Best charity shops in Battersea practical information (and a handy travelling tip)

Addresses

Opening times

Most are open seven days/ week, closing times vary between 5pm and 7pm.

How to get there:

The nearest station is Clapham Junction (British rail).

Handy tip: travelling between all the store on this list

Bus number 319 runs between Chelsea and Streatham (and vice versa) and is the perfect route to explore the store in this guide. It runs up and down St John’s Road and Northcote road, and on the other side of Clapham Junction station, it goes to Battersea Park Road (and beyond that, to Sloane Square in Chelsea).

If you’re travelling FROM Clapham Junction, St John’s road or Northcoate road towards Battersea Park Road, you want the bus that goes towards Cadogan Gardens / Sloane Square. The most practical stop for getting off on Battersea Park Road is Bullen Street (just beyond the railway arches).

If you’re travelling from Battersea Park Road TOWARDS Clapham Junction, St John’s road and Northcoate road, you want the one that goes towards Streatham/ Telford Avenue. The most practical stop to board the bus is also Bullen Street, but the other side of the road (it’s practically just outside the 553 Wandsworth Oasis shop).

The charity shops of Battersea

Battersea, in South London, is most famous for the Battersea Power station, which used to be as iconic a part of the London skyline as it could be. Now, with that glass blanket around it, maybe not so much (sadly)?

The charity shops of Battersea are nowhere near the Battersea Power station, though. They’re closer to Clapham Junction train station. But wait… Clapham Junction… that’s in Clapham, right? Why isn’t this article called “the best charity shop in Clapham”?

Why this article isn’t called “the best charity shops in Clapham”

Ah, well, see, Clapham Junction is not – as the name would lead one to believe – in Clapham. Clapham Junction is in Battersea. (Did you know that? I didn’t! And I’ve lived in London a long time.)

Anyway, most of the charity shops of Battersea are clustered in a compact area, in an easily walkable circuit (plus a few on Battersea Park Road, but more about that below).

And – bonus! – most of them are on Northcote Road, one of the nicest streets in London, with some lovely independent shops and some fantastic restaurants, a true hidden gem. (Fact: it’s not a proper article about London if some location or other is not called a hidden gem, and even better if you can throw in the words “under-the-radar”. So, Northcote Road, hidden gem and under-the-radar… totally worth a visit…and I mean that!)

If you’ve read my list of the best charity shops in Pimlico, you know the drill: this list of “the best charity shops in Battersea” really ought to be called “all the thrift stores in Battersea” or “charity shops in Battersea” or “Battersea charity shopping” or even “charity shopping in Battersea” – you get the idea.

As with the Pimlico charity shops, there’s yet again a handy table with addresses at the end, and a map.

Tip for starting in Pimlico and moving on to Battersea

If you’d like to start in Pimlico and then move on to Battersea, it’s easy enough, and there are a couple of ways of doing that:

• By train: make your way to Victoria Station, where most trains that leave from platforms 13 to 17 will stop at Clapham Junction (but do double-check).
• Or take bus 170 from stop G at Victoria bus station (the bus station is right outside of the train station)
• Or you could walk it. The walk takes about one hour and goes through Battersea Park, one of the loveliest parks in London.

Ready? Let’s go charity shop shopping in Battersea.

I’ve listed the shops in order from Clapham Junction, and the ones that aren’t on St John’s street or Northcote road are listed at the end.

Best charity shop in Battersea for hidden treasures: Traid

28 St John’s Rd, SW11 1PW

The Traid charity shops are some of the best charity shops in London, and the Battersea one is no exception. A long space with an industrial feel crammed with treasures. It’s about 95% clothes, with a smattering of home décor (mostly textiles). Traid also has especially very cool window displays that change regularly.

Best charity shop in Battersea for a bit of everything: British Heart Foundation

64 St John’s Rd, SW11 1PR

Clothes, shoes, accessories, an excellent books section, as well china/glassware/knick-knacks. A good all-rounder. Special mention to an excellent book section.

Best charity shop in Battersea for designer finds: Royal Trinity Hospice

73 St John’s Rd, SW11 1QX

40 Northcote Rd, SW11 1NZ

There are 2 Royal Trinity Hospice charity shops in Battersea, one on St John’s Road and one on Northcote Road. Both of them are worth a visit if you’re looking for designer labels and upmarket brands.

Best charity shop in Battersea for a bit of everything (again): Cancer Research UK

83 St John’s Rd, London SW11 1QY

Another good all-rounder. It’s not as full as the British Heart Foundation one, so it’s easier to spot the good stuff.

