Riverside - south of the river and west of fhe Tower Lambeth Riverside
Riverside - south of the river and west of the Tower Lambeth Riverside
This posting covers sites south of the river only.
Posg to the north South Bank
Post to the east St.George and Waterloo
Post to the south Lambeth
Addington Street
The street is now reduced to being a quarter of the roundabout east of Westminster Bridge
Park Plaza County Hall Hotel
Park Plaza Hotel- on the site of the County Hall Island Block which was built by the GLC 1975.
GLC Island Block. The building was opened in 1974. It was designed by R. A. Laker, J. E. Knight and W. Sutherland, under Sir Roger Walters as Architect to the Council. Trollope & Colls were the main contractors. The building is in situ-cast concrete faced with 'grit blasted calcinated flint panels the building had no entrance at ground level and was connected to the rest of County Hall by subways and a bridge across York Road,. There was a roof garden and internal spaces were arranged as large open offices and the whole building was a sealed environment, fully air-conditioned. At first it housed the Valuation and Housing Departments.
Addington Street Extension. During the 1930s the LCC had been negotiating with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for the purchase of land between York Road and Belvedere Road for their extension scheme, and were forced to take Addington Street at the same time. There was an old school on the site. In 1960 the Council built a four-storey structure
Addington Street School, This was a School Board for London School built in 1877. It closed at some time before 1950. It was briefly attended by Charlie Chaplin
Amphitheatre Row
This was also known as Stangate Street
Astleys Amphitheatre. This was a public entertainment venue opened in 1773. It was burnt down in 1794, and then rebuilt. As time went it it became known as Astley's Royal Amphitheatre and the site of a circus – and it set international standard for the size of circuses since. The theatre continued to be popular long after Astley's death in 1814. Its final owner was Lord George Sanger who bought it in 1871. It finally closed and was demolished in 1893.
Archbishops Park
Archbishops Park was once part of the grounds of Lambeth Palace. From the late 19th some of the gardens were opened by Archbishop Tait who was concerned about the welfare of the local poor. This area for local children to was called Lambeth Palace Field and in 1900 a campaign to poem it permanently was undertaken by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. Subsequently the park was laid out with lawns, a children's playground and sports fields and opened in 1901 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. At the northern end is a garden area dedicated to Octavia Hill. More recently a Millennium Path has been created, and a community orchard opened – with tree varieties selected which would have been here when the area was one with market gardens and nurseries. This park is still owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and Lambeth Palace is still visible behind the trees
Belvedere Road
This road parallels the river in what is now a tourist area – up until the early 20th it was heavily industrialised. The southern stretch now runs between the two halves of what was County Hall, and is now gated – calling itself ‘County Hall Apartments’; thus privatising publicly funded open space. Before County Hall was built this was called Narrow Wall. The bottom stretch up to Westminster Bridge was called Pedlar's Acre which was part of a bequest to the parish which was sold the London County Council in 1910 of the site for the new County Hall.
Shell Centre. A 25-storey slab block built for the Shell Petroleum Company to the designs of Sir Howard Robertson In 1953-63. There were two buildings – the Upstream and the Downstream – but the Downstream has been disposed of. The building is steel-framed, in reinforced concrete faced with Portland stone. There is below ground parking space for 400. There is a swimming pool, and four squash courts. In the inner hall is Marino Marini's Horse and Rider and the Upstream Restaurant has murals by Sidney Smith. The auditorium of the theatre was designed by Cecil Beaton with murals in the foyer by Osbert Lancaster – this closed in 1998. – but much of the surrounding area has been used by skate boarders and others. The building was used as Shell’s UK head office. It has now been sold to developers.
Shell Fountain by Franta Belsky where shells once poured water into one another. This is in the courtyard of rhea Shell Centre. It has suffered from wind effects on the water and is thus rarely working. It was cast by the Corinthian Bronze Foundry at Peckham in 1958
Motorcyclist by Siegfried Charoux made in 1960. It was originally called Man and exhibited at an open air scupture exhibition in Holland Park. It was originally in the downstream building but was moved when that was sold.
Horse and Rider by Marino Marinin. This was made in 1961 for the Shell Centre’s Inner Hall but sited in the York Road lobby.
Shell Ball. By the garage entrance to Shell House. Six foot high ball with rings of granite and stone. Many carvings of shells. Eric Aumonier given by the architects of Shell House in 1959.
Jubilee Gardens. Opened To celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and Laid out in 1977 on the site of the 1951 Festival of Britain. . Beyond a hornbeam hedge is an avenue of cherry trees with granite benches and blocks. On the other side of Belvedere Road there are more topiary, lavender beds and a water sculpture. It was redesigned and reopened in 2012. Lion
Memorial sculpture to the casualties of the British Battalion of the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. By Ian Walters
Dome of Discovery. The Dome of Discovery at the Festival of Britain covered most of the area of Jubilee Gardens. It had nine sections – the land – the earth – polar – sea – sky- outer space – the physical world – the living world. It had a diameter of 365 feet and stood 93 feet tall, making it at the time the largest dome in the world. It was constructed by Costain. It was demolished as soon as possible by the incoming Tory government led by W. Churchill and fragmented so it would be forgotten.
Monumental Group on the Podium of the Dome of Discovery by Barbara Hepworth
Myers Builders Yard. Ordnance Wharf. This was in the area covered by County Hall. There was a steam saw mill, blacksmiths and stables. 1850s. Myers came from Hull where he was in a partnership masons business which flourished including major work for Pugin. Moving to London his business grew and he was very prosperous. He built many important public buildings.
Grissell and Peto. Builders. On both sides of the road with a bridge joining the two. The partnership was 1830-1847 and they built many well-known buildings in London. It was the largest building and contractors’ businesses in Britain. Their buildings included Hungerford Market, the Reform, the Great Western Railway between Hanwell and Langley. Much of the South Eastern Railway and the Great Eastern Railway and the Woolwich Graving Dock. They built Nelson’s column and the London sewers
Crosse and Blackwell Jam and pickle factory. This famous firm was based in Soho and this was one of many factories they owned mainly concentrating on pickles and preserves.
Brush Electrical Engineering. The Company was established in Lambeth in 1880 to work the patents of Charles Brush of Ohio. Charles Francis Brush (born in Cleveland Ohio in 1849) who had invented an electric dynamo in 1876, and whose system of light was. As the business grew at larger premises were required and they moved to Loughborough as the as Brush Electrical Engineering Co
23 London County Council. Tramways offices, stores and depot. This was at the riverside end of Chicheley Street
Carlisle Lane
The northern end of this lane was once called Back Lane. South of that was The Green where the lane widened and where Carlisle House stood. This included Dog House Fields which is now under the railway – somewhere near where it interfaces with Newnham Terrace is Hercules Road. It and now winds its way down under endless railway arches of the lines going into Waterloo Station.
Carlisle House. This was a house owned since 1197 by the Archbishop of Canterbury but handed to the Bishop of Carlisle in 1539. Carlisle House does not appear to have been used as a bishop's residence after the Restoration. It was later used as a pottery. Later still it was a pub, then a dancing school and then a boys' school – Carlisle School. It was demolished in 1827 and the grounds sold to developers
Pottery. This was in Carlisle House about 1690 with kiIns making white stoneware.
Lawrence Charity School. This was in Dog House Fields funded by a bequest of 1661 from Richard Lawrence who left 6 houses in Dog House Field to the parish. This school was rebuilt in 1814. In 1847 the estate was sold to the London and South-Western Railway Company, who rebuilt the school elsewhere
43 Lambeth glass works. Opened by Jessie Rust here in 1846. Flint, opaque, and coloured glass manufacturers. Rust’s expertise however was in decorative and artistic glass mosaics. They moved from this site in 1870
27 Royal George. Free house popular with medics from St Thomas' Hospital. Demolished.
The Church of Holy Trinity. Thus dated from 1839, was built on part of the kitchen garden of Lambeth Palace with the vicarage and schools being built later to the rear. It was designed by Edward Blore. Following Second World War bombing the church was demolished
Holy Trinity Primary School, this group of low school buildings date from 1847 and are unused. It was used as the Kagyu Samye Dzong London from 1998 and remained here until 2007 when the site became subject to a later aborted redevelopment scheme.
Lambeth Parochial Sunday Schools
Mosaics on the walls of the railway tunnels. Southbank Mosaics artists worked with 300 volunteers over a period of 7 years to research, design, plan, make and install these mosaics based on the words and paintings of William Blake. The names of all those who helped with this monumental work have been included in ceramic plaques being installed nearby.
Outbuildings. These are south of the allotments and consist of Archbishop's Park’s maintenance facilities and yard
Vandon’s Almshouses. These almshouses were in Petty France in Westminster and derived from a charitable bequest by a soldier. Following redevelopment work in Petty France in 1852 the Westminster Vestry purchased land from the Railway Company by the viaduct at the soothe end of Carlisle Street. They built here two new almshouses each with eight rooms.
Centaur Street
This square covers only the western end – another dark trek under endless railway viaducts
Mosaics on the walls of the railway tunnels. Southbank Mosaics artists worked with 300 volunteers over a period of 7 years to research, design, plan, make and install these mosaics based on the words and paintings of William Blake. The names of all those who helped with this monumental work have been included in ceramic plaques being installed nearby.
Chicheley Street
Slug and Lettuce – Pub in what was the north block of County Hall
Festival of Britain. There was an entrance at the southern end of Chicheley Street with a circular planted area opposite. The furnishings here were done by the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry of the Royal Society of Arts.
Power and Production Festival-of Britain exhibition – this was on the west side of Chicheley Street along with the Whistle Restaurant – self service. This highlighted the growth of present day industry calling it the lifeline of Britain. With examples of first class design and production.
Sculpture by David McFall at the entrance to Power and Production. This was called Boy and Foal and it is now at Missenden Abbey.
Bas relief at the river end of Power and Production by Karel Vogel and the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts called The Industries. This has apparently been destroyed.
Minerals of the Island. Pavilion at the Festival of Britain which was adjacent to Chicheley Street gate. About how the British have drawn on their natural resources to produce raw materials for industry
The Country .pavilion of the Festival of Britain, this stood east of the Minerals of the Island. This sought to demonstrate a highly mechanised and efficient countryside resulting from experience with science and engineering. On the ground floor was the Dairy Bar – milk swerved in particular.
Sculpture by Henry Moore set against the turf slope. This was Reclining Figure. After the end of the Festival, this cast went on loan to Leeds City Art Gallery. It was vandalised in 1953, and lent to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 1961, and there it remains. There are however other casts of this sculpture some in private hands and some on public display.
