From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nine Elms is a district of London, situated in the far north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Wandsworth between Battersea and Vauxhall.

It is primarily an industrial area, dominated by Battersea Power Station, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, railway lines and sidings leading to and from Waterloo Station as well as a major Royal Mail sorting office and the New Covent Garden Market.

Nine Elms got its name, around 1645, from a row of trees bordering the road. In 1838, at the time of construction of the Nine Elms terminus of the London and Southampton Railway, the area was described as "a low swammpy district occasionally overflowed by the Thames. Its osiers beds, pollards and windmille and the river give it a Dutch effect.....

Gasworks were established in 1853, close to some existing waterworks (South Lambeth Waterworks Co - see Vauxhall Water Co) which later became the site of Battersea Power Station.

Nine Elms was formerly the London terminus of the London and South Western Railway opened on 21st May 1838 as the terminus of the London and Southampton Railway. The neo-classical building was designed by Sir William Tite. The station was connected to points between Vauxhall and London Bridge by Thames steam boats.

In 1848 Waterloo station opened and became the London terminus. The redundant station, lying to the north of the new mainline, became part of the carriage and wagon works. The buildings survived damage by German bombers and was finally demolished and replaced by the flower section of the New Covent Garden Market in 1974.

The area adjacent to Nine Elms station became the London and South Western's main locomotive works until their relocation to Eastleigh in 1909. The company's largest locomotive depot was located on the south side of the main line.

Nine Elms contains some residential areas along the riverside, most recent of which is Chelsea Bridge Wharf, and three large council estates: Carey Gardens, The Patmore and The Savona.

• Aerial photo of Nine Elms. Other map and aerial photo sources.