For more than 500 years, since the first bridge over the River Wandle was built here, Wandsworth High Street has been a key route into London.
Southside Shopping Centre (1) and the Arndale Housing Estate have recently undergone a £100 million refurbishment and further developments are planned. The site was previously Wandsworth Greyhound Stadium. The River Wandle runs underneath.
Young's Brewery (2) is the oldest brewery site in Britain. Beer was brewed on the site from the sixteenth century until September 2006.
Wandsworth Palais (3) opened as a cinema in 1920.
In 1793 The Spread Eagle pub (4) was described as the principal coaching inn in town.
The Quaker Friends Meeting House (5) was built in 1778.
Wandsworth Town Hall (6) was built in 1935-1937, it has a relief frieze showing Wandsworth's history. On the corner of Fairfield Street plaque (7) commemorates the visit of Queen Mary when she opened the New Town Hall in 1937. The blue and gold chequered design on the Wandsworth Coat of Arms represents the county of Surrey and the small droplets of water in each square represent the tears of the Huguenot refugees.
Wandsworth was a small town 300 years ago with the River Wandle and All Saints Church at its heart. The rich people lived on East Hill and West Hill on the higher ground. This is reflected in Wandsworth House (8), one of the listed Georgian buildings on the East Hill.
The Huguenots fled persecution in France in the 17th Century. You can find out more about the Huguenots from the plaque in the Huguenot Burial Ground (10) behind Book House (9) which was built in 1888 to house the Wandsworth District Board of Works and is now home to a variety of businesses.
The name of the Alma Tavern (11) commemorates a Crimean War battle. Old York Road is home to fashionable shops, cafes and restaurants.
When the railway (12) was built 160 years ago, linking Wandsworth to central London, the town grew rapidly.
Hot air balloons were a common sight in Wandsworth Town 100 years ago because gas was so cheap here. The gas holder (13) is a reminder of the gas industry.
Barchard Street (14) is a pretty street, named after a Huguenot family who ran a dye works.
Horse drawn trams reached Wandsworth in 1880s and became electrified from 1902. Trams ran on Ram Street, York Road, East Hill and Wandsworth High Street until 1950.
Look for the Surrey Iron Railway plaque (15) on Ram Street on the wall of the Brewery. The Surrey Iron Railway was the first (horse-drawn) public railway in England, probably the first in the world. It ran from Croydon to the mouth of the River Wandle.
The Surrey Iron Railway was planned in the Spread Eagle Assembly Room, 5 Garratt Lane (16), which was converted into a cinema in 1908, the earliest documented cinema scheme in London. The building has recently been restored.
The riotous Mayor of Garratt elections took place on Garratt Lane in the 18th century. These mock elections attracted huge crowds to the local pubs.
Wandsworth Museum (17), occupies the Old County Court House. Go inside and find out more!
A stroll through the Burial Ground (18) is an interesting way to end your walk.