The Natural Scene. Pavilion in the Festival of Britain which was east of the Minerals of the Island, This was about the rich and varied wildlife which inhabits these islands. Architect Brian O’Rourke
The Land of Britain Pavilion in the Festival of Britain. This stood east of Minerals of the Island and north of the Natural Scene. The architect was H.T.Cadbury Brown.-- How the natural wealth of Britain came into being.
Hercules Road
Liberty Bus. This was an independent operator based in a railway arch. The owner was Reginald Quickett with one bus called Liberty. This was an experiment by an MP called Macquiston who thought buses in London should operate like taxis and plying for trade and also take short cuts and diversions at the discretion of the driver to avoid jams. So he bought this bus and got Reg Quickett, to run it for him. This was in 1923 and Quickett soon moved to Chalk Farm.
192 railway arch the ‘Imperial’ bus worked on routes in Lambeth in 1923.
National School for Boys – is this the Lawrence school having moved from Dog House fields?? In 1848 after The London and South Western Railway Company had purchased the freehold of the School property in Dog House Fields a new School and Master's House were built in Hercules Road. This was finished in 1851 and accommodated about 300 boys. A large upper room was added in 1885. In 1904 the railway was again widened and the school had to move.
Lambeth Palace Road
St Thomas’s Hospital. The hospital was founded in the 12th by Augustinians connected with St Mary Overie in the Borough. It was re-founded there in 1552 under the City Corporation and dedicated to Thomas a Becket – but changed by Edward VI, to St Thomas the Apostle. The hospital moved here in 1868 having moved for the Charing Cross Railway Extension. The new buildings were designed by Henry Currey and it was one of the first civic hospitals to adopt the Nightingale principle of a pavilion layout. Originally seven pavilions were built on the riverside, linked by arcades plus a chapel – nut only three pavilions and the chapel remain. Ornamentation is in Ransome's concrete. The pinnacles and chimneys are part of a complicated ventilating system. Following Second World War bomb damage some rebuilding began in 1962 with the East Wing. Later Yorke Rosenberg & Mardall provided two thirteen-storey ward blocks with a piazza over a car park. This needed the realignment of Lambeth Palace road. A thirteen storey block – the North Wing was built by John Laing in 1975. The Hospital uses a combined heat and power plant which operates on natural gas
Cross the Divide by Rick Kirby. Sculpture outside the Main Entrance unveiled in 2000. This is of two stainless steel figures reaching out to each other.
Torsion Fountain. In the centre of the formal garden on the piazza is a large stainless steel fountain, after a design by Naum Gabo of 1929 and erect4d in 1973.
Dreadnought Unit. With the closure of the Dreadnought Seamen’s hospital in Greenwich in 1986, services for seamen are provided here. It allows Merchant seafarers access to priority medical treatment. Dreadnought patients are treated according to clinical need
Sir Robert Clayton. Marble statue by Grinling Gibbons’s workshop from 1701-2. It was done in Clayton’s lifetime and he is shown in contemporary dress with a long wig. He was a Lord Mayor, President of the Hospital and a great benefactor. The statue has however suffered in bombing and some parts have been replaced. It has been moved many times and is now on the terrace
Edward VI statue. He refounded the hospital. The limestone statue dates from 1682 and is part of a group by Thomas Cartwright, which was on the front gateway of the old hospital. It has been moved many times since then and is now on the North wing Terrace. The rest of the group – the fower cripples - is in the main entrance hall and are very frail.
Edward VI. Another statue of the boy king. It is in bronze, by Peter Scheemakers, from 1737. He is shown robed and with a garter collar. .The statue has been moved many times including being exhibited at the Festival of Britain. It survived Second World War bombing. It is now in the North Wing corridor,
Queen Victoria statue. By Matthew Noble dating from 1873. This was commissioned to commemorate the opening of the new site by the queen. It is now sited in the north corridor.
Enamel panels. In the entrance hall are six large enamel panels by Robyn Denny, 1976, and a mobile over the staircase by Nechemia Azass. There are also Doulton’s tile murals of 1910 in the hall to the treatment block and a sculpture by Antonas Brazdys.
Florence Nightingale. Statue by Frederick Mancini. She is shown in a cap and frilled cuffs and carrying the wrong sort of lamp. This was produced from a plaster model of Walker statue in Waterloo Place. Using money from a memorial fund to Alicia Still. What we see now a replica as the original bronze was stolen in 1970. It is in the Central Hall having been moved several times.
Bust of Cicely Saunders. This is alongside the Nightingale statue. Bronze by Shenda Amery from 2002. Cicely Saunders was a pioneer of the hospice movement
Bust of Rheodora Turner. This is alongside the Nightingale Statue. Bronze by Robert Dawson from 2002. She was a matron at the hospital
Silver Bird, stainless steel sculpture by Antanas Brazdys installed 1975. This is in the north wing near the café.
Head of Elizabeth II by Franta Belsky In bronze and installed in 1982. This is in the corridor from the North Wing to the Central Hall.
Other art works at St. Thomas – these are; Bust of Dr. Charles Murchison, Bust of Sir William MacCormac, bust of Sir john Simon, Bust of Frderic Le Gros Clark, Bust of john Syer Bristow, Bust of William Cheselden, Bust of Dr, Richard Mead, Bust of John flint South, Bust of Dr. William Lister, bust of Samuel Solly,
Medical School. The medical school founded about 1550. It became part of the University of London in 1900 and is now a branch of Kings College of London University. In 1982 it merged with the medical school at Guy’s Hospital. The building has a tower and an Italianate chimney.
Florence Nightingale Museum. The first training school for of nurses, inspired by the pioneering work of Florence Nightingale, was founded at St Thomas's in 1860.The museum details her career. It opened in 1989, on the site of the former Nightingale Training School for Nurses which she, founded in 1860.
Sasaparella. Large stainless steel construction opposite the hospital. Schollander.
Evelina Children’s Hospital. The hospital was founded in 1869 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild whose wife, Evelina and their child had died in premature labour. It was originally in Southwark Bridge Road and became a branch of Guys Hospital within the NHS and in 1976 it was moved there. In 2004 it moved to a new specialist hospital for all children's services on the site of a former nurses' home.
Chapel – this contains various artworks: Reredos which is a Memorial to Sir Henry Doulton. By George Tinworth, and made at Doultons. Memorial to Florence Nightingale by Arthur Walker, memorial to Sarah Elizabeth Wardroper past matron made by Doultons,
Lambeth Palace - The Archbishop's Palace. A complex of medieval domestic buildings. The Archbishops of Canterbury owned the site from the late 12th when they built a house and chapel here - a small section of the original chapel remains in the undercroft. . It was begun by Archbishop Hubert Walter, 1193-1205, and first occupied by Stephen Langton, 1267-28. It is on the site of a Saxon manor house that probably belonged to the sister of Edward the Confessor. William the Conqueror gave it to the Benedictine monks of Rochester, and in 1190 it was taken over by Archbishop Baldwin. It was attacked in 1381 by Wat Tyler’s rebels. It was bombed in 1941.
The Gatehouse. This is next to the parish church. It was built by Archbishop Morton in 1495 and called Morton’s Tower. Morton’s audience chamber was above the archway.
Courtyard: memorial to Archbishop Lord David who died in 1930. Fig- believed to have stemmed from those planted in the 16th by Cardinal Pole.
Residential part of the palace. This is in a Gothic wing on the north which was added in 1828-33 by Edward Blore for Archbishop Howley.
Cranmer's Tower, brick, probably built in the mid 16th.
Great Hall. This is of medieval origin but damaged during the Commonwealth and rebuilt after 1660 by Archbishop William Juxon, whose arms are over the door. There is a hammer beam roof, 70 ft in height, restored after war damage. The windows are in 16th-17th glass. The hall has part of the Library from the collection of 1610 by Archbishop Bancroft - .Illuminated MSS., the medieval registers of archbishops, and early printed books,
Bust of Archbishop Temple by Epstein. This is in the cloister, where there are also the remains of wall painting.
Crypt – this is the oldest part of the palace. It is a vaulted chamber with marble pillars built about 1200.
Chapel. This is accessed via a 13th doorway. It was built by Archbishop Boniface 1245-7 but gutted in Second World War the bombing. It was rebuilt by Lord Mottistone and Paul Paget and rededicated in 1955.
Lollards' Tower. This was built as a water tower 1414-43 and it is thought that the followers of Wyclif were imprisoned here. Bears the rebus of Archbishop Morton of the fork
Lauds Tower on the south is smaller. It was built about 1635 by that archbishop.
Guard Chamber rebuilt by Blore. Around the walls are portraits' of archbishops,
Monument to Archbishop Davidson by W. Reynolds Stephens, 1930. Two bronze angels kneeling below a cross.
Former stable, also by Blore, with buildings on three sides, now cottages.
Palace Gardens. The river used to come right up to the palace wall behind and it is London's second largest private garden. The monks from Rochester were the first to lay it out. A formal garden for fruit, herbs and flowers was maintained for several centuries. Formal courtyards with historic white Marseilles fig were planted in 1555 by Cardinal Archbishop Pole. It is a parkland style garden with mature trees, woodland and native planting, pond, hornbeam tree. It was transformed by Rosalind Runcie, the Archbishop's wife, in 1987. The Croquet Lawn has a spring border with shrubs donated by the Duchy of Cornwall.
Mother and Child statue by Emma Pover.
St. Mary’s Church. This is the former parish church of Lambeth, Disused since 1972. The Parish Council wanted to demolish it but it was rescued in 1979 by the Tradescant Trust and restored as a Museum of Garden History. Cuthbert Tunstall, 1559, bishop of London and Durham, and several archbishops are buried in the church. The tower dates from a rebuilding of 1370 although the top storey renewed in 1834 by W. Rogers. The main body of the church is from the 1370s: with a restoration by P. C. Hardwick in 1851-2. There is a rare immersion font which is a memorial to Archbishop Benson 1896. There are brasses and monuments. The 'Pedlar's Window' in the south chapel commemorates the bequest to the parish of the 'Pedlar's Acre'
Churchyard. This has been laid out as a garden planted with flowers introduced by the Tradescants to England. The Tradescant sarcophagus, has a design has reliefs on four sides based on drawings now in Magdalene College, Cambridge. Nearby, is the tomb of William Bligh of the Mutiny of the 'Bounty' 1817, with a flaming urn. There is a Knot Garden has been created in honour of the Tradescants
Museum of Garden History. A museum housing the largest collection of garden implements in the UK and run by the Tradescant Trust. It recalls the 17th plant hunters the John Tradescants, father and son.
