Victoria Embankment Gardens

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There are a number of landmark buildings around Westminster Parliament complex and along the Thames River.



In the afternoon of 16^th July, we got off at Westminster station and walked down on Abingdon Street. Before entering Victoria Tower Gardens, we popped out the lawn garden where Henry Moore’s sculpture, Two Knife Edge Bronze, was on display.



Located at the back of House of Parliament, Victoria Tower Garden had a number of historic figures’ memorials – of Emmeline Parkhurst (1857-1928), a leading member of the suffragette movement; King Edward III and a replica of Rodin’s heroic sculpture, The Burgehers of Calais. Buxton Memorial showed a very ornate neo Gothic feature in a quiet and peaceful garden along the Milbank.



We crossed over Lambeth Bridge and went over to Archbishop’s Park via the site of Museum of Garden History, which was under the renovation on 16^th July. Archibishop’s Park was surrounded by tall trees and is used as a recreation park for local people; children were playing in the playground and quite a few people were resting in a sunny afternoon.



After leaving the park, we crossed over the busy road, Lambeth Palace Road, and walked past the building complex of St Thomas Hospital. We found a stylish modern garden on the site adjacent to Florence Nightingale Museum and St Thomas Hospital, and strolled through the garden and rested a little.



Having read Walking London’s Parks and Gardens, it wasn’t far to go to Victoria Embankment Gardens from where we were resting.



After crossing over the Westminster Bridge and the T-junction to Victoria Embankment, we found a garden in front of Ministry of Defence building. As the name suggested, there were a number of war-related memorials.



We then approached the Embankment Gardens Extensions. Sheltered by tall buildings, the Embankment Gardens seemed to be home for tender plants, sub-tropical plants and some unusual species. We saw foreign oriented trees – Judas tree, redwood and Indian bean tree. We found a couple of statues of notable figures like William Tyndale, who completed the first translations of the Bible into English in 1525.



We then reached the Sunken Garden adjacent to Charling Cross station. A special event was carried on, and we saw various stalls selling lovely craftworks and designers’ bags and clothes and exotic fruit juices and ice creams. The special festival and sunny weather attracted people – there were lots of people in the park. We found statues and fountains and memorials commemorating celebrities and historic events.



Finally, we walked along the Victoria Embankment overlooking Thames and Southbank. We found the 86 foot Egyptian obelisk, which was presented to the UK by the Viceroy of Egypt in 1819. We saw a floating pub, a floating restaurant, which was converted from the Queen Mary and boat stations in the Thames.



We took the train from Charling Cross and went back to Wood Green.

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Photos

Henry Moore's sculpture
'Two Knife Edge Bronze'

William Tyndale
The man who completed the first translations of the Bible into English, standing in the Embankment Gardens.