Wimbledon is a district in south-west London.
Understand
Wimbledon is a well-known and affluent suburb in the southwest of London, England and is part of the London Borough of Merton. It is best known for the All England Lawn Tennis Championships (or often just referred to as Wimbledon) held every summer and which form part of the worldwide tennis grand slam series. This is the oldest tennis championship in the world.
Get in
By tube
Wimbledon is serviced by the following stations, in Zones 3 or 4:
- Wimbledon (District line) – Zone 3. During the Tennis Championships, direct buses run from outside for a small charge.
- South Wimbledon (Northern line) – Zones 3 and 4.
- Southfields (District line) – Zone 3. This is the most convenient station for the tennis club.
The quickest route into Wimbledon from central London is usually via a combination of Tube and the National Rail. Though the District Line is the most obvious choice from central London, it is usually the least efficient. Trains depart every 3–5 minutes from Waterloo to Wimbledon during week days with a journey time of about 15 minutes (South West Trains operates this service.)
By train
1 Wimbledon Station is the most important transport hub in the area. Located in central Wimbledon, it is well served by South West Trains and First Capital Connect train companies.
Services run from London Waterloo via Clapham Junction to Wimbledon Station (about 15 min). Trains from Wimbledon go to Guildford, Hampton Court, Dorking, Shepperton and Woking. Change at Clapham Junction to get to Brighton, Epsom, Gatwick, Reading, Portsmouth and further afield.
Wimbledon Station has two entrances, one at the front of the station serving as a drop off point for cars and a taxi stop and one to the side that leads to buses and a shopping mall. Disabled access to the 10 platforms are by lifts. Public toilets can be found near the tube District Line platforms. There are food and drink shops within the station complex.
By plane
Wimbledon is almost equidistant between the two major London Airports, Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport.
The quickest way from Gatwick is to catch a fast Southern train for London Victoria and get off at Clapham Junction. Here, change onto a South West Trains service south bound to Wimbledon (weekdays: 15 an hour).
From Heathrow, you can either catch the London Underground Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Earls Court and change onto the District Line to Wimbledon, or you can catch the Heathrow Express (or Heathrow Connect) service to London Paddington Station and then catch a Wimbledon bound District line train from there. Both of these require luggage movement through underground stations.
By tram
Wimbledon is served by the Wimbledon-to-Croydon tramlink which terminates at Wimbledon Station (route 3), other tram stops in the area include Dundonald Road and Merton Park. A route map can be found here
By car
The A219 runs through Wimbledon Hill Road, Wimbledon Bridge to the Broadway and beyond. The A3 is the main route to Wimbledon when coming in from the M25 Motorway or Heathrow Airport. From Gatwick Airport follow the M23/M25/A217. The nearest petrol station is an Esso Garage with a Tesco Metro (Open 24 hours) found along the Broadway towards South Wimbledon underground station.
Get around
Wimbledon is mostly pedestrian friendly and most places can be easily reached on foot. Buses leave outside the Centre Court Shopping Mall next to Wimbledon station. The main bus station is near Hartfield Rd on Sir Cyril Black Way (behind Morrisons supermarket and the car park on Hartfield Rd). Additionally, there is a taxi stand outside the main entrance to Wimbledon Station.
By bus
Wimbledon is served by local bus routes including routes 57 Kingston/Clapham Park), 93 (Putney Bridge/North Cheam), 131 (Kingston/Tooting Broadway), 156 (Vauxhall), 163 (Morden), 164 (Sutton), 200 (Raynes Park/Mitcham), 219 (Clapham Junction), 493 (Richmond/Tooting) and N87 Night Bus (Aldwych/Kingston). A bus map of Wimbledon (PDF) can be found here .
By car
Parking available at Centre Court Shopping Mall. Off-street parking is normally made available by home-owners looking to make some additional income from the rental of their driveways and garages. Prices are normally in the region of £30-50. Alternatively, you can try renting one of these private parking spaces online through various services.
See
- 1 Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, Centre Court, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Rd. 10:30AM-5PM, closed 24-26 Dec, 1 Jan, middle Su and first M after the Championships. £6, concessions £5, children under 16 £3.75, children under 5 free, tours available with additional fee
- 2 Wimbledon Common, ☏ +44 20 8788-7655, rangersoffice@wpcc.org.uk. 24 hrs. A large area (460 hectares) of woodlands, open grass areas and healthland with a windmill, nature trails and ponds. Also the legendary home of the Wombles. Free.
- 3 Wimbledon Society Museum of Local History, 22 Ridgway, Wimbledon, ☏ +44 20 8296-9914. Sa Su 2:30PM-5PM, by appointment at other times. Showing local history in Wimbledon from the Stone Age to the present day. Free.
- 4 Wimbledon Windmill Museum (On Wimbledon Common). End Mar-end Oct: Sa 2PM-5PM, Su 11AM-5PM. A museum which depicts the history of windmills. £1, children £0.50, concessions £0.50.
- 5 Buddhapadipa Temple, 14 Calonne Rd. Temple ground: M-F 9AM-6PM, main temple: weekends. The first Buddhist temple in the UK.
- 6 Cannizaro Park (West side of Wimbledon Common, next to the Cannizaro House Hotel). 34 acres of parkland.
Do
Wimbledon
Each June the All England Lawn Tennis Championships are organized, one of the four "Grand Slams" for professional tennis. Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club was chosen to host the tennis matches for the 2012 Olympic Games where 172 athletes competed for 4 gold medals in tennis .
- 1 New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, ☏ +44 870 060 6646. The theatre is a Grade II Listed Edwardian theatre showing West End plays and musicals.
- 2 Odeon Cinema, Odeon Wimbledon, The Piazza, The Broadway, ☏ +44 871 22 44 007. A large modern multiplex in Central Wimbledon with 12 screens and IMAX screen.
- 3 Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8543-4888. Telephone bookings: M 9:30AM-4:30PM, Tu-F 9:30AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM; box office opening hours: Tu-F 9:30AM-4:30PM, Sa 11AM-5:30PM. Children's theatre.
- 4 Wimbledon Village Stables, 24 a/b High St, ☏ +44 20 8946-8579. Lessons and horse riding on Wimbledon Common.
Buy
Shops are to be found along the Broadway towards South Wimbledon and along Wimbledon Hill towards Wimbledon Village and in Wimbledon Village.
- 1 Centre Court Shopping, Queens Road, SW19 8YE (In Central Wimbledon next to the station), ☏ +44 20 8944-8323. M-W F 9:30AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Th 9:30AM-8PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Shopping mall with two floors of shops. Includes shops such as Body Shop, Boots, Debenhams, Gap, H&M, Kew, La Senza, Monsoon, River Island, Sony and Warehouse. There are food outlets on the third floor and a cafe on the ground floor.
- Supermarkets. Include Morrisons (The Broadway), M&S (Centre Court), Sainsburys (Worple Rd and The Broadway towards South Wimbledon), Tesco Metro (Centre Court, South Wimbledon & Wimbledon Village) and Waitrose (near Wimbledon Bridge).
- 2 Elys of Wimbledon, 16 St George's Rd, SW19 4DP, ☏ +44 20 8946 9191. M-W, F: 9:30AM-7PM, Th: 9:30AM-8PM, Sa: 9AM-7PM, Su: 11AM-5PM. A department store just off the High Street and a few minutes' walk from the Tube & Rail station.
Eat
At the tournament, strawberries and cream are a traditional, if expensive, snack, but Wimbledon proper is home to many eateries.
- Ahmed, 2 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8946-6214. Indian.
- Alforno Restaurant, 2a Kings Rd, ☏ +44 20 8540-5710. Italian.
- Aya, 195 – 197 Merton Road, ☏ +44 20 8417-0606. Lebanese food, courtyard garden. Medium.
- Broadway Tandoori, 250 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8542-7697. Indian.
- Cafe Rouge, 26 High St, ☏ +44 20 8944-5131. French.
- Chutneys, 31a Hartfield Road, ☏ +44 20 8540-9788. Indian.
- [dead link] Coal, Piazza, 31-37 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8947-8225. Bar and grill serving international food. Seating outside.
- Confucious, 271-273 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8542-5272. Chinese.
- Dolce Vita, 44 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8543-7643. Italian.
- Est Est Est, 38 High Street, ☏ +44 20 8947-7700. Italian.
- Gourmet Burger Kitchen, 88 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8540-3300. Great burger restaurant.
- Jo Shmos, 33 High St, ☏ +44 20 8879-3845.
- [dead link] Lambourne Bar and Grill, 263 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8545-8661. Part of the Antoinette Hotel. Sky sports, happy hour. Medium.
- Lighthouse, 75-77 Ridgway, ☏ +44 20 8944-6338.
- Makiyaki, 149 Merton Rd, ☏ +44 20 8540-3113. Good Japanese food.
- Mai Thai, 75 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8542-8834.
- Nandos, 1-1a Russell Rd, ☏ +44 20 8545-0909. Peri-peri chicken.
- La Nonna, 213-217 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8542-3060. Italian.
- Paprika, 1 Kingston Rd, ☏ +44 20 8540-9229. Indian food.
- Slurp, 138 Merton Road, ☏ +44 20 8540-7918. Good Chinese and Japanese noodle bar, great value. Try the bento box.
- Thai Tho Restaurant, 20 High St, ☏ +44 20 8946-1542. Thai.
- The Common Room, 18 High St, ☏ +44 20 8944-1909. Italian.
- The Stage Door, 90-92 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8543-8128.
- Wagamama, 46-48 Wimbledon Hill Road, ☏ +44 20 8879-7280. Japanese chain.
- Wimbledon Palace, 88 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8540-4505. Chinese.
Drink
- The Alexandra, 33 Wimbledon Hill Rd, ☏ +44 20 8947-7691. Large pub with a wine bar next to the main pub called Smart Alex. Food served. Roof terrace with bar.
- All Bar One, 37 Wimbledon Hill Rd, ☏ +44 20 8971-9871. Food served.
- Bar Sia, 105-109 The Broadway (Next to the Wimbledon Theatre), ☏ +44 20 8540-8339.
- Bertie's Bar, 2 Hartfield Way, ☏ +44 20 8879-7537. A wine bar below the Prince of Wales Pub. Seating outside. Food served.
- Crooked Billet, 14 Crooked Billet, ☏ +44 20 8946-4942. A Youngs pub, food served.
- Dog & Fox, 24 High St, ☏ +44 20 8946-6565. Large pub in the centre of the Wimbledon village. Food served, lots of seating outside.
- Fox & Grapes, Camp Rd, Wimbledon Common, ☏ +44 20 8946-5599. Food served.
- The Grid Inn, 22 Replingham Rd (tube: Southfields), ☏ +44 20 8874-8460. A slightly down-at-heel traditional pub.
- Kilkenny Tavern, 131 Merton High St, South Wimbledon (next to South Wimbledon tube station), ☏ +44 20 8543-7308.
- O'Neills, 66 The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8545-9931. Food served.
- The Old Garage, 20 Replingham Road (tube: Southfields), ☏ +44 20 8874-9370. Larger, cleaner and more modern than The Grid.
- Rose and Crown, 55 High St, ☏ +44 20 8947-4713, fax: +44 20 8947-4994. Food served, seating outside.
- Suburban Bar and Lounge, 27 Hartfield Rd, ☏ +44 20 8543-9788. Cocktail bar for chavs, run by chavs!
- Sultan, 78 Norman Rd, ☏ +44 20 8542-4532. Decent local pub serving very good real ale. The only pub in London owned by the Hopback Brewery. Walled garden. Bar food served. BBQ on sundays weather permitting. "No loud music/TV policy" for those who want a quiet pint.
- SWnineteen Bar, 4-5 High St, ☏ +44 20 8879-7020.
- The Prince of Wales, 2 Hartfield Rd, ☏ +44 20 8946-5369. Serves food, owned by Punch Taverns.
- The Slug, Hartfield Rd, ☏ +44 20 8947-1791. Sports-orientated bar. Food served with seating outside.
- The Terrace, Above Centre Court Shopping Centre, Queens Rd, ☏ +44 20 8944-9970. Terrace overlooking central Wimbledon. Serves food.
- Watershed, 267 Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8540-0080. Club with live music and comedy evenings on Saturdays.
- White Hart, 144 Kingston Rd (Near the Merton Park tram stop). Thai food served. Seating outside. Parking.
- The Wibbas Down Inn (JD Wetherspoon pub), 6-12 Gladstone Rd, ☏ +44 20 8540-6788. Food served. Some seating outside - now nearly completely taken up by smokers. Always has a wide and well-kept selection of real ales.
Sleep
- Antoinette Hotel, The Broadway, ☏ +44 20 8543-4222. A 50-bedroom hotel, refurbished.
- Hotel du Vin & Bistro Wimbledon (Cannizaro House), West Side, Wimbledon Common, ☏ +44 330 024 0706. A beautiful hotel overlooking Cannizaro Park to the rear and Wimbledon Common to the front. Excellent dining.
- Justin James Hotel, 43 Worple Road, SW19 4JZ, ☏ +44 20 8947-4271, fax: +44 20 8296-6715.
- The Phoenix, 123-125 Merton Road, ☏ +44 20 8542-0826.
- The Wimbledon Hotel, 78 Worple Rd, ☏ +44 20 8946-9265, fax: +44 20 8946-1581. Small family-run hotel.
- Travel Joy Hostels Wimbledon, 89 Hartfield Road, ☏ +44 20 8617-1585, info@traveljoyhostels-wimbledon.com. Fun, cheap, backpackers hostel
Connect
Go next
Routes through Wimbledon |
Westminster / Mayfair-Marylebone ← Wandsworth ← | N S | → END |
Leicester Square / The City ← Wandsworth ← | N S | → South London → END |
Routes through Wimbledon |
Central London ← Wandsworth ← | NE SW | → Kingston-upon-Thames → Guildford |