Statue of a charity school boy. In Coade stone. This has been here since 1998 but was intended in 1785 for the front of the Lambeth Parochial School for Boys. And was on the front of the rebuilt school in 1808 moving with the school to Hercules Road. By 1951 it was in the hall of the Archbishop Temple School but never made it to the comprehensive school.
Gardens opposite Lambeth Palace. This is a garden along the riverside with long raised beds, There is an evergreen holm oak planted for the Millennium by the Mayor of Lambeth in 1999.
Monument commemorating members of the Special Operations Executive. This includes a bust of Violette Szabo, a Lambeth resident, who was a French resistance heroine.
Red brick building plus a drinking fountain
Lambeth Road
The length of the road between the railway bridge and the embankment was once known as Church Street. The road is said to have once been a cart track from St. George’s Fields to the horse ferry. The road was renamed Lambeth Road form its constituent parts in 1876,
Turnpike – this is marked on the Roque Map of 1747 it the end of Hercules Road
178 Corner Café. This was a pub called The Union Flag; it dated from at least the 1870s and was a cafe by the early 1980s.
188 Railway Arch. Coach spring maker. Mr. Mangan. 1860s.
Railway Bridge.
202 Marine Society. This is entered through a decorative gateway.The Marine Society College of the Sea is a distance learning college for those at sea. It is used by members of the Royal hand Merchant Navies as well as all seafarers - wherever they may serve and in whatever capacity. The Marine Society dates back to 1756 and was begun by Jonas Hanway. He recruited boys from poor backgrounds and gave them naval training so they could fight on the King’s ships.
Archbishop Temple's Boy's School, T his school was built in 1902–4 on land given by Archbishop Frederick Temple. It was made up of three older schools - Thomas Rich's Grammar School, Richard Laurence's Charity for the clothing and education of twenty poor boys of Lambeth Marsh, and a subscription parochial school. It moved here from the end of Carlisle Lane when In 1904 The Railway was again widened. a new building was erected next to Lambeth Palace sold to them by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Temple, On the death of the Archbishop it was resolved to name this School "Archbishop Temple's Lambeth Boys' School.. In 1921it became the first Church of England Central School in the country. In 1961 the school amalgamated with Archbishop Tenison's Girls School as a step towards becoming a comprehensive. The school moved to another site in 1972.
109 Lambeth Distillery. This was Hodges Gin Distillery and then taken over by Daun and Vallentin. Closed 1912
109 Police Control Centre and Forensic Science Laboratory
Archbishop Tait's Infants' School 1888. This was named Archbishop Tait's Infants School was named for Archibald Campbell Tait (1811-1882), Archbishop of Canterbury from 1869. It was situated at no 220 Lambeth Road, SE1. The school seems also to have been called Saint Mary's Infants School, and was associated with Archbishop Tenison's School for Girls. With an attached schoolhouse and a turret.
212–204 This is Union Place
214 former rectory. Before the Reformation rectors of Lambeth were chaplains to Archbishops, and lived in the Palace. The “Parsonage House” was set up opposite the Pound, called Pound Close. In 1778 land by the pound was identified for a new rectory. It was used until damaged in Second World War bombing. At the back is a stone tablet inscribed in Latin about its founding. And another on the west side with the date of 1778
Leake Street
This was called York Steet.
Dr. Leake was the founder of the Lying In Hospital. This is another road lost in the depths of railway tunnels. It is now pedestrian access only and every inch is covered I graffiti – the result of a series of graffiti festivals.
Waterloo Station. Cabs entering the station in 1853 did so via an incline from here
Necropolis Station. The first Necropolis station connected to Brookwood cemetery was on the east side of the railway bridge here. From 1854, it had two sidings and a single platform. It was connected to the offices above by a staircase. This was removed and the service was moved in 1902.
Hydraulic train lift. For hoisting Waterloo and City Line rolling stock up the surface for repairs and installed in 1898. Now gone
Riverside
Queens Walk. This is the new name for a walkway on the south bank of the River between Lambeth Bridge and Tower Bridge. In this section the renaming changes the name of some of the road from what was the Albert Embankment This was completed by Bazalgette and named for Victoria’s consort and to compliment the Victoria Embalmment on the north bank. Part of the footway opened in 1868 and the date of 1870 could be seen on the cast-iron lampposts.
Lampposts – Dolphin lamp standards were designed by George Vulliamy, superintending architect of the Metropolitan Board of Works. These were cast in 1870 and along with the date have the monogram of the Metropolitan Board of Works/London County Council. This stretch has the original edition of the standards.
Lion Head Mooring ring supports. Designed by Timothy Butler and cast by Singer in 1868-70. The same design was used when County Hall was built under Maurice Fitzmaurice.
Outfall for the Shell Centre’s air conditioning. This is said to be Visible in the Thames at low tide in line with the Shell tower
Sufferance Wharf. This is now in the area covered by Jubilee Gardens but was at the end of what was College Street. These wharves suffered in Second World War bombing and were used for the Festival of Britain site.
Providence Wharf. Like Sufferance Ward this is in the area covered by Second World War bombing.
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel Also known as the Millennium Wheel, It had been owned by British Airways, Merlin Entertainments and EDF Energy. It is now the Coca Cola London Eye. It was built n 1999 and was then the world tallest Ferris wheel. It is the most popular tourist venue in Britain.
The 51 restaurant at the Festival of Britain. It was in a corner. It was a luxury bar with good snacks.
Youth. Sculpture by Daphne Hardy Hebrion in the garden at the Festival of Britain. After the festival it was rejected by the Ministry of Education and it was then secured by Manasseh and Hardy in 1952 to save it from removal to Langley Airfield. It was eventually placed in the garden of the Manasseh family home in Highgate in 1959 where it remains.
Water mobile sculpture at the Festival of Britain by Richard Huws
The Islanders. Monumental group by Siegfried Charoux at the Festival of Britain. It is not known what happened to it after the Festival, probably destroyed.
Mural on the river side of Sea and Ships by John Campbell Hutton at the Festival of Britain
Sea and Ships. Pavilion at the Festival of Britain – shipbuilding, propulsion and fisheries.
Statue of Neptune on the wall of the pavilion near the entrance by Keith Godwin
Jetty and Nelson Pier – shuttle service to Battersea and other passenger boats, designed by Basil Spence. Festival of Britain skylark restaurant – self help service, light refreshments. This pier was later removed,
Skylon Festival of Britain by Powell and Moya. Sold for scrap by the Tories
Pottery Wharf – pictures appear to show it handling chimneypots. It appears to have been in the ownership of the Gladdish family in the 1860s. They were limeburners with interests in Northfleet and Gravesend chalk pits and other industries.
Wharves – in the 19th wharves in Belvedere Road serviced many industries. Some of them – for instance Grieve and Grellier were into various artificial stones, some were importing actual stone. There were also mineral water companies, as well as some remaining river trades, including haulage firms like Eastwoods.
Jubilee Oracle. William Morris's lines on London, from his great poem ‘Earthly Paradise’ inscribed in the pavement in front of the Jubilee Oracle statue. 'Forget six counties overhung with smoke, forget the snorting steam and piston stroke. Forget the spreading of the hideous town; Think rather of the pack-horse on the down, and dream of London, small, and white, and clean, the clear Thames bordered by its gardens green.' Jubilee Oracle has an inscription on a granite base. Alexander 1980 and cast by Singer
The Link sculpture by Mina Sunar. This was in Jubilee Gardens but was stolen. A
Flagpole cut from the forests of British Columbia especially for the Festival of Britain. After the Festival the flagpole was taken down but then re-erected by the British Columbian government to mark the Queens Silver Jubilee.
Riverside garden
Horse Head Mooring ring supports. These are by Ralph Knott and Gilbert Bayes, cast by Singer in 1911. These are on the central sections of the embankment outside County Hall.
London Dungeon. This was previously located in Tooley Street under railway arches but has moved to the Riverside Building at County Hall
The Sea Life London Aquarium is on the ground floor of County Hall. It opened in 1997 as the London Aquarium
London Marriott Hotel County Hall
Flour mill. This was prominent on the approach to Westminster Bridge on the east side of the road. In the mid 18th it had been Burnham's wharf but later became Simmond's flour mills. In the latter part of the 19th they were owned by John Whately Simmonds who bought the site in 1881 and sold it the London County Council in 1906
Mitre Public House
Godfrey and Searle. Searle’s boat building business. The firm is said have dated from at least the 1750s and represented the very poshest end of barge building. Their barges were made for royalty and their racing vessels for the better class of competitor. Their entry in Debrett read: By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen; His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; and the Emperor of the French. They remained into the 1880s.
Stangate Wharf. There was a draw dock here. It was bought by the Metropolitan Board of Works’ in 1864. By which time it had been occupied for some time by building and rubbish contractors – plus a sail makers workshop
Stangate ferry. This belonged to the bishop of Rochester. Use of this horse ferry continued even after the building of Westminster Bridge in 1860. This was a busy crossing point leaving from Stangate Wharf and Stairs and arriving at Horseferry.
City of London barge house. Storage facilities for very posh boats. The royal barge was kept there after it no longer became possible to use the Barge House in Upper Ground. Also kept there were the state barges of some of the City Companies like the Armourers, the Goldsmiths and the Barber Surgeons
Honey and Archer. Lambeth boat builders – the posher end of the trade
Lambeth Pier. This is a calling place for the Clipper service and other river boats. Café alongside. The pier was transferred from the Thames Conservancy to the London County Council for their steamboat service which started in 1905 and was finally abandoned In1907, after which it was handed back to the Thames Conservancy - the Port of London Authority took it over in 1909
Royal Street
Said to be a medieval road from the Green (now Carlisle Lane) to Stangate ferry
Flats - nine-storey block of flats, by L. Creed, 1958, for people displaced by new buildings for St Thomas'.
10 Holy Trinity Institute - this is now an art gallery and venue
Stangate
The name Stangate dates at least from the Middle Ages and there is speculation that it is Roman
Until the 290th Stangate Street ran from Westminster Bridge Road where it joined Narrow Wall to Upper Marsh. It had also run south along the river down to the site of the City Bargehouse.
Upper Marsh
13 Canterbury Arms Pub. Now demolished
Fields Soap Factory. This was founded by Thomas Field of Lambeth before 1642 and by 1800 was known as John and Charles Field, candle makers from Lambeth Marshes. In the 1850s they also made candles and nightlights but by 1887 there were no Field family members left on the board. In 1941 the company moved from Lambeth Marsh to Wimbledon and in 1960 became part of Aspro-Nicholas Ltd.
