It was named to make people think it was in a posher area
‘Clapham’ Junction isn’t quite accurate(Image: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A historian has offered his viewpoint on why Clapham Junction is actually located in Battersea, labelling it as “a bit rubbish.”
If you’ve ever journeyed into London from Surrey, Sussex or Hampshire, you’ve likely encountered the sprawling network of Clapham Junction station.
With 17 platforms and six junctions providing connections throughout Southern England, it’s one of Europe’s busiest railway hubs. However, a walk through the station reveals that its design leaves much to be desired.
Unlike the charming ambience at Paddington, the station bridge at Clapham Junction falls short of the mark. First-time visitors might be surprised when navigating the grimy tunnel beneath the tracks, which descends into chaos during peak hours, bank holidays, or match days at Stamford Bridge and Twickenham.
Clapham Junction Station is put under relentless strain everyday(Image: Getty)
This bedlam is unavoidable if you’re heading towards the Grant Road exit. In a TikTok video, @ali.unoriginal shed light on why the station has such a confusing layout and why it carries the name of a place 1.4 miles away.
Ali chalks it up to “bad planning, history and capitalism.”
He elaborated: “There has been a railway there since 1838. By 1963 five different railway companies were using the interchange. That year, five companies got together to build Clapham Junction. It’s been a complete mess since then.
“They knew the area was definitely Battersea. Clapham used to be lovely, while Battersea wasn’t. It was a rural farming stead which the Victorians turned into a more working class area.
“Clapham was affluent, rich, hip and trendy. The station was named after Clapham to bluntly to attract people.”
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