SW postcode area: Difference between revisions

The '''SW (South Western and Battersea) postcode area''', also known as the '''London SW postcode area''',<ref name=guide>{{cite book | publisher=Royal Mail Group | title=Address Management Guide | year=2004 | edition=4 | authorpublisher=[[Royal Mail|Royal Mail Group]] |year=2004}}</ref>, is a group of 20 postcode districts coveringwithin part of southwestthe [[London postal district|London post town]], in England. The area originates fromcomprises the South Western operational district (SW1–SW10covering the subdivisions of postcode district SW1, plus SW2 - SW10) and the Battersea operational district (SW11–SW20)covering districtsSW11 - SW20),<ref name="ILLP">{{ cite book | titleauthor=The[[Competition InnerCommission|Monopolies Londonand LetterMergers PostCommission]] | year=1980 |chapter=The authorLondon Postal Region |title=MonopoliesThe andInner MergersLondon CommissionLetter Post |chapter-url=http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1980/fulltext/122c03.pdf |publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]] |access-date=17 May 2021 |archive-date=19 January 2012 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120119212832/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1980/122inner_lon_let_postfulltext/122c03.htmpdf | authorlinkurl-status=Competitiondead Commission}}</ref> ofand is the [[Londononly postalarea within the district|London]] post town to lie on both sides of the [[River Thames]].

The postcode area originated in 1857 as the SW district. In 1868 it gained some of the area of the abolishedvery short-lived S district, with the rest going to [[SE postcode area|SE]]. It was divided into numbered districts in 1917.<ref name="Archive Information Sheet">{{ cite web | url=http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/history/downloads/BPMA_Info_Sheet_Postcodes_web.pdf | title=Postcodes | work=Archive Information Sheet | publisher= The British Postal Museum and Archive | accessdatedate=January 2005 |access-date=24 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320052708/http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/history/downloads/BPMA_Info_Sheet_Postcodes_web.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2009 }}</ref> The South Western district<ref name=ILLP/> consists of the postcode districts SW1–SW10<ref name=ILLP/> and the once Battersea-headquartered district<ref name=ILLP/>component consists of the postcode districts SW11–SW20.<ref name="ILLP"/><ref name="streets 1930"/> SW99{{Clear}} isThe aSouth non-geographicWestern postcodehead useddistrict forwas largedesignated businessesas inSW1 and the SW9rest district.<refof name=guide/>the Thenumbering postcodefollowed, areaalphabetically, isby parttheir ofmost theimportant [[Londonparish, postalchapelry, district|London]]topological postor town<refbuilt name=guide/>environment andfeature therenames, areup noto dependent10. localities requiredSimilarly inas to the areaBattersea SW11 once "head district".<ref name=guide/>

The approximate coverage of the postcode districts, with the historic postal district names shown in ''italics'':<ref name="streets 1930">{{cite web | publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|HMSO]] | title= Names of Streets and Places in the London Postal area |url=http://www.londonancestor.com/po/1map-w.htm |via=London Ancestor | year=1930 }}</ref>

| [[Whitehall]] and, [[Buckingham Palace]], the [[Houses of Parliament]] and west of [[St James's]]

| betweenNorthern 'Victoria' around [[Buckingham Gate]] and(a street) to include both sides of part of [[London Victoria stationStreet, London|Victoria StationStreet]]

| triangular area between [[Vauxhall Bridge]], [[ChelseaGrosvenor Bridge|Grosvenor (or Victoria Railway) Bridge]], and Victoria Station, taking in both sides of Vauxhall Bridge Road; Pimlicoincludes properPimlico

| South or lower [[Belgravia]] and [[Chelsea, areaLondon|Chelsea]] between(a corner), from [[Sloane Square]] andto Victoria Station, southto ofGrosvenor [[KingsWaterside Road]]basin

| Westminster, [[Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea|Kensington and Chelsea]]

| Rest of [[Belgravia,]] (north of Kings[[Eaton RoadSquare]]), [[Knightsbridge]] (parteastern half) and [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] (a corner)

| Westminster, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

| [[St.All James'sbut Park|the west of [[St. James's]]

| ''Brixton district:'' [[Brixton Hill]], [[BrixtonTulse Hill]] (part), [[Streatham HillBrixton]] (part), [[TulseStreatham Hill]], [[Clapham Park]] (part), [[Eastern parts of BalhamLambeth]]

| ''Chelsea district:'' [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]], [[Brompton, Kensington|Brompton]], , [[Knightsbridge]] (part)

| [[Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]

| ''Clapham district:'' [[Clapham]], [[Stockwell]] (part)

| ''Earls Court district:'' [[EarlsEarl's Court]]

| Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

| ''Fulham district:'' [[Fulham]], [[Parsons Green]]

| [[Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]], Westminster

| ''South Lambeth district:'' [[South Lambeth]], [[Vauxhall]], [[BatterseaNine Elms]] (east), [[Clapham]] (partnorth), [[NWStockwell]] area(northwest), of[[Oval, StockwellLondon|Oval]] (west)