Best charity shops in Battersea for general coolness: Boutique by Shelter

49 Northcote Rd, SW11 1NJ

Along with Traid, the Shelter boutiques are one of the best charity shops chains in London. They tend to have a very cool décor, and offer a wide array of second hand goodies. It’s clear that the content in each store has been carefully curated. The use of the label “boutique” is not empty advertising here, the spaces really do feel like shopping in an exclusive boutique, but at a fraction of the price. That’s right, there’s nothing boutique about the price levels. It’s the perfect shopping experience. (Nope, I’m not doing PR for them, I swear!)

This specific store has a wall of colour-coordinated books at the back, which looks very … um, can I use the word cool again, or is that overkill? OK, then. It’s funky! It’s grooooovy!

You’ll also find apparel from upmarket labels, as well as the usual charity shop assortment.

Best charity shops in Battersea for kids stuff: Fara Kids and Farah books for kids

74 Chatham Rd, SW11 6HG

This area of South-West London is colloquially known as nappy valley, due to its popularity with families, so it’s probably no surprise that it is home to two branches of Fara for kids. One is for toys, apparel, and miscellaneous nursery things. The other specializes in kids’ books.

Best charity shops in Battersea for a bit of everything (another one): Farah

70 Chatham Rd, SW11 6HG

The last charity shop on Northcote road is located towards the end of that stretch of road and it’s a third Fara, this one for general charity shop fare. It’s a bit like a cross between the British Heart Foundation one and the Royal Trinity Hospice ones – another good all-rounder with some nice china and knickknacks, a small but great selection of books, and plenty of branded clothes.

That’s the end of the Northcote road part. There are four more charity shops in Battersea, and they’re right the opposite way. But that’s OK, there’s a direct bus route! See below for practical details, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s bus number 319.

Best charity shop in Battersea for nipping in before catching your train*: British Red Cross

11-12 Bramlands Cl, SW11 2NT

The British Red Cross charity shop is tucked away at the back of Clapham Junction station, in the shadow of an interesting looking brutalist church, in the middle of a low income housing estate. The British Red Cross site calls it their Wandsworth store, which just goes to show how flexible the boundaries between London areas can be… Anyway, it’s another good all-rounder, with a bit of everything.

* As long as your train leaves before 5pm.

There are 3 more charity shops in Battersea, all three on Battersea Park Road: One Fara and two branches of Wandsworth Oasis (So, two Wandsworth Oases, as it were…)

Best charity shop in Battersea for unusual finds: Fara Charity Shop – Battersea

254 Battersea Park Rd, SW11 3BP

Another excellent branch of Fara, well worth a visit. A bright, tidy, cheerful space with a large assortment of apparel (nicely colour sorted) and several shelves of bric-a-brac, including some lovely vintage ceramics. And look! A pair of metallic pointed toe Jimmy Choo flats! (I expect they’re gone by now – sorry.)

And last but not least, there are two branches of Wandsworth Oasis on that stretch of road, and their vibe is actually quite different.

Best charity shop in Battersea for that cool chick dressing room feeling: Wandsworth Oasis at number 553

553 Battersea Park Rd, SW11 3BL

Number 553 has a raw concrete floor, whitewashed brick walls, is devoted to clothes, shoes and accessories and feels like the dressing room of your Bohemian girlfriend.

Best charity shop in Battersea for books and household: Wandsworth Oasis at number 308

308-310 Battersea Park Rd, SW11 3BU

Number 308 is more what you’d expect from a charity shop – the old-fashioned kind – with a good jumble of choice of pretty much everything: clothes, kids stuff, household, etc. And books. Lots and lots of books. I think of all the charity shop in this list, it stands with the British Heart Foundation one for the best choice of books.

Best charity shops in Battersea: the map

And afterwards, you might want to move on to the charity shops in Pimlico?

Special bonus: a pizza pit stop.

Halfway between Clapham Junction and Farah on Northcote Road is as good a time to stop for a break if you’re feeling peckish. Luckily, there’s just the thing at that very spot: the Breadstall food truck has some of the most delicious pizzas in London, all chewy charred crust and gooey fresh toppings, and the portions are huge. Grab a slice of pizza heaven, hot from the wood fired oven. Oh wait, this could be the beginning of a song…

Grab a slice of pizza heaven

Hot from the wood fired oven

Breadstall: 56 Northcote Rd SW11 1PA

Pssst…. You’re not far from Eclectica Clapham, a one stop treasure box for curios and collectables on Wandsworth Road, and one of the greatest hidden gems in South London.