Battersea Park
a peace pagoda on the thames
A handsome Victorian riverside park in Battersea, free, with a golden Peace Pagoda on the Thames, a boating lake, a free gallery and views across the water to Chelsea.
Free to visit · Battersea · Battersea Park · SW11 4NJ
Opening: Daily · 6:30am to dusk
Battersea Park opened in 1858 on reclaimed marshland on the south bank, and it remains one of the loveliest and least crowded big parks in central London. Two hundred acres of lawns, lake and riverside, all free, with the towers of Chelsea rising across the water.
Its landmark is the London Peace Pagoda, a gleaming gilded Buddhist monument built in 1985 by monks and nuns of the Nipponzan-Myohoji order, standing right on the riverbank. Around the park there is a boating lake, a bandstand, the Old English Garden and a small free gallery in the Pump House.
It is a proper all-rounder, joggers and rowers and families and dogs, with a long Thames-side promenade that gives you free views across to Chelsea and a real sense of space a few minutes from the rush of the centre.
Getting there: A short walk from Battersea Park or Queenstown Road stations, or across the river by Chelsea Bridge or the Albert Bridge from Chelsea.
Best time to go: A clear afternoon for the river views and the Peace Pagoda catching the light. Spring and summer for the gardens and the boating lake.
Insider tip: Walk the riverside path to the Peace Pagoda at golden hour, when the gold leaf glows and Chelsea lights up across the water. The Pump House Gallery nearby is free too and often overlooked.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide