Battersea Park: The Central Bandstand! (27.5.2023)

The Bandstand Lies At the Geographical ‘Centre’ of Battersea Park!

We drove to Battersea Park on Saturday, May 27th, 2023. We left at about 11 am and arrived around 1 pm. Armed with our updated ‘Huawei’ mobile telephones – and their enhanced cameras – we strode heroically outward into the South London environs! Wandsworth is an area of South London mentioned in the (Norman) Domesday Book (1086) – with Wandsworth being partly held by William (son of Ansculfy) – and partly by St Wandrille’s Abbey (although the name ‘Wandrille’ is similar to ‘Wandle’ – the two names appear unrelated – with ‘Wandrille’ being of Northeastern French origination).

The foundation of Battersea Park was constructed (in the Wandsworth area of South London) between 1846-1854 – with the planting and sculpturing of the surface structure taking place between 1855-1857 (it was in this latter phase of construction that the Central Bandstand was built) – being finally Opened in 1858. The name ‘Wandsworth’ seems to derive from the same origin as that of the ‘River Wandle’. The Saxon word ‘Wendelesorde’ (or ‘Wendle’s Enclosure’) – denotes the geographical area within which a prominent man named ‘Wendle’ projects and secures ‘order’. Overtime, the name ‘Wendle’ evolved into ‘Wandle’.

The River Wandle flows for around 9 miles – and originates in the Waddon Ponds and Carshalton Ponds area – a boundary area spanning East Surrey and Southwest Greater London (the London Borough of Sutton and Cheam). The River Wandle enters the right-bank of the River Thames in the vicinity now called ‘Wandsworth’. Both the river (and the place) are probably named after a mighty Saxon Warlord named ‘Waendel’ whose clan dominated a large swathe of Southern and Eastern England! Indeed, so powerful was this man’s reputation that his name came to dominate an entire British river!