A
Detailed Post on Where to Find Wisteria Blooms in Battersea
Spring
in London follows a fairly consistent pattern: snowdrops, crocus,
magnolia trees, cherry blossoms and then the vibrant, purple wisteria vines.
While
you’ll often find older wisteria vines climbing up fancy Victorian houses in
posh areas such as Chelsea, Kensington, Holland Park and Hampstead Heath, I’ve
found plenty of lovely wisteria in my own neighborhood of Battersea. Wisteria
in London usually blooms during April and part of May.
I
miss other things in life that used to be more consistent – like going to work,
finding flour, going to the pub. Sigh, but such is life.
Anyways,
perusing through my photo archives unearthed these wisteria photos for you. Enjoy!
Battersea
Park
Battersea
is a mix of architecture. During the late 1800s, many factories were set up along
the Thames and near the railway, so housing estates – containing numerous small
rowhouses – were built for workers. You’ll still find many of these old rowhouses
west of Battersea Park and south of the main railway lines, running east to
west.
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Wisteria on Battersea Bridge Road |
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Wisteria often grows over doorways like in these photos near Battersea Park. |
Interestingly, many of the two-storied rowhouses along and surrounding Eversleigh
Road have plaques dating to 1873 and 1874 on the facades.
Now, it’s not all cute rowhouses in Battersea. Post-World War II, a large part of this area was swept away in a vast municipal re-building plan. Ugly public housing estates and high-rises were built once the heavily bombed debris was cleared away. And then, there are the more modern, concrete high-rises built in recent years that also lack any botanical life.
But, there are still plenty of streets that I enjoy
passing by in Battersea.
Clapham
Common
As
I cycled closer to Clapham Common, I found larger, more stately-looking
Victorian houses. Most of the houses along Clapham Common North Side are swathed
in gorgeous wisteria vines. Also, feel free to take a wander along Orlando
Road, Macaulay Road, The Chase and Victoria Rise. Technically, most of Clapham
falls in the Lambeth borough, but it’s not too far away.
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One of my fav photos: pink on purple located on Oralndo Road in Clapham. |
English
Architect Sir Charles Barry, best known for his role in designing the Houses of
Parliament during the mid-19th century, lived at The Elms, 29-32
Clapham Common North Side. The building is currently used as part of the Royal
Trinity Hospice.
Wandsworth
Common
Then
west of Clapham Common towards Wandsworth Common, you’ll find another style of
architecture. Most of these Victorian houses are three-stories tall and free-standing,
meaning not attached to the neighboring houses like the rowhouses. Obviously, there
is more money in this part of the neighborhood, with the stretch of Northcote
Road nicknamed “Nappy Valley” for the “yummy mummies” that patrol the
area with their prams.
Still,
this is a nice area to cycle or walk through. Sometimes, I’ll cycle down own
street and then make a loop onto the next street so I can take photographs in
the neighborhood. You’ll find quite a few houses along Bolingbroke Grove that
are covered with wisteria vines as well as some houses just south of Wandsworth
Common.
Sigh…Flowers
keep on giving no matter what is happening in the world!
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