With many activities and a great location right by the River Thames, Battersea is one of the best parks in London to visit and explore.
Built between 1854 and 1870, this Victorian park has long been a staple of the area and one of the nicest green spaces, both for those living nearby and for people visiting Battersea.
Unlike other parks in London, it’s not just an open green space. With tennis courts, a boating lake, and even a zoo, there are plenty of things to do in Battersea Park. So, if you’re in the area or just passing through, make sure to see what this park has to offer.
See the London Peace Pagoda
The main feature of Battersea Park is the Peace Pagoda which towers over the riverside promenade and is one of the most distinctive and unique sights worth seeing.
Gifted to London in 1984 by Nichidatsu Fuji, the pagoda is a shrine dedicated to peace following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War.
With panoramic views across the Thames to the Chelsea Embankment on the other side, the London Peace Pagoda is the perfect place to sit and relax by the river.
Walk along the promenade
One of the best features of Battersea Park is the promenade that follows right along the river and offers excellent views across the water.
The promenade is part of the Thames path, so if you’re following this route then this is one of the nicest stretches.
Battersea Park is also a great final destination if you’re walking from the centre of London. Following the Blackfriars to Battersea walk is a great way to see famous landmarks and end up in this interesting park of the city.
Visit Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
One of the standout features of the park is the zoo at its centre. Battersea Park Children’s Zoo may be small in comparison to others like ZSL London Zoo, but it’s the perfect place to spend an hour or too.
While it may not be what you’d expect to find in Battersea, the zoo contains exotic animals like lemurs and armadillos as well as some more common critters like rabbits and otters.
You may even be able to hear the donkeys from outside the zoo!
Hire a recumbent bike
While walking is a perfectly good way to get around and see the different things to do in Battersea Park, a much more unique method of transportation is by using a recumbent bike.
Available to hire from London Recumbents, these offer a different but fun way to explore Battersea Park while offering a good form of exercise.
With the wide avenues and interesting trails cutting through the park, using a recumbent bike is a handy way to get around.
Play tennis
With a running track and other facilities, the Battersea Park Millenium Arena is a sports complex that caters for a range of activities.
You can hire one of the tennis courts for a hour (or more!) if you’re in need of some exercise. They cost from £10.20 per hour.
You can also join various fitness classes organised at the Millenium Arena.
Get a boat at the boating lake
In the south-east corner of the park is a large boating lake. One of the funnest things to do in Battersea Park is hiring a pedalo or rowing boat from Bluebird Boats and spending 30 minutes on the water.
This is especially fun to do on a summers day when you can take a leisurely row and see the park from a different perspective.
Putt at the mini golf course
There are many great places to play mini golf in London, but it’s a lot of fun to play a round within the scenic location of Battersea Park.
Putt in the Park at Battersea has lots of different hole with unique and interesting designs, so no matter how experienced you are you’ll have a lot of fun.
With a wood-fired pizza oven and a cafe, you can also hang around for a while after your game and relax.
Climb around at Go-Ape
If you’re feeling adventurous, Go Ape is one of the best things to do in Battersea Park. This outdoor adventure park offers a variety of high-ropes activities with amazing views over the park and river.
The Treetop Challenge here is almost twice the height of many other Go Ape courses in the UK, so if you’re a thrill-seeker this should be at the top of your itinerary for Battersea.
Visit the Pump House Gallery
Housed in a Victorian pump house, originally built to pump water to the adjacent Battersea Park lake, the Pump House Gallery is an art gallery that focuses on contemporary art and artists.
While perhaps not something you’d expect to find in a park, the gallery is one of the best things to do in Battersea Park, especially if you’re into art.
The gallery regularly hosts solo and group exhibitions by established and emerging artists. It also offers a diverse range of talks, workshops, and other events, so it’s worth checking what’s on if you’re in the area.
Explore the difference gardens
Battersea Park contains multiple gardens within its boundaries, each with a range of different flora. On your walk around the park, it’s worth passing by to see each of them:
- Sub tropical garden
- Old English garden
- Rosary garden
Take a photo from Albert Bridge
Connecting Battersea on the south bank of the Thames to Chelsea on the north side, Albert Bridge is located on the western edge of Battersea Park and is one of the most interesting landmarks around.
Completed in 1873, this Grade II listed structure is one of the most visually striking bridges over the Thames. Painted blue and white, it’s a beautiful design offers a great backdrop for taking in the view of the river from the park.
With a wooden footpath on the upstream side, taking a walk over the Albert Bridge is a great way to find cool photo opportunities of Battersea. There’s lots to explore on the Chelsea if you cross to the other side too.
Head over to Battersea Power Station
Arguably the best thing to do near Battersea Park is to take a very short walk east along the river and visit Battersea Power Station.
This famous and impressive landmark is a well-known site on the river and has been refurbished to contain a range of shops, cafes, and even a cinema.
If you’re after a bite to eat, there are plenty of great places to eat in the power station as well as just outside.
