SW postcode area: Difference between revisions

The '''SW (South Western) postcode area''', also known as the '''London SW postcode area''',<ref name=guide>{{cite book |title=Address Management Guide |edition=4 |publisher=[[Royal Mail|Royal Mail Group]] |year=2004}}</ref> is a group of 20 postcode districts within the [[London postal district|London post town]] in England. The area comprises the South Western operational district (covering the subdivisions of postcode district SW1, plus SW2 through- SW10) and the Battersea operational district (covering SW11 through- SW20),<ref name="ILLP">{{cite book |author=[[Competition Commission|Monopolies and Mergers Commission]] |year=1980 |chapter=The London Postal Region |title=The Inner London Letter 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/fulltext/122c03.pdf |url-status=bot: unknowndead }}</ref> and is the only area within the 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 very 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 |date=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 consists of the postcode districts SW1–SW10 and the once Battersea-headquartered component consists of the postcode districts SW11–SW20.<ref name="ILLP"/><ref name="streets 1930"/> {{Clear}} The South Western head district was designated as SW1 and the rest of the numbering followed, alphabetically, by their most important parish, chapelry, topological or built environment feature names, up to 10. Similarly as to the Battersea SW11 once "head district".

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>

SW19 is the postcode that covers [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]] and is used as a synonym for the [[Wimbledon Championships]] tennis tournament.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/1147243/Where-is-Wimbledon-why-is-it-called-SW19-reason-explained | title=WhyWhere is Wimbledon and why is it called SW19? Reason explained |website=Express.co.uk |first1=Andy |last1=Wilson | date=12 July 2019 | accessdate=13 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/wimbledon-2022-seven-talking-points-from-sw-19-215038890.html | title=Wimbledon 2022: Seven talking points from SW19 |website= Yahoo Sports |date=Jul 10, 2022 |first1=Oli |last1=Dickson Jefford | accessdate=13 July 2022}}</ref>