A Walk Along The Victoria Embankment in London, London, England

A leafy riverside walk bookended by the Houses of Parliament and the City of London. An area jam-packed with historic buildings, gardens and more statues and monuments than you could mention in a single article. This is London’s Victoria Embankment, a short walk full of surprises.

The Victoria Embankment is a walk and roadway beside the north bank of the River Thames, running between Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. Designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in the 1860s it was just one part of a scheme that also included the Albert Embankment and the Chelsea Embankment.

Prior to the construction there was no public access to this part of the river. There were also concerns about drainage and sewage disposal. The Thames Embankment had several aims: to improve sanitation, to build an additional roadway to ease traffic congestion elsewhere, and to provide a public amenity. The result was a new system of sewers beneath a road built on reclaimed land.

The Victoria Embankment was the most impressive part of the scheme. Trees were planted alongside the road, together with a series of public gardens. Then, as now, this allowed Londoners a scenic promenade along the river. And over time that walk has been enhanced by the addition of statues, monuments, and places catering for visitors. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).