Francis Webb Shields, a civil engineer, designed the Victoria Embankment in 1861 and submitted his designs to a Royal Commission. His scheme was accepted, and the Metropolitan Board of Works carried out the construction, led by Joseph Bazalgette, starting in 1865 and completing in 1870. The Victoria Embankment is one of three embankments, including the Albert Embankment and the Chelsea Embankment, that were built to provide London with a modern sewerage system and to alleviate traffic congestion on the Strand and Fleet Street.

The embankment was constructed by building out onto the River Thames’ foreshore, which required the purchase and demolition of expensive riverside property. The construction involved facing the embankment with granite and building penstocks to release diluted sewage during rainstorms and flush mud banks. The embankment was also the location for the cut-and-cover tunnel for the District Railway, which was roofed over to support the roadway.

Two public gardens were created at ground level, containing many statues, including one of Bazalgette. The Victoria section of the Embankment was the most complex and significant of the three, stretching from Hungerford Bridge to Waterloo Bridge and including a large bandstand for musical performances and the 1626 watergate of the former York House.

The Victoria Embankment officially opened on 13 July 1870, with the total cost of construction estimated to be £1 710 000, including property purchases and materials. Today, the term "the Embankment" usually refers to the Victoria Embankment section.



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