
The Victoria Embankment under construction in 1865.
The 'Thames Embankment' is a major feat of
19th century civil engineering in central
London. Designed by Sir
Joseph Bazalgette, it incorporates the main low level interceptor
sewer from west London, over which a wide road and riverside walkway were also constructed, as well as a retaining wall along the north side of the
River Thames.
From
Battersea Bridge in the west, the Thames Embankment includes sections of
Cheyne Walk,
Chelsea Embankment, Grosvenor Road,
Millbank and
Victoria Tower Gardens. Beyond the
Houses of Parliament, it is named
Victoria Embankment as it stretches to
Blackfriars Bridge; this stretch also incorporates a section of the
London Underground network used by the
District and
Circle Lines, and several stretches of gardens and open space.
Some parts of the Embankment were built in the 20th century, having been reconstructed following wartime bomb damage or
natural disasters such as the
1928 Thames flood.
The much smaller
Albert Embankment is on the south side of the river, opposite the Millbank section of the Thames Embankment.