Street Spotlight: Wimbledon Village

It may once have just been another part of plain old Wimbledon but with ‘Village’ now firmly attached, this area of the southwest London neighbourhood sounds so much more desirable. And that is probably because it is. The well-heeled locals reside in a place where ‘the city meets the countryside’, a place where there is plenty enough going on to feel content a little further out from the heart of London.

It may be most famous for the annual British Open held at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club but there is more to the area than that. We pick a handful of places to visit in Wimbledon from windmills to Buddhist temples, bike shops to theatre.

Wimbledon Windmill Museum
Built in 1817, the Wimbledon Windmill has long been a fixture on Wimbledon Common. Now that there is a museum attached to it, Londoners, there is no reason not to visit. Who doesn’t like a windmill? You don’t see enough of them these days. Learn about the development, construction and maintenance of this famous windmill and enjoy the impressive architecture on show.

Windmill Tea Rooms @ Wimbledon Common
Head to the Windmill Tea Rooms for an extra slice of quaint - and cake - after a visit to the Wimbledon Windmill Museum. Homemade carrot cake and lemon drizzles are the specialties but the option of a full English is always welcome after a walk around the Common.

New Wimbledon Theatre
It seems strange that an area like Wimbledon Village should have a theatre as big as something you would find in the West End, but that is the way it is. The Edwardian building provides culture to the neighbourhood in the form of ballet, theatre, dance and, er, male strippers. Yes, really.

Buddhapadipa Temple
London is littered with eccentric buildings that one tends to discover when they least expect it. The Buddhapadipa Temple is one such building. Built at its present location in Wimbledon in 1976, it was the First Buddhist Temple in the UK. It is still home to practicing monks but is open to the public daily from 9am to 5pm. A spectacular Thai style temple, this is one of those sights worth taking a trip out to Wimbledon to see.

Smith Brothers Cycles
What quaint part of London would be complete without its local independent businesses? Smith Brothers is one of our favourite bike shops in the city. It was here long before the current bike craze began and will hopefully continue to serve the community for years to come. If you’re a cycling fan then stop by and take a look at the classic old racers and mountain bikes behind the stylish old signage.