Description
The Queen's Walk is part of the Thames Riverside Walk, a promenade that runs from Blackfriars Bridge to south of Westminster Bridge, from where it extends southwards as Albert Embankment. An area of landscaping was initially laid out when County Hall was built and finished in 1917, but in 1949 the riverside walk was extended as a promenade for the 1951 Festival of Britain and retained as public open space when the Festival ended, opening in 1952.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Riverside Walk |
|---|---|
| Site location | Westminster Bridge to Gabriels Wharf, South Bank |
| Postcode | SE1 7PB |
| What3Words | ///saving.thing.bounty |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Lambeth |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Waterloo (Northern, Waterloo and City, Jubilee, Bakerloo). Bus: 1, 4, 68, 76, 159 |
| Research Updated | 13 November 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Festival of Britain was conceived as a celebration and incentive to restoration following the end of WWII and it also marked the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851 held in Hyde Park (q.v.). The riverside area between Waterloo Bridge and County Hall became the site of the Festival, an area that had suffered much bomb damage. An embankment and walk were created to provide a high quality vehicle-free pedestrian streetscape, and architectural structures by Britain's leading architects and designers were built for entertainments and exhibitions, with the Royal Festival Hall its centrepiece and only permanent building. Along the Queen's Walk are remains of Festival of Britain railings with timber hand rails. In 1953 the LCC approved the master plan for developing the Festival site as a cultural and commercial centre, which became known as the South Bank.
The Queen's Walk forms a long pedestrian boulevard, lined in part by mature London plane trees, and along its route are replicas of George Vulliamy's decorative cast iron lamp standards of 1870, made for the Embankment. The LCC had a number cast in 1933 when County Hall was extended, and in 1964 a further 28 were cast and placed between County Hall and the South Bank. In the 1960s trees were planted on The Queen's Walk as memorials to war dead.
The promenade south of Westminster Bridge is separately designated as Albert Embankment and has good views of the Houses of Parliament. North of Westminster Bridge The Queen's Walk continues past the London Eye, erected in 2000, and flanks Jubilee Gardens (q.v.), opening to a broader area with London plane trees. Between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge the riverside has been re-modelled as part of improvements to the Royal Festival Hall. A circular stone sculpture by John Maine, 'Arena' (1983-88) was installed in the centre of the walkway near the Royal National Theatre, which was in built 1969-76 and has itself has undergone restoration works in the 1990s when the public square, Theatre Square, was created adjacent to The Queen's Walk. Other sculptures nearby include 'London Pride' by Frank Dobson, a cast made from the original commission for the Festival of Britain, which was installed near the National Theatre in 1987. The Walk leads on past Gabriel's Wharf, with a viewing platform constructed over the river, to Bernie Spain Gardens, landscaped in the 1980s, this phase of The Queen's Walk completed in the late 1980s. The final section between Bernie Spain Gardens and Blackfriars Bridge are within LB Southwark.
The Queen's Walk is on the circular Jubilee Walkway that was opened in 1977 for the Queen's Silver Jubilee and later re-launched in 2002 in celebration of her Golden Jubilee; a commemorative totem is found by Jubilee Gardens and Jubilee plaques are set into the pavement throughout the Walkway.
The Queen's Walk forms a long pedestrian boulevard, lined in part by mature London plane trees, and along its route are replicas of George Vulliamy's decorative cast iron lamp standards of 1870, made for the Embankment. The LCC had a number cast in 1933 when County Hall was extended, and in 1964 a further 28 were cast and placed between County Hall and the South Bank. In the 1960s trees were planted on The Queen's Walk as memorials to war dead.