The Bower Music Hall. This was a saloon for those who ‘liked smoking and drinking’. It has begun attached to the Duke’s Tavern in Stangate Street but was rebuilt in 1875. It then became the New Stangate Theatre, and ended up a warehouse for candles in 1877
Westminster Bridge
The first Westminster Bridge. The first bridge here was opened in 1750. A suggestion for a bridge had been made in 1664, but in 1736 an Act was obtained and £5 lottery tickets were sold to raise the necessary £625 000. The designer was Charles Labelye, a Swiss engineer. The bridge was of Portland stone and had 13 large and two smaller arches, each semi circular. It suffered badly from increased scour after the removal of Old London Bridge and suffered from subsidence – but was widely painted by many artists of the time
Westminster Bridge. The bridge was designed by Thomas Page in consultation with Sir Charles Barry. The contract was let to C. J. Mare of Millwall and work began in May 1854. It is of gothic design, with details by Charkas Barry and has seven iron-ribbed spans. The roadway is 58 ft wide with 13 ft footways on each side. The bridge was of structural interest as it was one of the first to use Robert Mallet's buckled metal plates patented in 1852, as the decking material. These have since been replaced by reinforced concrete. The bridge was completed by Cochrane & Co., and was opened on 24 May 1862. In 2005–2007 it was refurbished, including replacing the iron fascias and repainting the whole bridge. It is the oldest road bridge across the Thames in central London.
Westminster Bridge Road
The Lion. This is on a plinth at the end of the bridge next to County Hall. It was sculpted by William Woodingham and cast in Coade Stone. It was commissioned as almost the last work done by the Coade works by the Red Lion Brewery to stand on the skyline on their roof. This was on the main site of the brewery looking over the Thames. There were two smaller lions on other roofs – one of which was missing before demolition. They were originally painted red but are now cream. When the brewery was demolished there was a public campaign to keep them and they were taken into care by the LCC. A trapdoor with mementos was found in its back. The lion was at Waterloo Station during the Festival of Britain and then handed to British Rail. In 1966 because of redevelopemtn it was moved to its present site by the GLC, The smaller lion is now at Twickenham.
172 Walrus. Old pub. Now a ‘hip hostel’.
163 The Kings Head. Closed in 1941 and now demolished
149 The Old Crown and Cushion Pub. Closed in 1897 and has been demolished.
242 New Bridge House Pub. Closed in 1963 and demolished.
Wilcox Assembly Rooms. This was present in the 1870s
143 The Canterbury Music Hall was set up in 1852 on the site of a skittle alley adjacent to the Canterbury Tavern. It was the first purpose-built music hall in London, set up by Morton. The theatre was rebuilt three times, but the third theatre was destroyed by Second World War bombing in 1942
214-216 Gatti’s Palace. Built in 1862 by the Italian, Gatti family as a restaurant. It was re-built in 1883 to the plans of a Mr. Bolton of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and opened as Gatti’s Palace of Varieties. The stage was only 10 feet deep, and there were two dressing rooms thus it was a music hall of the original type, with a chairman announcing each act. It had ‘Gatti’s’ in the centre of the stonework at the top on a concave facade matching the curve in the road, In 1898, the Edison-Thomas Life Size Pictures appeared and in 1904, Mutograph films were screened. It was converted into full time cinema use in 1924. It was bombed in 1940, and it never re-opened.
County Hall. There are now flats in what was built as the headquarters of the London County Council. The Council was created in 1888 and opened up in the offices of the Metropolitan Board of Works in Spring Gardens. The new site was to be what was known as Pedlar's Acre. Ralph Knott won the competition for the new building in 1908 with the assistance of W. E. Riley, the council's architect. It is built on ground recovered from the river with beneath it a concrete raft 5 ft thick. Building began in 1912, but was interrupted by the Greater War when it was used by the Food Ministry. In 1965 the London County Council became the Greater London Council in 1965 and additional rooms were added in the 1970s , by William Whitebread. A Chapel was set up in 1955. Some fireplaces came from historic buildings like Lindsey House in Lincoln's Inn Fields. The Entrance Hall and the Ceremonial Staircase, were decorated with Italian, Belgian, and Ashburton marbles, and panelled in English oak. There was an octagonal Council Chamber which is said to be still there and intact. The GLC was abolished by Thatcher in 1986 and much of this sold off. The rest is now – built for the people of London is now ‘privately owned’.
Carving on County Hall. By Charles Manbey, Jnr. These are coats of arms of the constituent borough but some were never added. There are also sculptures of figures in the window niches. By Ernest Cole and Alfred Hardiman. – they are: by Cole - a kneeling archer, Humanity supporting the world, Benevolence and Humanity, two make nudes, the creation of Eve, The spirit of the Thames, and by Hardiman – Town Planning, Child Education, Recreation, Healing the Sick.
Memorial plaque to Ralph Knott by Gilbert Bayes. Knott was the architect of County Hall; who died before it was finished.
280 Coronet Pub, Closed in 1920 and since demolished
Rail bridge. The original bridge of the 1840s by the London and South West Railway from Nine Elms to the new York Road station, was built on a skew, which worried the inspectorate. In 1902 it was rebuilt to take six tracks
Necropolis Station. This was moved here in 1902 from Leake Street with two platforms and a turntable. It offered a funeral service and transport to Brookwood Cemetery
York Road
Waterloo Station. This square covers only the south western portion of the station. In the early 1840s the London and South West Railway built a line from their Nine Elms Terminus to York Road. It was put onto a brick viaduct and curved to avoid major works. It crossed twenty one roads on brick and cast iron bridges. .although this was considered as a through station -and built in an area to the east not covered on this square - one line went out on a spur to the west with an engine shed, sidings and a turntable. Additions were made with extra platforms to the east and centre of the station. In 1885 what was known as the north station was added in the north east part of the area adding six more platforms. The station was completely rebuilt in the early 20th. Southern Railway offices on the corner were destroyed in blitz
Waterloo International Terminal. This was on the west side of the station with platforms numbered 20 to 24, covered by a glass and steel vault of 37 arches forming a prismatic structure. The first Eurostar departure was in 1994 and the last in 2007 and the station was then disused. All of the international platforms were brought back into use as part of the refurbishment of the main station starting in 2013
Portrait Statue of Terence Cuneo by Phillip Jackson. Cuneo was a wartime railway illustrator.
Waterloo Underground Station. Opened in 1898 it is the terminus of the line to the Bank on the Waterloo and City Line. It lies between Embankment and Kennington on the Northern Line and between Embankment and Lambeth North on the Bakerloo line and between Westminster and Southwark on the Jubilee Line. The first was the Waterloo and City Line which opened 1898 with rolling stock left on the surface at Waterloo if there were any problems. In 1906 the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway opened from Baker Street to Kennington Road. It was built as an intermediate on extension from Charing Cross to Kennington. That opened provisionally in 1906 with stations designed by Leslie Green in the form of a plinth so that offices could be built on the top. It had the characteristic ruby red bricks. In 1926 it was joined by the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway as the Northern Line. This had a substantially a new station with a new ticket hall and concourse. In the Second World War electric flood gates were installed in the tunnels. An extra ticket hall was added in York Road for the Festival of Britain and in the 1990s extensive changes for the Channel Tunnel and Jubilee Line services were made. Very little of the original Leslie Green station remains and the York Road frontage has been demolished.
Turnpike was outside the site of the tube station. Demolished 1848
Festival of Britain entrance and Station Gate t
Statue - Group symbolising the origins of the land and the people by Mitzi Solomon Cunliffe on the viewing platform at the Station Gate Entrancr to the Festival
Sculpture by L.Peri on the north wall of the entrance to the Festival of Britain
Rocket Restaurant by the gate at the Festival of Britain. Self help service of light refreshments
Fairway Café at the Festival of Britain in the information kiosk by the Station Gate/ Waitress service.
56 Rising Sun Pub. Demolished for the Festival of Britain site
57 Duke of York. Closed in 1961 and now demolished.
BEA London Terminal. This was on the site of the Shell Centre. In 1953 the York Road entrance to the Festival of Britain site re-opened as the BEA Waterloo Air Terminal serving passengers on BEA flights and other airlines operating out of Heathrow. It was in use between 1953 and 1957 and provided c heck-in facilities, luggage drop-off and a regular coach / bus service provided passenger transport to the airport. In 1955 a helicopter service was run between the Waterloo Air Terminal and Heathrow
Elisabeth House. This was built in the 1960s. It was a John Poulson building designed by a house architect. It consists of a seven-storey office building, with shops at ground level. A 10-story office block. A 16 storey Tower Building: A 16-storey office block
Smith and McGaw and Co. Moulding Mill. This is a woodworking factory. Making mouldings from Pine, etc.
General Lying in Hospital . This was a small 19th hospital built by Henry Harrison. It was one of the first general (non-denominational) maternity hospitals in Great Britain. It opened in 1767 as a maternity hospital with Dr. John Leake as its first physician. The hospital admitted single mothers as well as married women. Early in the 1820s this build was erected. : Later A training school for midwives was established. In 1879, Joseph Lister became consulting surgeon, and the hospital was the first to practice antiseptic midwifery in this country. Under the NHS it became part of St Thomas's, the building was then unused and became derelict. It was refurbished in 2003 including a grant from the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. It was then used a training facility and offices. At least 150,000 babies were born at the hospital. Since 2013 the building has been part of the Premier Inn Hotel
York Road County Hall blocks. Two additional wings, North and South Blocks, were planned in 1937, by the London County Council with Sir Giles G. Scott as consultant. It was built partly in 1939, and finished in 1950-8.
75 Jubilee Tavern. Plain, but popular pub which relied on office trade. Closed in 2008 and now demolished
94 Wellington. Closed in 1918 and demolished
Sources
British History On line. Web site
Cavanagh. Public Sculpture of South London
Cinema Treasures. Web site
Clunn. The Face of London
Day. London Underground
Faulkner. Railways of Waterloo
Festival of Britain, Brochure
Francis. History of the Cement Industry
Gibberd. On Lambeth Marsh
GLIAS Newsletter
Grace’s Guide. Web site
Jackson. London’s Termini
London Encyclopedia
London Gardens. Web site
Lucas. London
Marine Society. Web site
Nairn. Nairn’s London
National Archive. Web site
Old Lambethians. Web site
Pevsner and Cherry. London South
Port of London Magazine
Renier. Lambeth Past
Smythe. City Wildspace
Southbank Mosaics. Web site
Thames Basin Archaeology of Industry Report
Vauxhall Society. Web site
This posting covers sites south of the river only.
