The Victoria Embankment Gardens are a series of gardens on the north side of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

between

Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is in the City of London near the Inns of Court and Temple Ch ...

and

Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side. The bridge is painted predominantly green, the same colour as the leather seats in the ...

in London.

History

Between 1865 and 1870 the northern embankment and sewer was built by Sir

Joseph Bazalgette Sir Joseph William Bazalgette CB (; 28 March 181915 March 1891) was a 19th-century English civil engineer. As chief engineer of London's Metropolitan Board of Works, his major achievement was the creation (in response to the Great Stink of 1 ...

. In 1874 gardens were created on the reclaimed land on the inward side of the roadway named ''

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London. It runs from the Palace of Westminster to Blackfriars Bridge in the City of London, and acts as a major thoroughfare ...

''. There were four sections created, the Temple Garden to the east, the Main Gardens to the west (originally known as the Adelphi Gardens), and two other sections to the south following the bend of the Thames. The gardens are now under the control of the City of Westminster.

Features

The gardens are fully fenced and are open during designated hours. They open at 07:30 throughout the year, but close at varying times between 16:30 during the coldest months and 21:30 at the height of summer. All gardens have gravel paths that are well lined with seats mainly given as memorials. The river side of the gardens is lined with mature trees. Grass and flower beds are spread throughout the gardens, and on warm days workers from near-by establishments can be seen having picnic lunches both on the seats and the grass.

Statues

Victoria Embankment Gardens 20130414 148

In the Temple section there are statues to

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...

and John Stuart Mill. The main section has memorials

Sir Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

, Sir Wilfred Lawson,

Robert Raikes Robert Raikes ("the Younger") (14 September 1736 – 5 April 1811) was an English philanthropist and Anglican layman. He was educated at The Crypt School Gloucester. He was noted for his promotion of Sunday schools. Family Raikes was born at ...

and the

Imperial Camel Corps The Imperial Camel Corps Brigade (ICCB) was a camel-mounted infantry brigade that the British Empire raised in December 1916 during the First World War for service in the Middle East. From a small beginning the unit eventually grew to a brigad ...

. The southern section has memorials to General Sir James Outram, General Gordon, Air Marshal

Lord Trenchard Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. He has been described as the "Father of the ...

, and the

Chindit Memorial The Chindit Memorial is a war memorial in London, England, that commemorates the Chindit special forces, which served in Burma under Major General Orde Wingate in the Second World War. The memorial was erected in Victoria Embankment Gardens in ...

which also commemorates Orde Wingate. Victoria Embankment Gardens 20130414 150

A memorial to the British soldiers in the Korean War was unveiled in Victoria Embankment Gardens, between the

and the Ministry of Defence headquarters in London, England, in December 2014. Although not strictly a statue, there is an equatorial sundial made from stainless steel in the main garden under the Savoy, dedicated to

Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...

Other facilities

In the main garden there is a café, open in the warmer periods, and a band shell where concerts are held daily in June and July. A charge is made for seats in the enclosure, but the concerts can easily be heard outside on the paths' seats. The York Water Gate can be seen adjacent to the Villier Street entrance. This marks the original bank of the Thames, which is now 135 metres away. Public toilets are outside the gardens' Embankment gate next to the underground station.

References

* ''London on the Thames'' by Blake Ehrlich, published by Cassell & Co, 1968, pages 168–172 * ''Times London Historic Atlas'' edited by Hugh Clout, published by Times Books, 1991, * ''London Statues'' by Godfrey Thompson, published by JM Dent,

External links

City of Westminster Parks: Victoria Embankment Gardens

Savoy Sundial
{{coord, 51.5080, N, 0.1224, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Gardens in London Victoria Embankment