Description
Riverside Walk Garden is on a triangular site bounded by Millbank and the Thames, overlooked by a row of terraced houses c.1843-45, part of Thomas Cubitt's Pimlico development. Millbank is named for the mill that stood here until 1730 when it was replaced by a private house, itself later demolished when the Millbank Penitentiary was built. Prisoners were held waiting deportation to Australia, and one of two large bollards remains, marking the gateway through which prisoners passed before boarding boats to Australia. The public gardens were created in 1965 when Riverwalk House was built, but underwent a complete re-landscaping in 2004, the new design reflecting the site's historical associations with the river and repositioning Henry Moore's bronze sculpture 'Locking Piece', on loan since 1968. Check current layout, re-landscaping 2016?
Practical Information
| Site location | Riverwalk House Gardens, Millbank |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW1P 4RP |
| What3Words | ///lawn.froth.lived |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Westminster |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Tube: Pimlico (Victoria). Bus: 87 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Riverside Walk Garden is on a sharp triangular site bounded by Millbank and the River Thames, and overlooked by a row of terraced houses c.1843-45, part of Thomas Cubitt's Pimlico development. Millbank is named for the mill that once stood here belonging to Westminster Abbey. In 1730 the mill was replaced by a private house, itself later demolished in the early C19th when the Millbank Penitentiary was built, where prisoners were held waiting deportation to Australia. One of two large bollards remains in the gardens, marking the gateway through which prisoners passed before boarding boats to Australia. The prison operated from 1816 - 1890 and was demolished in 1902 when the Tate Gallery was built.
The public gardens were created in 1965 when Riverwalk House was built, both office block and gardens designed by architects Falmer & Dark. Their design had, at its eastern tip, a series of interlocking concrete hexagonal forms forming an informal seating area somewhat reminiscent of both the old six-sided penitentiary and also the geological phenomenon, the 'Giants Causeway'. This provided a setting for the Henry Moore bronze sculpture 'Locking Piece of 1963/4, sited here since 1968, on loan from the Tate Gallery and Henry Moore Foundation. Beyond was a lawn and more seating in a curved concrete recess. The gardens underwent a complete redesign in 2004 with funding from the London Development Agency, Cross River Partnership, Government Office for London and the Henry Moore Foundation. The design focuses on the site's historical associations with the river, incorporating meandering grass terraces which represent the water that used to flow over the site prior to its infilling and allowing clear views of the river over the embankment wall from the new seating elements. The terraces are punctuated by angular paving features which relate to the wharfs that used to dominate this river bank. The Thames Path runs through the site and has been improved along this section. Constant lighting levels make the path safer to use after dark, which has been achieved through the installation of a specialist fibre-optic handrail along the embankment wall. Henry Moore's Locking Piece has been repositioned in the garden on a new plinth with uplighting, retaining and strengthening this feature as a local landmark.
The public gardens were created in 1965 when Riverwalk House was built, both office block and gardens designed by architects Falmer & Dark. Their design had, at its eastern tip, a series of interlocking concrete hexagonal forms forming an informal seating area somewhat reminiscent of both the old six-sided penitentiary and also the geological phenomenon, the 'Giants Causeway'. This provided a setting for the Henry Moore bronze sculpture 'Locking Piece of 1963/4, sited here since 1968, on loan from the Tate Gallery and Henry Moore Foundation. Beyond was a lawn and more seating in a curved concrete recess. The gardens underwent a complete redesign in 2004 with funding from the London Development Agency, Cross River Partnership, Government Office for London and the Henry Moore Foundation. The design focuses on the site's historical associations with the river, incorporating meandering grass terraces which represent the water that used to flow over the site prior to its infilling and allowing clear views of the river over the embankment wall from the new seating elements. The terraces are punctuated by angular paving features which relate to the wharfs that used to dominate this river bank. The Thames Path runs through the site and has been improved along this section. Constant lighting levels make the path safer to use after dark, which has been achieved through the installation of a specialist fibre-optic handrail along the embankment wall. Henry Moore's Locking Piece has been repositioned in the garden on a new plinth with uplighting, retaining and strengthening this feature as a local landmark.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ300783 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.29 |
| Site Ownership | WCC |
| Site Management | Parks Service (Contractors: Continental Landscapes Ltd) |
| Dates | 1960; 2004 |
| Designers | Falmer & Dark (1965); Plincke Landscape (2004) |
| 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 | Westminster |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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
Bessborough Gardens was once open fields in the vicinity of the Millbank Penitentiary. It was laid out as a garden for the surrounding terraces between 1841-43, a wedge-shaped enclosure with Holy Trinity Church to the south, now demolished. In 1982 the terraces were demolished for road improvements, replaced by new buildings in C19th style. New gardens were laid out within an irregular rectangle surrounded with modern railings, and contain several mature trees, a lawn crossed by stone and brick paths, seating areas and shrubberies. In the centre is the Queen Mother's Commemorative Fountain (1982), which incorporates a cast of one of George Vulliamy's dolphin lamp standard bases from the Embankment.
The Tate Gallery was built in 1897 named after Sir Henry Tate who gave his collection to the nation and paid for the building. The site selected was part of the former site of the Millbank Penitentiary, which was demolished in 1890. Areas of garden flank the main entrance and as the buildings have been successively enlarged, the landscaped areas have also been re-modelled over the years. In 2000 the gallery was re-dedicated to British art and renamed Tate Britain, when the new Tate Modern was constructed at the former Bankside Power Station.
Millbank Gardens is a rectangular public garden that was created as part of the LCC's Millbank Estate of 1897-1902, whose towering mansion blocks overlook the garden. The Millbank Estate was built on a site formerly that of the Millbank Penitentiary, which had been earmarked for public housing by a Royal Commission in 1885, with its road plan established in 1896. The estate streets are tree-lined, with planted courtyards between blocks of different shapes. Surrounded by modern railings, the public garden has paving and areas of grass with terraces in the centre and at each end. There are a number of trees and planted tubs, as well as bedding displays.
