York Water Gate

the river used to reach right here

A grand 1626 watergate stranded in a park, marking how far inland the Thames once flowed before the Embankment was built.

Free to visit · Embankment · Embankment · WC2N 6NS

Opening: Daily, park hours

In a quiet corner of Victoria Embankment Gardens stands a beautiful ornamental archway that seems oddly out of place, marooned on dry land well back from the river. This is the York Water Gate, built in 1626 as the private river entrance to a grand mansion, where nobles would step straight from the gate into a waiting boat.

The puzzle of why it now sits a hundred metres from the water is the whole point. When the Victorians built the Embankment in the 1860s they reclaimed a wide strip of land from the Thames, pushing the river back and leaving the old gate high and dry. It is a free, vivid lesson in how much London has reshaped its own river.

Getting there: In Victoria Embankment Gardens, a short walk from Embankment station.

Best time to go: Any daylight hour, on a walk through Embankment Gardens.

Insider tip: Stand at the gate and look toward the river to picture how much land the Victorians reclaimed, the water once lapped right at these steps. It is an easy free add-on to a walk along the Embankment.

Free things to do in London · London Free Guide