London's Vauxhall, Nine Elms and the New US Embassy

A Jolly Splendid Walk around Vauxhall and Nine Elms with Joolz
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Joolz Guides goes to find out in this London Walking Tour of Vauxhall.

New American Embassy in Nine Elms

Donald Trump recently said, “The reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!"

The building is surrounded by a moat deep enough to stop a large vehicle while concrete bollards are hidden in hedges. The building itself is encased in 15cm thick bomb proof glass while plastic sails are in place to reduce solar glare.

Nine Elms has for many years been used for industrial purposes, populated by warehouses, scrap yards, garages

Two new London Underground stations to serve the area are also under construction and a pedestrian bridge across the Thames to the north has also been agreed.

There is also a planned Sky Pool in Embassy Gardens so you will be able to swim from one building to another!

Vauxhall Bridge (as seen in Spectre)

Wooden remnants of original bridge 1500 BC 
Oldest in situ structure in london 
Tyburn and Efra and Thames met here so it was a sacred place and was a spiritual bridge.
Bridge between spiritual and material. God and man.
Link between bridges and the sacred still exists. The pope is called Pontifex Bridge builder.

The new Bridge was built 1811 - first iron bridge across Thames and then rebuilt with bronze statues of women representing Agriculture architecture, pottery Local Government, education Astronomy

Name Vauxhall

King John’s Knight Falkes De Breaute. Acquired land here and built a house called Falkes Hall
1857 - Alex Wilson Vauxhall Car founded in Vauxhall Ironworks
Griffin was Falkes do Breaute family coat of arms

Oval Cricket Ground

Opened in 1845
Used to be like an allotment for the Duchy of Cornwall to grow vegetables and sell them.
Leased it for a cricket ground in 1844
1872 - First England v Scotland Rugby match in England AND first FA cup final between Wanderers and Royal Engineers of Chatham. Wanderers won 1 - 0.
1880 first England v Australia match (WG Grace-152)
1882 - England lost to Aus (first time ever they lost at home)
Journalist wrote obituary in Sporting times.
“In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval 29th August 1882. The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia"
When England played in Australia the Aussies gave us an urn with the ashes of a bail.
Ashes kept in Lords.

Harleyford Road Stretcher Railings

ARP - Air Raid Precautions.
Stretchers made to carry people injured in blitz
600 000 stretcher made out of metal for easy sterilisation  in event of gas attack.
Stretcher Railing Society

Spring Gardens

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens - Opened in 1661 
One of London’s finest entertainment venues
Samuel Pepys and Samuel Johnson came here to see fireworks displays, illuminated fountains and concerts.
19th century famous for Balloon ascents 
1836 Monck Mason, Charles Green and Robert Holland took off and landed in Germany the next day!

Gardens were so famous -  it’s the reason for Russian word for railway.
Russia’s first railways went from St Petersburg to their pleasure gardens at Pavlovsk which were called Vokzal in recognition of these ones in London.
So going to Vokzal became associated with the first ever railways station and they started using the word to refer to any railway station!

Closed in 1859 because - you guessed it- because a haunt for prostitutes.

Vauxhall City Farm also has pigs, geese, chickens and horses.

Opposite is the M.I.6 building as seen in James Bond film SPECTRE where it gets blown up. It is bullet and bomb proof.

[Joolzguides]

Thanks everyone....one of these days I'll be a

[thelastpilot]

My wife and I (pensioners) would have loved to take your tours when we were younger but now are working our way through your vids. I think you are the most amazing and entertaining character I have ever come across.

[Annur]

Your walks and visits are lots of fun! Congratulations, keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing!

[robertbell]

Fascinating stuff, Julian, as always. I do like the newish modern flats which you aren't so keen on; I'm not so keen on the prices!!! Brunswick House looks beautiful; shame about the backdrop. Very interesting about the stretcher/railings. I don't remember that bridge being so colourful. I once lived not so far from there on Wandsworth Rd, I think it was. Very interesting about the Pleasure Gardens. I now know where the MI6 building is. I loved London for there always being something interesting to look at; so much to see & do, made all the more interesting by your fascinating commentary. Thanks again.

[tomhedger]

Definately should call it the Borg Cube.

[PeterWelch-oy]

Great stuff as usual! But you missed a trick, down in Vauxhall there was the old "Kennington Palace" built and occupied by the "Black Prince", Edward prince of Wales (father of Richard II). I think there is a Black Prince pub around the corner from where the palace used to be and there are a few base remnants of it. There may even be a plaque of some sort ;)

[fredtan]

I just came across your vlogs and it brought back memories of my stay in W9 London . I was studying and working from 63-70 and I really loved it . God Bless you . from Malaysia

[MajorKlanga]

Some nerdy facts about Vauxhall : it was originally the Vauxhall Iron Works, based in Vauxhall obviously and then moved to Luton to expand capacity. Until recently, Vauxhall was part of General Motors and made badge engineered Opels (a German brand). Vauxhall and Opel were recently sold to Peugeot. In the USA, there wasn't a direct equivalent of Vauxhall although some of their models were sold as market orientated Chevrolets and Buicks.

[suecox]

Fascinating about the stretcher fences and I've often wondered vaguely about what the heck the ashes were!.

[Magicalmike]

Hi Joolz watching this in 2021 .Interesting to see Harleyford Road as I had friend there in the 80s also the squats in Bonnington Square .My understanding was that ILEA had owned properties in Bonnington Square and went bankrupt hence squatting. Also in those days squatters had first right to buy if they could arrange a mortgage etc. Stunning three storey houses a little tranquil spot so close to the action.

[Kbm]

just came across your video. my wife and i are staying in Vauxhall for a week. Starting next week. we cant wait. its our seconded time in London. Great video

[chrishoo]

After watching this episode I told my Russian colleagues about Vauxhall & they were all amazed because they didn’t know the story!

[KypHeM]

So glad seeing your channel doing great. Your documentary about the Pitcairn Island is the best.

[nickmacdonald]

The Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens once had concerts for those attending the place. These werecalled the Promenade Concerts and were later revived by Sir Henry Wood and his Proms are the successors to those earlier concerts.

[Marianapj]

Your videos are amazing !!! Thank you so much to share it with us!

[colinp]

Found it! I was so pleased that you were around Bonnington Square and the Italo. On a warm day it's great to go and sit outside there with a coffee and a good book and just relax. You could have shown the walkway next to the station with all the history plaques that describe the area over different ages, and the homeless thay live under the tracks there.
Ironic that the Ashes are housed at Lords.

[dv]

I just found your site today/ you are so very well informed/ great videos.
However did you gain so much knowledge and where did you go to school/ Eaton/ Cambridge?
Will look for more.

[billrankin]

Vauxhall in the USA is GM (general motors) and Opel in the rest of europe

[JamesJohnson-bopt]

Wonderful to see a new video Joolz. Did they leave the Eisenhower and Churchill statues in place on the grounds of the old embassy? If they are on offer would look great in my garden! Cheerio!

[ofaninchofbrain]

These films you make really are very good. I'm amazed that you don't have at least a million subscribers.