London SW | |
|---|---|
  SW | |
| Coordinates: 51°27′43″N 0°10′08″W / 51.462°N 0.169°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Postcode area | SW |
| Postcode area name | London SW |
| Post towns | 1 |
| Postcode districts | 29 |
| Postcode sectors | 139 |
| Postcodes (live) | 19,890 |
| Postcodes (total) | 36,392 |
| Statistics as at May 2020[1] | |
The SW (South Western and Battersea) postcode area, also known as the London SW postcode area[2], is a group of postcode districts covering part of south west London, England. The area originates from the South Western (SW1-10) and Battersea (SW11-20) districts[3] of the London postal district.
History
editThe postcode area originated in 1857 as the SW district. In 1868 it gained some of the area of the abolished S district, with the rest going to SE. It was divided into numbered districts in 1917.[4]
Coverage
editThe approximate coverage of the postal districts:
South Western
editThe South Western district[3] consists of the postcode districts SW1-10.[5] The SW1 postcode district is of very high density development and has been relatively recently divided into smaller postcode districts. Where districts are used for purposes other than the sorting of mail, such as use as a geographic reference and on street signs, the SW1 subdivisions continue to be classed as one 'district'. SW99 is a non-geographic postcode used for large businesses in the SW9 district.[2] The South Western district includes postcode districts on both sides of the Thames.
| Postcode district | Post town | 1917 name | Additional coverage | Local authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW1A | LONDON | n/a | Whitehall and Buckingham Palace | Westminster |
| SW1E | n/a | between Buckingham Gate and Victoria Station | Westminster | |
| SW1H | n/a | east of Buckingham Gate | Westminster | |
| SW1P | n/a | triangular area between Victoria Station, the Houses of Parliament, and Vauxhall Bridge; eastern part of Pimlico | Westminster | |
| SW1V | n/a | triangular area between Vauxhall Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, and Victoria Station; Pimlico proper | Westminster | |
| SW1W | n/a | area between Sloane Square and Victoria Station, south of Kings Road | Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea | |
| SW1X | n/a | Belgravia, north of Kings Road | Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea | |
| SW1Y | n/a | St. James | Westminster | |
| SW2 | Brixton | Brixton Hill, Streatham Hill, Tulse Hill | Lambeth | |
| SW3 | Chelsea | Brompton | Kensington and Chelsea | |
| SW4 | Clapham | Stockwell | Lambeth | |
| SW5 | Earls Court | South Kensington | Kensington and Chelsea | |
| SW6 | Fulham | Hammersmith and Fulham | ||
| SW7 | South Kensington | Kensington and Chelsea | ||
| SW8 | South Lambeth | Vauxhall, Battersea | Lambeth, Wandsworth | |
| SW9 | Stockwell | Brixton (part) | Lambeth | |
| SW10 | West Brompton | Chelsea (part) | Kensington and Chelsea | |
| SW99 | non-geographic (located in SW9) Freemans & Mail Order Traders Association | |||
Battersea
editThe Battersea district[3] consists of the postcode districts SW11-20.[5] It is entirely south of the Thames.
| Postcode district | Post town | 1917 name | Additional coverage | Local authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW11 | LONDON | Head district (Battersea) | Clapham South | Wandsworth |
| SW12 | Balham | Clapham South, Hyde Farm | Wandsworth, Lambeth | |
| SW13 | Barnes | Richmond upon Thames | ||
| SW14 | Mortlake | East Sheen | Richmond upon Thames | |
| SW15 | Putney Roehampton University | Wandsworth | ||
| SW16 | Streatham | Norbury, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Eastfields | Lambeth, Croydon, Wandsworth, Merton | |
| SW17 | Tooting | Mitcham | Wandsworth | |
| SW18 | Wandsworth | Southfields, Earlsfield | Wandsworth | |
| SW19 | Wimbledon ("SW19" is sometimes used as a synonym for the Wimbledon tennis tournament.) |
Colliers Wood, Southfields | Merton, Wandsworth | |
| SW20 | West Wimbledon | Raynes Park | Merton |
Adjacent areas
edit
Clockwise from the east, the adjacent postcode areas are: SE (London SE), CR (Croydon), SM (Sutton), KT (Kingston upon Thames), TW (Twickenham), W (London W).
Places of interest
editSW1 contains several distinctive postcodes:
- SW1A 0AA - House of Commons
- SW1A 0PW - House of Lords, Palace of Westminster
- SW1A 1AA - Buckingham Palace
- SW1A 2AA - 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
- SW1A 2AB - 11 Downing Street, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- SW1A 2HQ - HM Treasury headquarters
SW6 contains two top flight Football grounds, Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge and Fulham FC's Craven Cottage.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "ONS Postcode Directory Version Notes" (ZIP). National Statistics Postcode Products. Office for National Statistics. May 2020. Table 2. Retrieved 19 Jun 2020. Coordinates from mean of unit postcode points, "Code-Point Open". OS OpenData. Ordnance Survey. February 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ a b Royal Mail, Address Management Guide, (2004)
- ^ a b c HMSO, The Inner London Letter Post, (1980)
- ^ British Postal Museum & Archive - Postcodes (PDF)
- ^ a b HMSO, Names of Streets and Places in the London Postal Area, (1930)
51°28′N 0°10′W / 51.467°N 0.167°W