I was recently invited to enjoy a visit to Battersea Power Station in London; now you may ask why on earth you’d want to visit a power station, but this is no ordinary power station. In the last couple of years Battersea has opened to be one of London’s most unique destinations, combining old industrial with modern glitz, and I absolutely loved it.
Contents
- Contents
- What is Battersea Power Station?
- Things to do at Battersea Power Station
- Other things to do
- How to get to Battersea Power Station
- Where to stay in Battersea
What is Battersea Power Station?
Back in the early 1900s, London was expanding fast, and the city needed more energy. In 1929, the London Power Service commissioned a massive power station out in Battersea, just south of the River Thames to meet the population’s needs. The power station is actually made up of two distinct stations (creatively named A and B), one of which opened in 1933 and the other in 1953. At its peak, it produced 20% of all of London’s power.
By the 1970s, production was falling and coal powered energy was being replaced by oil. In 1975, station A was closed, and station B followed in 1983. The site soon fell in to disrepair, and despite multiple owners and attempts to convert the power station (in to a theme park, housing, malls, a new stadium for Chelsea FC and much else), it wasn’t until 2012 that a Malaysian based company purchased the site and actually managed to develop it.
Finally, in 2022, the Power Station reopened for its new life as a destination for shopping, restaurants and activities. The whole area has been redeveloped and is absolutely amazing.
Things to do at Battersea Power Station
I absolutely LOVE how the Power Station itself has been preserved. The renovation has been done so sympathetically whilst taking absolutely nothing away from the amazing original.
Control Room B
This was my favourite part of the Power Station architecturally and innovation wise. Control room B was the area that formerly powered Station B, full of dials, controls and the operation hub of the Power Station. They have managed to preserve the control room and convert it in to a bar and escape room – mind bogglingly good.
We had a drink (the cocktails were delicious) and then headed behind the tables in the bar, alongside the control panels, to complete the Escape Room. It was such good fun! We had to solve a number of puzzles, which required us to use the dials, information and original features of Control Room B – all whilst being served cocktails and with the buzz of the bar in the background. It was definitely one of the most fun escape room experiences I’ve ever had!
Lift 109
Another absolute masterpiece is lift 109 – a lift which actually goes up one of the famous chimneys to provide panoramic views over London. What a creative thing to have developed. I recommend buying tickets in advance as it does get busy, and even with tickets we had to queue for around 30 minutes as the lift only takes about 20 people at a time.
After reading a bit about the history of the Power Station, a door opens for you to step through and enter the lift. After a short ride to the top, the views out over London are truly stunning. I could make out The Shard, Royal Albert Hall, BT Tower and lots of other city landmarks.
Shopping
The main halls of both Power Stations A and B have been converted in to shops. There are all sorts of shops on offer, from clothes to food, to stationery to toys. I bought a pair of trainers in Adidas, and hubs picked up some t-shirts in UniQlo. As always we spent more time than is normal for two grown adults in the LEGO store.
Battersea Books
One of my other favourite places in Battersea Power Station is the incredible Battersea Books. It’s a huge bookshop, with absolutely every genre on offer (as always, I was in the travel section for at least 30 minutes), as well as being home to a number of tables to sit and read with a cuppa if you like. In total I spent 1.5hrs in here, and came out with a haul!
Restaurants incl. Dishoom
As well as lots of shops, Battersea is home to a lot of amazing restaurants. There are restaurants inside the Power Station itself, surrounding the station outside on Electric Boulevard, and on a parallel road known as Arches Lane.
We ate at a number of restaurants, including our absolute favourite Iranian Indian inspired Cafe, Dishoom – this time we visited for breakfast and it was absolutely delicious! We also had an evening meal at Indian Cinnamon Kitchen, and drinks in Tozi.
Birdies
After dinner, we headed to Birdie’s Bar which is open late until 11pm for a cocktail and a game of mini golf. My husband is a beast at golf, which always means I know I won’t win and I can just enjoy taking part. Sadly, on a 9 hole course, I lost by 28 shots which must be a record! I had a lot of fun though!
Other things to do
We also saw some other things around Battersea Power Station which we would have liked to do, but just didn’t have time for:
- Bounce – table tennis and cocktails anyone?
- Battersea Brewery – with a taproom on site, it’s the perfect place to pop in for a pint.
- Arcade Food Hall – newly open within Station B, a huge food hall offering cuisine from over 15 different nations!
How to get to Battersea Power Station
Part of the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station was the extension of the Northern line so that it could be brought on to the tube network. You can therefore get the tube to right outside the power station, easily accessible from central London. If you don’t fancy hopping on the tube, you could get an overground in to London Victoria and take the short 30 minute walk over the river to the Power Station instead.
Where to stay in Battersea
We stayed in the incredible Art’Otel, newly opened right next to the south entrance of Battersea Power Station. With an insane hotel pool which overlooks the power station chimneys, and beautifully new and modern rooms, I highly recommend it.
You can read my full review: HERE (post coming soon).
And there you have it – absolutely wonderful Battersea!! We had such a fun night away and it really did start the holiday early. I’d really recommend it for a weekend break destination if you’re looking for somewhere fun and different with lots to do in London. Thanks for reading – stay safe and happy travelling!
Saasdia Travel Gid
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