Within its leafy suburbs, South West London is the home of the infamous Gordon Ramsay, Wimbledon tennis, Chelsea football ground and Putney boat race. It has a wealth of hidden jewels to explore and visit as a couple or with your family.

As we take a trip through the South West London suburban underground of secret charms on offer, we give you a brief taster of the free and inexpensive places you can discover.

Secret shopping havens
If you have a spare Sunday then it may be the ideal time to take a wander down to Merton Abbey Mills craft market, Colliers Wood.
The arts and crafts market is South West London’s well-kept secret haven complete with a working watermill, located on the river Wandle.

With a wide range of cheap eats ranging from Brazilian, Italian through to English plus an array of craft stalls, you can meander around the unique market at your leisure.

For those who prefer entertainment then you can chose to sit down at one of the many cafes or restaurants to listen to the live bands performing on the outdoor stage.

If you have children, then the market provides a melting pot of entertainment from pottery classes at the Wheelhouse through to shows at the Colour House Theatre.

The nearest tube station is Colliers Wood. For further details, you can check the website at www.mertonabbeymills.org.uk.

If you fancy the picking up a bargain then you could check out the Saturday car boot sale at Wimbledon Stadium, every Saturday and Sunday. It has over 2,000 stalls for those with an eye for a bargain.

The car boot sale is located at Plough Lane, SW17 OBL. With a £2 entry fee, you can be assured that you will pick up a good deal and practice your art of haggling.

The best cheap eats and drinks in town
For the best cheap eats, you could take a stroll down to Tooting Broadway high street, where you can find a wide range of global dishes to choose from.
Whether you fancy a traditional pie ‘n’ mash, an authentic chicken Masala, a Sri Lankan dosa or Portuguese croquettes then Tooting has a large variety of mouth-watering cheap eats.

Prices start at £3 for a dosa and from £3.50 for a curry with rice. The market also offers a range of cheap Caribbean and Chinese dishes.
If you prefer to venture out of the traditional pubs and bars then head for Tooting Tram & Social club at 46-48 Mitcham Road London, Greater London SW17 9NA.

It is an original converted tram shed and an antiquated watering hole complete with a small library where you can enjoy an afternoon reading the papers or a social evening beverage.

With Burlesque shows, theatre productions, jumble sales, live music and reasonably priced drinks, you can be certain of a unique experience.
Alternatively, why not try out Prince Harry’s friends’ karaoke pizza bar called ‘Bunga Bunga’ in Battersea for an alternative cheap eat at www.bungabunga-london.com
You may have to book a month in advance, as it is fully booked because Prince Harry may have caused a marketing storm when he visited in March.

Arts and attractions
It seems wise to give you a sample of what South West London has to offer in the way of arts and attractions, as there are countless to choose from.

You can visit the Buddhist Thai temple on the edge of Wimbledon common, 14 Calonne Road London SW19 5HJ and is the first of its kind to be built in the UK.

The temple is free to visit and offers free meditation courses or moderately priced retreats.

Located in Battersea is the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo where you can have a personal experience with an animal encounter, take part in an action programme and even feed the animals. Prices start at under £6 for adults and £4.50 for children. Details can be found at www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk.

For museum trips, you can visit the Wimbledon Museum, which is home to one of the world’s largest collections of tennis memorabilia.  Museum prices are £6 for adults and £3.75 for children under the age of 15. It is located at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Church Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5AE.

	Written by :
	Amanda is the editor for Compareandsave.com.She worked as a journalist at the FT business publication, ‘Financial Adviser’. She also worked for the nationals including The Guardian, The Independent, The Mail on Sunday and Daily Mirror. Alongside working for major UK personal finance sites, she now investigates and reports on new, novel ways to help our readers save money.For press enquiries, please visit our Media Centre page.