St Mary’s Church, Battersea 1971

This atmospheric 1971 view of Battersea captures a riverside landscape on the cusp of major change. In the centre stands St Mary’s Church, the historic parish church of Battersea, rebuilt in the late 18th century and long a familiar landmark overlooking the Thames. To the right is the Old Swan, a riverside pub whose origins date back to at least the early 18th century and which once served watermen, lightermen and workers from the nearby wharves.

On the left, the industrial character of old Battersea is clearly visible. The Silver Belle flour wharf — part of the once-busy grain and milling trade that lined this stretch of the river — sits beside the Mayhew building, likely connected to a local lighterage or warehousing firm operating in the area. By the early 1970s, many of these wharves were already declining, though they would remain part of the landscape for a few more years before redevelopment swept through the riverside.

In the distance rise two newly built tower blocks: Sparkford House and Selworthy House, part of the Winstanley Estate, constructed during the large-scale post-war housing boom that reshaped much of inner London. Their stark modernist silhouettes contrast sharply with the 18th- and 19th-century waterfront architecture below — a visual snapshot of a neighbourhood balancing its industrial past with its rapidly changing present.

A photograph like this captures Battersea at a transitional moment: the old wharves still functioning, the parish church watching over the river as it had for centuries, and the new high-rise estates signalling the arrival of modern London.