Posg to the north South Bank
Post to the east St.George and Waterloo
Post to the south Lambeth
Addington Street
The street is now reduced to being a quarter of the roundabout east of Westminster Bridge
Park Plaza County Hall Hotel
Park Plaza Hotel- on the site of the County Hall Island Block which was built by the GLC 1975.
GLC Island Block. The building was opened in 1974. It was designed by R. A. Laker, J. E. Knight and W. Sutherland, under Sir Roger Walters as Architect to the Council. Trollope & Colls were the main contractors. The building is in situ-cast concrete faced with 'grit blasted calcinated flint panels the building had no entrance at ground level and was connected to the rest of County Hall by subways and a bridge across York Road,. There was a roof garden and internal spaces were arranged as large open offices and the whole building was a sealed environment, fully air-conditioned. At first it housed the Valuation and Housing Departments.
Addington Street Extension. During the 1930s the LCC had been negotiating with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for the purchase of land between York Road and Belvedere Road for their extension scheme, and were forced to take Addington Street at the same time. There was an old school on the site. In 1960 the Council built a four-storey structure
Addington Street School, This was a School Board for London School built in 1877. It closed at some time before 1950. It was briefly attended by Charlie Chaplin
Amphitheatre Row
This was also known as Stangate Street
Astleys Amphitheatre. This was a public entertainment venue opened in 1773. It was burnt down in 1794, and then rebuilt. As time went it it became known as Astley's Royal Amphitheatre and the site of a circus – and it set international standard for the size of circuses since. The theatre continued to be popular long after Astley's death in 1814. Its final owner was Lord George Sanger who bought it in 1871. It finally closed and was demolished in 1893.
Archbishops Park
Archbishops Park was once part of the grounds of Lambeth Palace. From the late 19th some of the gardens were opened by Archbishop Tait who was concerned about the welfare of the local poor. This area for local children to was called Lambeth Palace Field and in 1900 a campaign to poem it permanently was undertaken by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. Subsequently the park was laid out with lawns, a children's playground and sports fields and opened in 1901 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. At the northern end is a garden area dedicated to Octavia Hill. More recently a Millennium Path has been created, and a community orchard opened – with tree varieties selected which would have been here when the area was one with market gardens and nurseries. This park is still owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and Lambeth Palace is still visible behind the trees
Belvedere Road
This road parallels the river in what is now a tourist area – up until the early 20th it was heavily industrialised. The southern stretch now runs between the two halves of what was County Hall, and is now gated – calling itself ‘County Hall Apartments’; thus privatising publicly funded open space. Before County Hall was built this was called Narrow Wall. The bottom stretch up to Westminster Bridge was called Pedlar's Acre which was part of a bequest to the parish which was sold the London County Council in 1910 of the site for the new County Hall.
Shell Centre. A 25-storey slab block built for the Shell Petroleum Company to the designs of Sir Howard Robertson In 1953-63. There were two buildings – the Upstream and the Downstream – but the Downstream has been disposed of. The building is steel-framed, in reinforced concrete faced with Portland stone. There is below ground parking space for 400. There is a swimming pool, and four squash courts. In the inner hall is Marino Marini's Horse and Rider and the Upstream Restaurant has murals by Sidney Smith. The auditorium of the theatre was designed by Cecil Beaton with murals in the foyer by Osbert Lancaster – this closed in 1998. – but much of the surrounding area has been used by skate boarders and others. The building was used as Shell’s UK head office. It has now been sold to developers.
Shell Fountain by Franta Belsky where shells once poured water into one another. This is in the courtyard of rhea Shell Centre. It has suffered from wind effects on the water and is thus rarely working. It was cast by the Corinthian Bronze Foundry at Peckham in 1958
Motorcyclist by Siegfried Charoux made in 1960. It was originally called Man and exhibited at an open air scupture exhibition in Holland Park. It was originally in the downstream building but was moved when that was sold.
Horse and Rider by Marino Marinin. This was made in 1961 for the Shell Centre’s Inner Hall but sited in the York Road lobby.
Shell Ball. By the garage entrance to Shell House. Six foot high ball with rings of granite and stone. Many carvings of shells. Eric Aumonier given by the architects of Shell House in 1959.
Jubilee Gardens. Opened To celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and Laid out in 1977 on the site of the 1951 Festival of Britain. . Beyond a hornbeam hedge is an avenue of cherry trees with granite benches and blocks. On the other side of Belvedere Road there are more topiary, lavender beds and a water sculpture. It was redesigned and reopened in 2012. Lion
Memorial sculpture to the casualties of the British Battalion of the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. By Ian Walters
Dome of Discovery. The Dome of Discovery at the Festival of Britain covered most of the area of Jubilee Gardens. It had nine sections – the land – the earth – polar – sea – sky- outer space – the physical world – the living world. It had a diameter of 365 feet and stood 93 feet tall, making it at the time the largest dome in the world. It was constructed by Costain. It was demolished as soon as possible by the incoming Tory government led by W. Churchill and fragmented so it would be forgotten.
Monumental Group on the Podium of the Dome of Discovery by Barbara Hepworth
Myers Builders Yard. Ordnance Wharf. This was in the area covered by County Hall. There was a steam saw mill, blacksmiths and stables. 1850s. Myers came from Hull where he was in a partnership masons business which flourished including major work for Pugin. Moving to London his business grew and he was very prosperous. He built many important public buildings.
Grissell and Peto. Builders. On both sides of the road with a bridge joining the two. The partnership was 1830-1847 and they built many well-known buildings in London. It was the largest building and contractors’ businesses in Britain. Their buildings included Hungerford Market, the Reform, the Great Western Railway between Hanwell and Langley. Much of the South Eastern Railway and the Great Eastern Railway and the Woolwich Graving Dock. They built Nelson’s column and the London sewers
Crosse and Blackwell Jam and pickle factory. This famous firm was based in Soho and this was one of many factories they owned mainly concentrating on pickles and preserves.
Brush Electrical Engineering. The Company was established in Lambeth in 1880 to work the patents of Charles Brush of Ohio. Charles Francis Brush (born in Cleveland Ohio in 1849) who had invented an electric dynamo in 1876, and whose system of light was. As the business grew at larger premises were required and they moved to Loughborough as the as Brush Electrical Engineering Co
23 London County Council. Tramways offices, stores and depot. This was at the riverside end of Chicheley Street
Carlisle Lane
The northern end of this lane was once called Back Lane. South of that was The Green where the lane widened and where Carlisle House stood. This included Dog House Fields which is now under the railway – somewhere near where it interfaces with Newnham Terrace is Hercules Road. It and now winds its way down under endless railway arches of the lines going into Waterloo Station.
Carlisle House. This was a house owned since 1197 by the Archbishop of Canterbury but handed to the Bishop of Carlisle in 1539. Carlisle House does not appear to have been used as a bishop's residence after the Restoration. It was later used as a pottery. Later still it was a pub, then a dancing school and then a boys' school – Carlisle School. It was demolished in 1827 and the grounds sold to developers
Pottery. This was in Carlisle House about 1690 with kiIns making white stoneware.
Lawrence Charity School. This was in Dog House Fields funded by a bequest of 1661 from Richard Lawrence who left 6 houses in Dog House Field to the parish. This school was rebuilt in 1814. In 1847 the estate was sold to the London and South-Western Railway Company, who rebuilt the school elsewhere
43 Lambeth glass works. Opened by Jessie Rust here in 1846. Flint, opaque, and coloured glass manufacturers. Rust’s expertise however was in decorative and artistic glass mosaics. They moved from this site in 1870
27 Royal George. Free house popular with medics from St Thomas' Hospital. Demolished.
The Church of Holy Trinity. Thus dated from 1839, was built on part of the kitchen garden of Lambeth Palace with the vicarage and schools being built later to the rear. It was designed by Edward Blore. Following Second World War bombing the church was demolished
Holy Trinity Primary School, this group of low school buildings date from 1847 and are unused. It was used as the Kagyu Samye Dzong London from 1998 and remained here until 2007 when the site became subject to a later aborted redevelopment scheme.
Lambeth Parochial Sunday Schools
Mosaics on the walls of the railway tunnels. Southbank Mosaics artists worked with 300 volunteers over a period of 7 years to research, design, plan, make and install these mosaics based on the words and paintings of William Blake. The names of all those who helped with this monumental work have been included in ceramic plaques being installed nearby.
Outbuildings. These are south of the allotments and consist of Archbishop's Park’s maintenance facilities and yard
Vandon’s Almshouses. These almshouses were in Petty France in Westminster and derived from a charitable bequest by a soldier. Following redevelopment work in Petty France in 1852 the Westminster Vestry purchased land from the Railway Company by the viaduct at the soothe end of Carlisle Street. They built here two new almshouses each with eight rooms.
Centaur Street
This square covers only the western end – another dark trek under endless railway viaducts
Mosaics on the walls of the railway tunnels. Southbank Mosaics artists worked with 300 volunteers over a period of 7 years to research, design, plan, make and install these mosaics based on the words and paintings of William Blake. The names of all those who helped with this monumental work have been included in ceramic plaques being installed nearby.
Chicheley Street
Slug and Lettuce – Pub in what was the north block of County Hall
Festival of Britain. There was an entrance at the southern end of Chicheley Street with a circular planted area opposite. The furnishings here were done by the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry of the Royal Society of Arts.
Power and Production Festival-of Britain exhibition – this was on the west side of Chicheley Street along with the Whistle Restaurant – self service. This highlighted the growth of present day industry calling it the lifeline of Britain. With examples of first class design and production.
Sculpture by David McFall at the entrance to Power and Production. This was called Boy and Foal and it is now at Missenden Abbey.
Bas relief at the river end of Power and Production by Karel Vogel and the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts called The Industries. This has apparently been destroyed.
Minerals of the Island. Pavilion at the Festival of Britain which was adjacent to Chicheley Street gate. About how the British have drawn on their natural resources to produce raw materials for industry
The Country .pavilion of the Festival of Britain, this stood east of the Minerals of the Island. This sought to demonstrate a highly mechanised and efficient countryside resulting from experience with science and engineering. On the ground floor was the Dairy Bar – milk swerved in particular.
Sculpture by Henry Moore set against the turf slope. This was Reclining Figure. After the end of the Festival, this cast went on loan to Leeds City Art Gallery. It was vandalised in 1953, and lent to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 1961, and there it remains. There are however other casts of this sculpture some in private hands and some on public display.
