Victoria Embankment The embankment here was part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette's remarkable piece of engineering that reclaimed land from the river in order to build a new sewer system and road above. Previously, London's waste and effluent flowed directly into the Thames, causing cholera epidemics and a foul smell which reached a tipping point with the "Great Stink" in 1858. Bazalgette's solution was to build a system that would dump the sewage much further down the Thames nearer to the estuary and also provide a road that would relieve congestion on the Strand and Fleet Street. Work began on the embankment in 1865. The public gardens that were laid out at the same time are still here, and contain a momument to Bazalgette himself. Links
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Listen to the audio clip to hear London author and tour guide Chris Roberts talking about the history of Victoria embankment. |