Back in January 2010, a campaign started to get Googlemaps to correct its data by putting Clapham where it should be and not in the middle of what is actually Battersea. Googlemaps claimed that Clapham Junction (Battersea’s town centre) was part of Clapham itself – how very wrong they were! This started the SW11tch Back to Battersea Campaign, who contacted Google as well as the company that provides all their map data, TeleAtlas, and its parent company TomTom.
All the confusion began when Clapham Junction railway station was built back in 1863. Back then Battersea was regarded as a poor district whilst Clapham was more fashionable. In order to attract more middle and upper class clientele the railway companies adopted the grander of the two names and the name Clapham Junction was born – along with many years of confusion!
The SW11tch Back to Battersea campaign scored a major victory as Googlemaps agreed to correct its errors and put Battersea back on the map where it belongs.