The Natural Scene. Pavilion in the Festival of Britain which was east of the Minerals of the Island, This was about the rich and varied wildlife which inhabits these islands. Architect Brian O’Rourke
The Land of Britain Pavilion in the Festival of Britain. This stood east of Minerals of the Island and north of the Natural Scene. The architect was H.T.Cadbury Brown.-- How the natural wealth of Britain came into being.
Hercules Road
Liberty Bus. This was an independent operator based in a railway arch. The owner was Reginald Quickett with one bus called Liberty. This was an experiment by an MP called Macquiston who thought buses in London should operate like taxis and plying for trade and also take short cuts and diversions at the discretion of the driver to avoid jams. So he bought this bus and got Reg Quickett, to run it for him. This was in 1923 and Quickett soon moved to Chalk Farm.
192 railway arch the ‘Imperial’ bus worked on routes in Lambeth in 1923.
National School for Boys – is this the Lawrence school having moved from Dog House fields?? In 1848 after The London and South Western Railway Company had purchased the freehold of the School property in Dog House Fields a new School and Master's House were built in Hercules Road. This was finished in 1851 and accommodated about 300 boys. A large upper room was added in 1885. In 1904 the railway was again widened and the school had to move.
Lambeth Palace Road
St Thomas’s Hospital. The hospital was founded in the 12th by Augustinians connected with St Mary Overie in the Borough. It was re-founded there in 1552 under the City Corporation and dedicated to Thomas a Becket – but changed by Edward VI, to St Thomas the Apostle. The hospital moved here in 1868 having moved for the Charing Cross Railway Extension. The new buildings were designed by Henry Currey and it was one of the first civic hospitals to adopt the Nightingale principle of a pavilion layout. Originally seven pavilions were built on the riverside, linked by arcades plus a chapel – nut only three pavilions and the chapel remain. Ornamentation is in Ransome's concrete. The pinnacles and chimneys are part of a complicated ventilating system. Following Second World War bomb damage some rebuilding began in 1962 with the East Wing. Later Yorke Rosenberg & Mardall provided two thirteen-storey ward blocks with a piazza over a car park. This needed the realignment of Lambeth Palace road. A thirteen storey block – the North Wing was built by John Laing in 1975. The Hospital uses a combined heat and power plant which operates on natural gas
Cross the Divide by Rick Kirby. Sculpture outside the Main Entrance unveiled in 2000. This is of two stainless steel figures reaching out to each other.
Torsion Fountain. In the centre of the formal garden on the piazza is a large stainless steel fountain, after a design by Naum Gabo of 1929 and erect4d in 1973.
Dreadnought Unit. With the closure of the Dreadnought Seamen’s hospital in Greenwich in 1986, services for seamen are provided here. It allows Merchant seafarers access to priority medical treatment. Dreadnought patients are treated according to clinical need
Sir Robert Clayton. Marble statue by Grinling Gibbons’s workshop from 1701-2. It was done in Clayton’s lifetime and he is shown in contemporary dress with a long wig. He was a Lord Mayor, President of the Hospital and a great benefactor. The statue has however suffered in bombing and some parts have been replaced. It has been moved many times and is now on the terrace
Edward VI statue. He refounded the hospital. The limestone statue dates from 1682 and is part of a group by Thomas Cartwright, which was on the front gateway of the old hospital. It has been moved many times since then and is now on the North wing Terrace. The rest of the group – the fower cripples - is in the main entrance hall and are very frail.
Edward VI. Another statue of the boy king. It is in bronze, by Peter Scheemakers, from 1737. He is shown robed and with a garter collar. .The statue has been moved many times including being exhibited at the Festival of Britain. It survived Second World War bombing. It is now in the North Wing corridor,
Queen Victoria statue. By Matthew Noble dating from 1873. This was commissioned to commemorate the opening of the new site by the queen. It is now sited in the north corridor.
Enamel panels. In the entrance hall are six large enamel panels by Robyn Denny, 1976, and a mobile over the staircase by Nechemia Azass. There are also Doulton’s tile murals of 1910 in the hall to the treatment block and a sculpture by Antonas Brazdys.
Florence Nightingale. Statue by Frederick Mancini. She is shown in a cap and frilled cuffs and carrying the wrong sort of lamp. This was produced from a plaster model of Walker statue in Waterloo Place. Using money from a memorial fund to Alicia Still. What we see now a replica as the original bronze was stolen in 1970. It is in the Central Hall having been moved several times.
Bust of Cicely Saunders. This is alongside the Nightingale statue. Bronze by Shenda Amery from 2002. Cicely Saunders was a pioneer of the hospice movement
Bust of Rheodora Turner. This is alongside the Nightingale Statue. Bronze by Robert Dawson from 2002. She was a matron at the hospital
Silver Bird, stainless steel sculpture by Antanas Brazdys installed 1975. This is in the north wing near the café.
Head of Elizabeth II by Franta Belsky In bronze and installed in 1982. This is in the corridor from the North Wing to the Central Hall.
Other art works at St. Thomas – these are; Bust of Dr. Charles Murchison, Bust of Sir William MacCormac, bust of Sir john Simon, Bust of Frderic Le Gros Clark, Bust of john Syer Bristow, Bust of William Cheselden, Bust of Dr, Richard Mead, Bust of John flint South, Bust of Dr. William Lister, bust of Samuel Solly,
Medical School. The medical school founded about 1550. It became part of the University of London in 1900 and is now a branch of Kings College of London University. In 1982 it merged with the medical school at Guy’s Hospital. The building has a tower and an Italianate chimney.
Florence Nightingale Museum. The first training school for of nurses, inspired by the pioneering work of Florence Nightingale, was founded at St Thomas's in 1860.The museum details her career. It opened in 1989, on the site of the former Nightingale Training School for Nurses which she, founded in 1860.
Sasaparella. Large stainless steel construction opposite the hospital. Schollander.
Evelina Children’s Hospital. The hospital was founded in 1869 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild whose wife, Evelina and their child had died in premature labour. It was originally in Southwark Bridge Road and became a branch of Guys Hospital within the NHS and in 1976 it was moved there. In 2004 it moved to a new specialist hospital for all children's services on the site of a former nurses' home.
Chapel – this contains various artworks: Reredos which is a Memorial to Sir Henry Doulton. By George Tinworth, and made at Doultons. Memorial to Florence Nightingale by Arthur Walker, memorial to Sarah Elizabeth Wardroper past matron made by Doultons,
Lambeth Palace - The Archbishop's Palace. A complex of medieval domestic buildings. The Archbishops of Canterbury owned the site from the late 12th when they built a house and chapel here - a small section of the original chapel remains in the undercroft. . It was begun by Archbishop Hubert Walter, 1193-1205, and first occupied by Stephen Langton, 1267-28. It is on the site of a Saxon manor house that probably belonged to the sister of Edward the Confessor. William the Conqueror gave it to the Benedictine monks of Rochester, and in 1190 it was taken over by Archbishop Baldwin. It was attacked in 1381 by Wat Tyler’s rebels. It was bombed in 1941.
The Gatehouse. This is next to the parish church. It was built by Archbishop Morton in 1495 and called Morton’s Tower. Morton’s audience chamber was above the archway.
Courtyard: memorial to Archbishop Lord David who died in 1930. Fig- believed to have stemmed from those planted in the 16th by Cardinal Pole.
Residential part of the palace. This is in a Gothic wing on the north which was added in 1828-33 by Edward Blore for Archbishop Howley.
Cranmer's Tower, brick, probably built in the mid 16th.
Great Hall. This is of medieval origin but damaged during the Commonwealth and rebuilt after 1660 by Archbishop William Juxon, whose arms are over the door. There is a hammer beam roof, 70 ft in height, restored after war damage. The windows are in 16th-17th glass. The hall has part of the Library from the collection of 1610 by Archbishop Bancroft - .Illuminated MSS., the medieval registers of archbishops, and early printed books,
Bust of Archbishop Temple by Epstein. This is in the cloister, where there are also the remains of wall painting.
Crypt – this is the oldest part of the palace. It is a vaulted chamber with marble pillars built about 1200.
Chapel. This is accessed via a 13th doorway. It was built by Archbishop Boniface 1245-7 but gutted in Second World War the bombing. It was rebuilt by Lord Mottistone and Paul Paget and rededicated in 1955.
Lollards' Tower. This was built as a water tower 1414-43 and it is thought that the followers of Wyclif were imprisoned here. Bears the rebus of Archbishop Morton of the fork
Lauds Tower on the south is smaller. It was built about 1635 by that archbishop.
Guard Chamber rebuilt by Blore. Around the walls are portraits' of archbishops,
Monument to Archbishop Davidson by W. Reynolds Stephens, 1930. Two bronze angels kneeling below a cross.
Former stable, also by Blore, with buildings on three sides, now cottages.
Palace Gardens. The river used to come right up to the palace wall behind and it is London's second largest private garden. The monks from Rochester were the first to lay it out. A formal garden for fruit, herbs and flowers was maintained for several centuries. Formal courtyards with historic white Marseilles fig were planted in 1555 by Cardinal Archbishop Pole. It is a parkland style garden with mature trees, woodland and native planting, pond, hornbeam tree. It was transformed by Rosalind Runcie, the Archbishop's wife, in 1987. The Croquet Lawn has a spring border with shrubs donated by the Duchy of Cornwall.
Mother and Child statue by Emma Pover.
St. Mary’s Church. This is the former parish church of Lambeth, Disused since 1972. The Parish Council wanted to demolish it but it was rescued in 1979 by the Tradescant Trust and restored as a Museum of Garden History. Cuthbert Tunstall, 1559, bishop of London and Durham, and several archbishops are buried in the church. The tower dates from a rebuilding of 1370 although the top storey renewed in 1834 by W. Rogers. The main body of the church is from the 1370s: with a restoration by P. C. Hardwick in 1851-2. There is a rare immersion font which is a memorial to Archbishop Benson 1896. There are brasses and monuments. The 'Pedlar's Window' in the south chapel commemorates the bequest to the parish of the 'Pedlar's Acre'
Churchyard. This has been laid out as a garden planted with flowers introduced by the Tradescants to England. The Tradescant sarcophagus, has a design has reliefs on four sides based on drawings now in Magdalene College, Cambridge. Nearby, is the tomb of William Bligh of the Mutiny of the 'Bounty' 1817, with a flaming urn. There is a Knot Garden has been created in honour of the Tradescants
Museum of Garden History. A museum housing the largest collection of garden implements in the UK and run by the Tradescant Trust. It recalls the 17th plant hunters the John Tradescants, father and son.
