Battersea

Battersea sits along a wide curve of the Thames, its skyline dominated by the four white chimneys of Battersea Power Station, the great brick hulk that once burned coal to light half of London and now anchors an entirely different kind of neighbourhood. Beyond it, the land opens into the green expanse of Battersea Park, its paths and open lawns running down to the river, a soft contrast to the redbrick terraces and newer glass developments that fill in the streets behind.

Most visitors base themselves close to the power station itself, where the old turbine halls have been rebuilt as shops, offices and flats, or in the residential streets nearer the park, which still feel like a proper bit of south London rather than a showpiece. Either way you're within easy reach of the river, and the area works well as a base for exploring both this stretch of the Thames and the rest of the city beyond it.

Battersea Park itself is the obvious draw, and families tend to gravitate towards Battersea Park Children's Zoo for an afternoon among the animals. Indoors, Adventure Zone Battersea gives energetic kids somewhere to burn off steam, while the Pottery Cafe Battersea offers a slower, hands-on afternoon for those after something more creative. The power station complex itself is worth wandering even without a particular plan, its industrial scale still striking up close.

Battersea works whether you're here for a single day trip to the park and power station or basing yourself for several nights within reach of central London. The riverside setting, the mix of green space and industrial history, and the sheer range of places to eat make it a fairly adaptable corner of the city to plan a stay around.