Victoria Embankment Gardens

Victoria Embankment Gardens are a series of public gardens on the north bank of the River Thames in London, running between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge. A green pocket beside the Strand, Covent Garden and Embankment station, they make an easy break from sightseeing in central London.

How did the gardens come about?

The gardens occupy land reclaimed from the river when the Victoria Embankment was built, one of the great engineering projects of the Victorian era. The layout of the Main Garden was designed by Alexander McKenzie, whose plans were approved in 1870, and it was opened by the MP W. H. Smith in May 1875. Sources differ on how the whole is divided: some describe four sections curving round a bend of the Thames, while the Historic England listing describes three.

What is there to see?

The best-known historic feature linked to the gardens is the York Watergate, built in 1626 as the river entrance to York House, the residence of the Duke of Buckingham. Its designer is uncertain: Nicholas Stone is usually named, with Sir Balthazar Gerbier sometimes suggested. Today it stands well back from the water, because the Embankment moved the shoreline. The Metropolitan Board of Works tried for years to bring it into the gardens, and only in 1893 did its successor, the London County Council, acquire it under the Open Spaces Act.

The gardens hold many statues and memorials. You will find a monument to Joseph Bazalgette, the engineer behind London's sewers and the Embankment itself, as well as memorials to Robert Burns, Robert Raikes and Sir Arthur Sullivan. A Portland stone monument to Lord Cheylesmore, designed by Edwin Lutyens, also stands here.

Music outdoors

The Main Garden has a bandstand; the present one dates from the 1950s, when the area was re-landscaped and a new structure replaced the original. In the Temple Garden, a central rose bed now occupies the spot of a bandstand from 1895.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Victoria Embankment Gardens? On the north bank of the Thames, between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge.

When did the Main Garden open? In May 1875.

Are there statues in the gardens? Yes, including memorials to Bazalgette, Burns, Raikes and Sullivan, plus the Cheylesmore monument.

What is the York Watergate? A monumental gate from 1626 that once served as the river entrance to York House.

What happened to the iron railings? They were removed for scrap during the Second World War.

Who are they for?

The gardens suit anyone interested in London history, riverside walks, or a short rest among greenery in the heart of the city. The monuments turn an ordinary stroll into a small lesson in the city's past. Combine a visit with a walk along the river towards Westminster or the City, or with nearby Covent Garden and the Strand. In summer the lawns and benches fill with people on lunch breaks, while spring and autumn are calmer, which suits unhurried walks and photographing the memorials.