| Lambeth, [[London Borough of Wandsworth|Wandsworth]]

| ''Stockwell district:'' [[Brixton]], [[Stockwell]], Brixton[[Clapham]] (part), [[ClaphamOval, London|Oval]] (part)

| ''West Brompton district:'' [[West Brompton]], [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] (part)

| ''Battersea head district:'' [[Battersea]], [[ClaphamNine JunctionElms]] (west)

| Wandsworth, Lambeth

| ''Balham district:'' [[Balham]], [[Clapham SouthPark]] (part), [[HydeWandsworth farm estate|Hyde FarmCommon]] (part)

| ''Barnes district:'' [[Barnes, London|Barnes]]

| ''Putney district:'' [[Putney]], [[Roehampton]], [[Kingston Vale]], [[Wimbledon Common|Putney Heath]], [[Putney Vale]], [[Richmond Park]], [[Roehampton|Roehampton Vale]]

| Wandsworth, [[Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames|Kingston upon Thames]], Richmond upon Thames

| ''Streatham district:'' [[Streatham]], [[NorburyStreatham Common]], [[Thornton HeathNorbury]], [[Streatham Park]], [[Furzedown]], [[Streatham|Streatham Vale]], [[Mitcham Common]], [[Pollards Hill]], [[MitchamEastfields]], [[West Norwood]] (part)

| ''Tooting district:'' [[Tooting]], [[Balham]] (part), [[Mitcham]] (part), [[Furzedown]]

| ''Wandsworth district:'' [[Wandsworth Town]], [[Southfields]], [[Earlsfield]]

| ''Wimbledon district:'' [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]], [[Colliers Wood]], [[Merton Park]], [[SouthfieldsMerton Abbey, London|Merton Abbey]], [[NorthSouthfields]], [[Morden]] (part)

| ''West Wimbledon district:'' [[Raynes Park]], [[Lower Morden]], [[Merton Park]], [[Wimbledon Chase]], very small part of the east of [[New Malden]]

| Merton, Kingston upon Thames

SW1 was originallyis the South Western head district. ItSince isabout ofthe very1890s highit densityhas developmenthad a surplus of addresses and hasbuildings beenfor relativelypractical recentlydivision into one set of inwards codes so is divided into smaller postcode districts. Wheresince districts are1917 used for mail purposes. otherSW1 thanis theused sortingin ofgeographic mailreference, suchstreet assigns useand ascolloquial ause geographicacross referencemost andcommunities. onIts street signs, the SW1eight subdivisions continue to be classed as one 'district'. Within the SW1 postcode district thereSW1A are severalkeynote distinctiveinward postcodecodes unitsincluding:

* SW1A 0AA -– [[British House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]

* SW1A 0PW -– [[House of Lords]], [[Palace of Westminster]]

* SW1A 1AA -– [[Buckingham Palace]]

* SW1A 2AA1BA -– [[10Clarence Downing StreetHouse]], [[Prime MinisterResidence of theKing UnitedCharles Kingdom|PrimeIII Minister]]during and [[First Lordrestoration of theBuckingham Treasury]]Palace

* SW1A 2AB2AA -– [[1110 Downing Street]], [[ChancellorPrime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and [[First Lord of the ExchequerTreasury]]

* SW1A 2HQ2AB -– [[HM11 TreasuryDowning Street]], headquarters[[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]

The South WesternSW postcode area includes postcode districts on both sides of the [[River Thames]]. The SW1 postcode district covers the areaparts of centralnine London onBoroughs. the north bankNorth of the [[River Thames]], roughlyit betweencovers [[Hungerfordthe Bridge]]southern andparts [[Chelseaof Bridge]]. It includesthe [[Pimlico]], [[Belgravia]] and partsCity of [[Westminster]], andthe [[Brompton,Royal Kensington|Brompton]].Borough Itof containsKensington [[Whitehall]],and [[Westminster AbbeyChelsea]], [[Westminster School]],and the [[TateLondon Gallery]],Borough [[Dolphinof Square]]Hammersmith and [[Thames HouseFulham]]. SW2–SW10 form the inner northeastern partSouth of the postcode areariver, withit the SW3, SW5, SW6, SW7 and SW10 districts north of the river. SW11–SW20 forms the outer southwestern part of the postcode area and is entirely south of the River Thames. The postcode area includescovers all of the [[London Borough of Wandsworth]], the western portionpart of the [[London Borough of Lambeth]], the southernnorthern sectionsparts of the [[CityLondon Borough of WestminsterMerton|London Boroughs of Merton]] and the [[RoyalLondon Borough of KensingtonCroydon|Croydon]] and Chelsea]], the northeastern areaparts of the [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]]|London andBoroughs theof northernRichmond sectionsupon ofThames]] theand [[LondonRoyal Borough of MertonKingston upon Thames|Kingston upon Thames]].<ref>[[:File:Londonpostal andiln 1857.jpg]]</ref><ref>[[LondonPostcodes Boroughin ofthe CroydonUnited Kingdom#History]].</ref>

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