Statue of a charity school boy. In Coade stone. This has been here since 1998 but was intended in 1785 for the front of the Lambeth Parochial School for Boys. And was on the front of the rebuilt school in 1808 moving with the school to Hercules Road. By 1951 it was in the hall of the Archbishop Temple School but never made it to the comprehensive school.
Gardens opposite Lambeth Palace. This is a garden along the riverside with long raised beds, There is an evergreen holm oak planted for the Millennium by the Mayor of Lambeth in 1999.
Monument commemorating members of the Special Operations Executive. This includes a bust of Violette Szabo, a Lambeth resident, who was a French resistance heroine.
Red brick building plus a drinking fountain
Lambeth Road
The length of the road between the railway bridge and the embankment was once known as Church Street. The road is said to have once been a cart track from St. George’s Fields to the horse ferry. The road was renamed Lambeth Road form its constituent parts in 1876,
Turnpike – this is marked on the Roque Map of 1747 it the end of Hercules Road
178 Corner Café. This was a pub called The Union Flag; it dated from at least the 1870s and was a cafe by the early 1980s.
188 Railway Arch. Coach spring maker. Mr. Mangan. 1860s.
Railway Bridge.
202 Marine Society. This is entered through a decorative gateway.The Marine Society College of the Sea is a distance learning college for those at sea. It is used by members of the Royal hand Merchant Navies as well as all seafarers - wherever they may serve and in whatever capacity. The Marine Society dates back to 1756 and was begun by Jonas Hanway. He recruited boys from poor backgrounds and gave them naval training so they could fight on the King’s ships.
Archbishop Temple's Boy's School, T his school was built in 1902–4 on land given by Archbishop Frederick Temple. It was made up of three older schools - Thomas Rich's Grammar School, Richard Laurence's Charity for the clothing and education of twenty poor boys of Lambeth Marsh, and a subscription parochial school. It moved here from the end of Carlisle Lane when In 1904 The Railway was again widened. a new building was erected next to Lambeth Palace sold to them by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Temple, On the death of the Archbishop it was resolved to name this School "Archbishop Temple's Lambeth Boys' School.. In 1921it became the first Church of England Central School in the country. In 1961 the school amalgamated with Archbishop Tenison's Girls School as a step towards becoming a comprehensive. The school moved to another site in 1972.
109 Lambeth Distillery. This was Hodges Gin Distillery and then taken over by Daun and Vallentin. Closed 1912
109 Police Control Centre and Forensic Science Laboratory
Archbishop Tait's Infants' School 1888. This was named Archbishop Tait's Infants School was named for Archibald Campbell Tait (1811-1882), Archbishop of Canterbury from 1869. It was situated at no 220 Lambeth Road, SE1. The school seems also to have been called Saint Mary's Infants School, and was associated with Archbishop Tenison's School for Girls. With an attached schoolhouse and a turret.
212–204 This is Union Place
214 former rectory. Before the Reformation rectors of Lambeth were chaplains to Archbishops, and lived in the Palace. The “Parsonage House” was set up opposite the Pound, called Pound Close. In 1778 land by the pound was identified for a new rectory. It was used until damaged in Second World War bombing. At the back is a stone tablet inscribed in Latin about its founding. And another on the west side with the date of 1778
Leake Street
This was called York Steet.
Dr. Leake was the founder of the Lying In Hospital. This is another road lost in the depths of railway tunnels. It is now pedestrian access only and every inch is covered I graffiti – the result of a series of graffiti festivals.
Waterloo Station. Cabs entering the station in 1853 did so via an incline from here
Necropolis Station. The first Necropolis station connected to Brookwood cemetery was on the east side of the railway bridge here. From 1854, it had two sidings and a single platform. It was connected to the offices above by a staircase. This was removed and the service was moved in 1902.
Hydraulic train lift. For hoisting Waterloo and City Line rolling stock up the surface for repairs and installed in 1898. Now gone
Riverside
Queens Walk. This is the new name for a walkway on the south bank of the River between Lambeth Bridge and Tower Bridge. In this section the renaming changes the name of some of the road from what was the Albert Embankment This was completed by Bazalgette and named for Victoria’s consort and to compliment the Victoria Embalmment on the north bank. Part of the footway opened in 1868 and the date of 1870 could be seen on the cast-iron lampposts.
Lampposts – Dolphin lamp standards were designed by George Vulliamy, superintending architect of the Metropolitan Board of Works. These were cast in 1870 and along with the date have the monogram of the Metropolitan Board of Works/London County Council. This stretch has the original edition of the standards.
Lion Head Mooring ring supports. Designed by Timothy Butler and cast by Singer in 1868-70. The same design was used when County Hall was built under Maurice Fitzmaurice.
Outfall for the Shell Centre’s air conditioning. This is said to be Visible in the Thames at low tide in line with the Shell tower
Sufferance Wharf. This is now in the area covered by Jubilee Gardens but was at the end of what was College Street. These wharves suffered in Second World War bombing and were used for the Festival of Britain site.
Providence Wharf. Like Sufferance Ward this is in the area covered by Second World War bombing.
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel Also known as the Millennium Wheel, It had been owned by British Airways, Merlin Entertainments and EDF Energy. It is now the Coca Cola London Eye. It was built n 1999 and was then the world tallest Ferris wheel. It is the most popular tourist venue in Britain.
The 51 restaurant at the Festival of Britain. It was in a corner. It was a luxury bar with good snacks.
Youth. Sculpture by Daphne Hardy Hebrion in the garden at the Festival of Britain. After the festival it was rejected by the Ministry of Education and it was then secured by Manasseh and Hardy in 1952 to save it from removal to Langley Airfield. It was eventually placed in the garden of the Manasseh family home in Highgate in 1959 where it remains.
Water mobile sculpture at the Festival of Britain by Richard Huws
The Islanders. Monumental group by Siegfried Charoux at the Festival of Britain. It is not known what happened to it after the Festival, probably destroyed.
Mural on the river side of Sea and Ships by John Campbell Hutton at the Festival of Britain
Sea and Ships. Pavilion at the Festival of Britain – shipbuilding, propulsion and fisheries.
Statue of Neptune on the wall of the pavilion near the entrance by Keith Godwin
Jetty and Nelson Pier – shuttle service to Battersea and other passenger boats, designed by Basil Spence. Festival of Britain skylark restaurant – self help service, light refreshments. This pier was later removed,
Skylon Festival of Britain by Powell and Moya. Sold for scrap by the Tories
Pottery Wharf – pictures appear to show it handling chimneypots. It appears to have been in the ownership of the Gladdish family in the 1860s. They were limeburners with interests in Northfleet and Gravesend chalk pits and other industries.
Wharves – in the 19th wharves in Belvedere Road serviced many industries. Some of them – for instance Grieve and Grellier were into various artificial stones, some were importing actual stone. There were also mineral water companies, as well as some remaining river trades, including haulage firms like Eastwoods.
Jubilee Oracle. William Morris's lines on London, from his great poem ‘Earthly Paradise’ inscribed in the pavement in front of the Jubilee Oracle statue. 'Forget six counties overhung with smoke, forget the snorting steam and piston stroke. Forget the spreading of the hideous town; Think rather of the pack-horse on the down, and dream of London, small, and white, and clean, the clear Thames bordered by its gardens green.' Jubilee Oracle has an inscription on a granite base. Alexander 1980 and cast by Singer
The Link sculpture by Mina Sunar. This was in Jubilee Gardens but was stolen. A
Flagpole cut from the forests of British Columbia especially for the Festival of Britain. After the Festival the flagpole was taken down but then re-erected by the British Columbian government to mark the Queens Silver Jubilee.
Riverside garden
Horse Head Mooring ring supports. These are by Ralph Knott and Gilbert Bayes, cast by Singer in 1911. These are on the central sections of the embankment outside County Hall.
London Dungeon. This was previously located in Tooley Street under railway arches but has moved to the Riverside Building at County Hall
The Sea Life London Aquarium is on the ground floor of County Hall. It opened in 1997 as the London Aquarium
London Marriott Hotel County Hall
Flour mill. This was prominent on the approach to Westminster Bridge on the east side of the road. In the mid 18th it had been Burnham's wharf but later became Simmond's flour mills. In the latter part of the 19th they were owned by John Whately Simmonds who bought the site in 1881 and sold it the London County Council in 1906
Mitre Public House
Godfrey and Searle. Searle’s boat building business. The firm is said have dated from at least the 1750s and represented the very poshest end of barge building. Their barges were made for royalty and their racing vessels for the better class of competitor. Their entry in Debrett read: By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen; His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; and the Emperor of the French. They remained into the 1880s.
Stangate Wharf. There was a draw dock here. It was bought by the Metropolitan Board of Works’ in 1864. By which time it had been occupied for some time by building and rubbish contractors – plus a sail makers workshop
Stangate ferry. This belonged to the bishop of Rochester. Use of this horse ferry continued even after the building of Westminster Bridge in 1860. This was a busy crossing point leaving from Stangate Wharf and Stairs and arriving at Horseferry.
City of London barge house. Storage facilities for very posh boats. The royal barge was kept there after it no longer became possible to use the Barge House in Upper Ground. Also kept there were the state barges of some of the City Companies like the Armourers, the Goldsmiths and the Barber Surgeons
Honey and Archer. Lambeth boat builders – the posher end of the trade
Lambeth Pier. This is a calling place for the Clipper service and other river boats. Café alongside. The pier was transferred from the Thames Conservancy to the London County Council for their steamboat service which started in 1905 and was finally abandoned In1907, after which it was handed back to the Thames Conservancy - the Port of London Authority took it over in 1909
Royal Street
Said to be a medieval road from the Green (now Carlisle Lane) to Stangate ferry
Flats - nine-storey block of flats, by L. Creed, 1958, for people displaced by new buildings for St Thomas'.
10 Holy Trinity Institute - this is now an art gallery and venue
Stangate
The name Stangate dates at least from the Middle Ages and there is speculation that it is Roman
Until the 290th Stangate Street ran from Westminster Bridge Road where it joined Narrow Wall to Upper Marsh. It had also run south along the river down to the site of the City Bargehouse.
Upper Marsh
13 Canterbury Arms Pub. Now demolished
Fields Soap Factory. This was founded by Thomas Field of Lambeth before 1642 and by 1800 was known as John and Charles Field, candle makers from Lambeth Marshes. In the 1850s they also made candles and nightlights but by 1887 there were no Field family members left on the board. In 1941 the company moved from Lambeth Marsh to Wimbledon and in 1960 became part of Aspro-Nicholas Ltd.
