previous owner, and rebuilt it as a wedding present for Catherine Parr, his sixth and last wife.   Elizabeth I lived there as a child, as did Anne of Cleves following her divorce from Henry.  Sir Hans Sloane was the last owner, after which it was demolished following his death.

[F]Chelsea Physic Garden, founded by The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries

[G] The National Army Museum; a small museum devoted to the history of the British army since 1066 to the present day

[H] The Royal Hospital was built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1692 to provide shelter for old and injured soldiers, and it remains the home of the Chelsea Pensioners to this day. It is also the site of the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 

[I] The sculpture on the island in Sloane Square is by Gilbert Ledward, and depicts Venus, with a relief showing Charles II with Nell Gwynn by the Thames.