
The Victoria Embankment under construction in 1865.
The 'Victoria Embankment', is part of the
Thames Embankment, a road and walkway along the north bank of the
River Thames in
London. Victoria Embankment extends from the
City of Westminster into the
City of London.
The Victoria Embankment is located at the coordinates .
History
The Victoria Embankment's construction started in
1865. It was completed in
1870 under the direction of
Joseph Bazalgette, and was a project of the
Metropolitan Board of Works. The original impetus was the need to provide London with a modern
sewerage system. Another major consideration was the relief of congestion on
The Strand and
Fleet Street.
The project involved building out onto the foreshore of the
Thames, thus narrowing the river. The construction work required the purchase and demolition of much expensive riverside property. The tunnels for the
District Line were built underneath the Embankment. At ground level, in addition to the new roads, two handsome public gardens were laid out. One of these backs onto the government buildings of
Whitehall, and the other stretches from
Hungerford Bridge to
Waterloo Bridge. The gardens contain many statues, including a monument to Bazalgette.
The water gate, its main historical feature, was built in
1626 for the Duke of Buckingham.
Route
The Victoria Embankment (part of the A3211) starts at
Westminster Bridge, just north of the
Palace of Westminster, then follows the course of the river bank north, past
Hungerford Bridge,
Waterloo Bridge, and then ends at
Blackfriars Bridge.
Transport
London Underground stations along Victoria Embankment are
Westminster,
Embankment,
Charing Cross,
Temple and
Blackfriars.
Victoria Embankment was also the southern end of the
Kingsway tramway subway.
Tourist attractions
Ships permanently moored by Victoria Embankment include
HMS ''President'' and
HMS ''Wellington''. Other attractions include
Cleopatra's Needle and the modernistic
Cleopatra's Kiosk .