The Bower Music Hall. This was a saloon for those who ‘liked smoking and drinking’. It has begun attached to the Duke’s Tavern in Stangate Street but was rebuilt in 1875. It then became the New Stangate Theatre, and ended up a warehouse for candles in 1877
Westminster Bridge
The first Westminster Bridge. The first bridge here was opened in 1750. A suggestion for a bridge had been made in 1664, but in 1736 an Act was obtained and £5 lottery tickets were sold to raise the necessary £625 000. The designer was Charles Labelye, a Swiss engineer. The bridge was of Portland stone and had 13 large and two smaller arches, each semi circular. It suffered badly from increased scour after the removal of Old London Bridge and suffered from subsidence – but was widely painted by many artists of the time
Westminster Bridge. The bridge was designed by Thomas Page in consultation with Sir Charles Barry. The contract was let to C. J. Mare of Millwall and work began in May 1854. It is of gothic design, with details by Charkas Barry and has seven iron-ribbed spans. The roadway is 58 ft wide with 13 ft footways on each side. The bridge was of structural interest as it was one of the first to use Robert Mallet's buckled metal plates patented in 1852, as the decking material. These have since been replaced by reinforced concrete. The bridge was completed by Cochrane & Co., and was opened on 24 May 1862. In 2005–2007 it was refurbished, including replacing the iron fascias and repainting the whole bridge. It is the oldest road bridge across the Thames in central London.
Westminster Bridge Road
The Lion. This is on a plinth at the end of the bridge next to County Hall. It was sculpted by William Woodingham and cast in Coade Stone. It was commissioned as almost the last work done by the Coade works by the Red Lion Brewery to stand on the skyline on their roof. This was on the main site of the brewery looking over the Thames. There were two smaller lions on other roofs – one of which was missing before demolition. They were originally painted red but are now cream. When the brewery was demolished there was a public campaign to keep them and they were taken into care by the LCC. A trapdoor with mementos was found in its back. The lion was at Waterloo Station during the Festival of Britain and then handed to British Rail. In 1966 because of redevelopemtn it was moved to its present site by the GLC, The smaller lion is now at Twickenham.
172 Walrus. Old pub. Now a ‘hip hostel’.
163 The Kings Head. Closed in 1941 and now demolished
149 The Old Crown and Cushion Pub. Closed in 1897 and has been demolished.
242 New Bridge House Pub. Closed in 1963 and demolished.
Wilcox Assembly Rooms. This was present in the 1870s
143 The Canterbury Music Hall was set up in 1852 on the site of a skittle alley adjacent to the Canterbury Tavern. It was the first purpose-built music hall in London, set up by Morton. The theatre was rebuilt three times, but the third theatre was destroyed by Second World War bombing in 1942
214-216 Gatti’s Palace. Built in 1862 by the Italian, Gatti family as a restaurant. It was re-built in 1883 to the plans of a Mr. Bolton of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and opened as Gatti’s Palace of Varieties. The stage was only 10 feet deep, and there were two dressing rooms thus it was a music hall of the original type, with a chairman announcing each act. It had ‘Gatti’s’ in the centre of the stonework at the top on a concave facade matching the curve in the road, In 1898, the Edison-Thomas Life Size Pictures appeared and in 1904, Mutograph films were screened. It was converted into full time cinema use in 1924. It was bombed in 1940, and it never re-opened.
County Hall. There are now flats in what was built as the headquarters of the London County Council. The Council was created in 1888 and opened up in the offices of the Metropolitan Board of Works in Spring Gardens. The new site was to be what was known as Pedlar's Acre. Ralph Knott won the competition for the new building in 1908 with the assistance of W. E. Riley, the council's architect. It is built on ground recovered from the river with beneath it a concrete raft 5 ft thick. Building began in 1912, but was interrupted by the Greater War when it was used by the Food Ministry. In 1965 the London County Council became the Greater London Council in 1965 and additional rooms were added in the 1970s , by William Whitebread. A Chapel was set up in 1955. Some fireplaces came from historic buildings like Lindsey House in Lincoln's Inn Fields. The Entrance Hall and the Ceremonial Staircase, were decorated with Italian, Belgian, and Ashburton marbles, and panelled in English oak. There was an octagonal Council Chamber which is said to be still there and intact. The GLC was abolished by Thatcher in 1986 and much of this sold off. The rest is now – built for the people of London is now ‘privately owned’.
Carving on County Hall. By Charles Manbey, Jnr. These are coats of arms of the constituent borough but some were never added. There are also sculptures of figures in the window niches. By Ernest Cole and Alfred Hardiman. – they are: by Cole - a kneeling archer, Humanity supporting the world, Benevolence and Humanity, two make nudes, the creation of Eve, The spirit of the Thames, and by Hardiman – Town Planning, Child Education, Recreation, Healing the Sick.
Memorial plaque to Ralph Knott by Gilbert Bayes. Knott was the architect of County Hall; who died before it was finished.
280 Coronet Pub, Closed in 1920 and since demolished
Rail bridge. The original bridge of the 1840s by the London and South West Railway from Nine Elms to the new York Road station, was built on a skew, which worried the inspectorate. In 1902 it was rebuilt to take six tracks
Necropolis Station. This was moved here in 1902 from Leake Street with two platforms and a turntable. It offered a funeral service and transport to Brookwood Cemetery
York Road
Waterloo Station. This square covers only the south western portion of the station. In the early 1840s the London and South West Railway built a line from their Nine Elms Terminus to York Road. It was put onto a brick viaduct and curved to avoid major works. It crossed twenty one roads on brick and cast iron bridges. .although this was considered as a through station -and built in an area to the east not covered on this square - one line went out on a spur to the west with an engine shed, sidings and a turntable. Additions were made with extra platforms to the east and centre of the station. In 1885 what was known as the north station was added in the north east part of the area adding six more platforms. The station was completely rebuilt in the early 20th. Southern Railway offices on the corner were destroyed in blitz
Waterloo International Terminal. This was on the west side of the station with platforms numbered 20 to 24, covered by a glass and steel vault of 37 arches forming a prismatic structure. The first Eurostar departure was in 1994 and the last in 2007 and the station was then disused. All of the international platforms were brought back into use as part of the refurbishment of the main station starting in 2013
Portrait Statue of Terence Cuneo by Phillip Jackson. Cuneo was a wartime railway illustrator.
Waterloo Underground Station. Opened in 1898 it is the terminus of the line to the Bank on the Waterloo and City Line. It lies between Embankment and Kennington on the Northern Line and between Embankment and Lambeth North on the Bakerloo line and between Westminster and Southwark on the Jubilee Line. The first was the Waterloo and City Line which opened 1898 with rolling stock left on the surface at Waterloo if there were any problems. In 1906 the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway opened from Baker Street to Kennington Road. It was built as an intermediate on extension from Charing Cross to Kennington. That opened provisionally in 1906 with stations designed by Leslie Green in the form of a plinth so that offices could be built on the top. It had the characteristic ruby red bricks. In 1926 it was joined by the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway as the Northern Line. This had a substantially a new station with a new ticket hall and concourse. In the Second World War electric flood gates were installed in the tunnels. An extra ticket hall was added in York Road for the Festival of Britain and in the 1990s extensive changes for the Channel Tunnel and Jubilee Line services were made. Very little of the original Leslie Green station remains and the York Road frontage has been demolished.
Turnpike was outside the site of the tube station. Demolished 1848
Festival of Britain entrance and Station Gate t
Statue - Group symbolising the origins of the land and the people by Mitzi Solomon Cunliffe on the viewing platform at the Station Gate Entrancr to the Festival
Sculpture by L.Peri on the north wall of the entrance to the Festival of Britain
Rocket Restaurant by the gate at the Festival of Britain. Self help service of light refreshments
Fairway Café at the Festival of Britain in the information kiosk by the Station Gate/ Waitress service.
56 Rising Sun Pub. Demolished for the Festival of Britain site
57 Duke of York. Closed in 1961 and now demolished.
BEA London Terminal. This was on the site of the Shell Centre. In 1953 the York Road entrance to the Festival of Britain site re-opened as the BEA Waterloo Air Terminal serving passengers on BEA flights and other airlines operating out of Heathrow. It was in use between 1953 and 1957 and provided c heck-in facilities, luggage drop-off and a regular coach / bus service provided passenger transport to the airport. In 1955 a helicopter service was run between the Waterloo Air Terminal and Heathrow
Elisabeth House. This was built in the 1960s. It was a John Poulson building designed by a house architect. It consists of a seven-storey office building, with shops at ground level. A 10-story office block. A 16 storey Tower Building: A 16-storey office block
Smith and McGaw and Co. Moulding Mill. This is a woodworking factory. Making mouldings from Pine, etc.
General Lying in Hospital . This was a small 19th hospital built by Henry Harrison. It was one of the first general (non-denominational) maternity hospitals in Great Britain. It opened in 1767 as a maternity hospital with Dr. John Leake as its first physician. The hospital admitted single mothers as well as married women. Early in the 1820s this build was erected. : Later A training school for midwives was established. In 1879, Joseph Lister became consulting surgeon, and the hospital was the first to practice antiseptic midwifery in this country. Under the NHS it became part of St Thomas's, the building was then unused and became derelict. It was refurbished in 2003 including a grant from the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. It was then used a training facility and offices. At least 150,000 babies were born at the hospital. Since 2013 the building has been part of the Premier Inn Hotel
York Road County Hall blocks. Two additional wings, North and South Blocks, were planned in 1937, by the London County Council with Sir Giles G. Scott as consultant. It was built partly in 1939, and finished in 1950-8.
75 Jubilee Tavern. Plain, but popular pub which relied on office trade. Closed in 2008 and now demolished
94 Wellington. Closed in 1918 and demolished
Sources
British History On line. Web site
Cavanagh. Public Sculpture of South London
Cinema Treasures. Web site
Clunn. The Face of London
Day. London Underground
Faulkner. Railways of Waterloo
Festival of Britain, Brochure
Francis. History of the Cement Industry
Gibberd. On Lambeth Marsh
GLIAS Newsletter
Grace’s Guide. Web site
Jackson. London’s Termini
London Encyclopedia
London Gardens. Web site
Lucas. London
Marine Society. Web site
Nairn. Nairn’s London
National Archive. Web site
Old Lambethians. Web site
Pevsner and Cherry. London South
Port of London Magazine
Renier. Lambeth Past
Smythe. City Wildspace
Southbank Mosaics. Web site
Thames Basin Archaeology of Industry Report
Vauxhall Society. Web site
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