- Tube stations: Clapham North, Clapham South, Clapham Common
- Rail stations: Clapham High Street
- Location: Below Battersea, east of Wandsworth and west of Stockwell and Brixton
- Borough: Lambeth (www.lambeth.gov.uk)
- Postcode: SW4
Landmarks: Love it or hate it, the trippy modern architecture of the high street Sainsburys is a Clapham fixture. The building was formerly a cinema, an indoor go-kart arena, a bus garage and a horse tram depot.
Known for: The fantastic fireworks displays on the Common attract thousands of people every Bonfire Night.
Who’s there? Stereotypical Claphamites include baseball cap-wearing ex-public school boys and posh young mummies pushing strollers.
Making history: Clapham’s most renowned historical contribution was the home of the Clapham Sect, a group of 19th-century evangelical Anglicans who fought for social reform. Although in their heyday they were derided for their do-gooding ways, today they’re recognized for being a major part of the abolition of slavery in England.
Pub quiz facts: Novelist Graham Greene’s wife was none too pleased that he avoided certain death in 1940 when a bomb fell on their home at 14 North Side – at the time of the bombing, he was in Oxford, visiting his mistress.
Famous faces: Besides Graham Greene, the area was also home to Samuel Pepys, grandfather of bloggers everywhere, who lived here for two years until his death in 1703. Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki also lived in Clapham in the early 1900s, although he later wrote that “The two years I spent in London were the most unpleasant years in my life.” Ouch.
When it’s hot: Clapham Common in the summer is always bustling with concerts and festivals. There’s also a farmer’s market every Sunday at the Bonneville Primary School, selling normal and exotic meats, fruits and veg.
When it’s not: Clapham’s art scene centres around the Clapham Art Gallery (www.claphamartgallery.com) on Bromell’s Road and the Clapham Picture House around the corner on Venn Street.