The promenade south of Westminster Bridge is separately designated as Albert Embankment and has good views of the Houses of Parliament. North of Westminster Bridge The Queen's Walk continues past the London Eye, erected in 2000, and flanks Jubilee Gardens (q.v.), opening to a broader area with London plane trees. Between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge the riverside has been re-modelled as part of improvements to the Royal Festival Hall. A circular stone sculpture by John Maine, 'Arena' (1983-88) was installed in the centre of the walkway near the Royal National Theatre, which was in built 1969-76 and has itself has undergone restoration works in the 1990s when the public square, Theatre Square, was created adjacent to The Queen's Walk. Other sculptures nearby include 'London Pride' by Frank Dobson, a cast made from the original commission for the Festival of Britain, which was installed near the National Theatre in 1987. The Walk leads on past Gabriel's Wharf, with a viewing platform constructed over the river, to Bernie Spain Gardens, landscaped in the 1980s, this phase of The Queen's Walk completed in the late 1980s. The final section between Bernie Spain Gardens and Blackfriars Bridge are within LB Southwark.
The Queen's Walk is on the circular Jubilee Walkway that was opened in 1977 for the Queen's Silver Jubilee and later re-launched in 2002 in celebration of her Golden Jubilee; a commemorative totem is found by Jubilee Gardens and Jubilee plaques are set into the pavement throughout the Walkway.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ312805 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Lambeth |
| Site Management | Friends of Jubilee Gardens |
| Dates | 1917; 1949-52; 1983 |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Royal Festival Hall. LBII*: County Hall (Riverside Building); South Bank Lion; Royal National Theatre; Waterloo Bridge; Westminster Bridge. LBII: London Pride sculpture; Riverside Wall and C19th Lampstandards by County Hall |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Lambeth |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | South Bank |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance (Thames) |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Thames Policy Area; Archaeological Priority Area, Lambeth Waterfront |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The garden was created on the former churchyard of St John, one of the four Waterloo Churches, and built in 1824. The churchyard's conversion to a public garden in 1877 is associated with Octavia Hill, and its early facilities were provided through the MPGA. It has been re-landscaped through the efforts of the Friends of St John's Churchyard working with St Mungo's Putting Down Roots gardening training scheme for homeless people, including a Parterre Garden that was formally opened in December 2006.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple is 1 of the 4 Inns of Court, along with Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn. It is possible that there have been gardens since the Knights Templar established themselves here in c.1160. Leased to students of the law since the C14th, in 1608 the land was granted by a Charter of James I to the Benchers of the Inner and Middle Temple. By the mid C15th the buildings and gardens had been separated into the Inner and the Middle Temple although formal division took place in 1732. Middle Temple's gardens and buildings were reworked in mid-late C17th when the gardens were enclosed by brick wall. They included a Benchers' Garden, terrace south of the Hall and the main Lower Garden below the terrace. In 1681-82 Fountain Court was formed; 2 mulberry trees were planted here in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The main garden today is little changed from 1870s when Victoria Embankment was constructed and doubled the area of the garden. Elm Court has a small formal garden with fountain; and Hare Court has Mediterranean-style planting.
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple is 1 of the 4 Inns of Court, along with Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn. It is possible that there have been gardens since the Knights Templar established themselves here in c.1160. Leased to students of the law since the C14th, in 1608 the land was granted by a Charter of James I to the Benchers of the Inner and Middle Temple. By the mid C15th the buildings and gardens had been separated into the Inner and the Middle Temple although formal division took place in 1732. Middle Temple's gardens and buildings were reworked in mid-late C17th when the gardens were enclosed by brick wall. They included a Benchers' Garden, terrace south of the Hall and the main Lower Garden below the terrace. In 1681-82 Fountain Court was formed; 2 mulberry trees were planted here in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The main garden today is little changed from 1870s when Victoria Embankment was constructed and doubled the area of the garden. Elm Court has a small formal garden with fountain; and Hare Court has Mediterranean-style planting.
Savoy Churchyard contains the former Chapel Royal that was built in 1510-16 as part of the Hospital of St John and restored after a fire in 1864/5. The Hospital was built near the site of the Savoy Palace built by Peter, future Count of Savoy on land granted by Henry III in 1245. The palace, later owned by John of Gaunt, was sacked during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, remaining derelict until 1505 when it was demolished. The churchyard is now laid out as a garden with an oval lawn surrounded by a stone plinth, shrubs and some fine trees, with gravestones on the perimeter.
