Ref: OSW. Old Swan Wharf - Battersea, SW11.

Practical riverside apartment in historic location- sleeps 4/5.  Map

For many Americans visiting London the church right beside and overlooked by this modern apartment block - St. Mary's Battersea - is an interesting place to visit. Not only was it the church where the poet and artist William Blake was married, and from where Turner painted some of his marvellous views of sunsets over The Thames, but American War of Independence General Benedict Arnold, whose name is considered by some as synonym for "traitor", is buried here in the crypt.

The apartment building is on a site where an old pub once stood and it's still possible to find pieces of old clay pipe on the river bank when the tide is out.

The apartment is the London pied-à-terre of an Englishman and his New Zealand wife. They spend most of their time in New Zealand so their flat is often available for renting. It's situated on the south side of The River Thames, 2 minutes walk from Battersea Square with its colourful collection of cafés and restaurants. The Kings Road is 10 minutes walk away across Battersea Bridge, and Sloane Square (your nearest tube station - District and Circle lines) is 25 minutes on foot.

On the south side of Battersea Bridge, less than 5 minutes walk, there's an excellent bus service (every 5/7 minutes) over the river and along Kings Road to Sloane Square.

The flat is on the first floor (there is a lift) of a modern (1995) apartment block and sleeps 4 people in a double and a twin bedroom. A 5^th person can be accommodated on an excellent sofa-bed.

The front door opens onto a large (12ft6 x 6ft6, 3.8m x 2m), wooden-floored hallway off which are all the rooms. Straight ahead is the living room (17ft x 12ft6, 5.2m x 3.8m) also wooden-flood and furnished with 2 three seater sofas, a large coffee table, side-tables with table lamps and a dining table and 6 chairs. There's a TV+VCR (hidden in a cupboard and pulled out for viewing) and modest radio/CD player (bring your own CDs). This room gives onto a balcony which overlooks St. Mary's and the river. It also overlooks one of the few public slip-ways into the river so there's always some interesting activity to see. The balcony gets the sun in the morning and the evening and is a good place to enjoy a meal or a glass of wine on the teak out-door furniture.

The separate compact kitchen with all the expected appliances including a microwave, dishwasher and washer/dryer is off the living area.

There are two bedrooms - the double (12ft6 x 9ft, 3.75m x 2.8m) bedroom has a 5ft bed, the other bedroom ( 11ft x 8ft6, 3.4m x 2.6m) has two single beds. A fifth person can be accommodated on one of the sofas which converts into a bed. There's one bathroom with bath + powerful over-shower, basin and loo.

Just across The Thames from Chelsea, over the last 20 years Battersea is a part of London that has very much come into its own. It still retains its village atmosphere and Battersea Square with its colourful pubs, cafés and restaurants is a popular hang-out, especially in the summer months when its pavement tables and alfresco eating make it more Paris than London.

This is a No Smoking property.