London just soft launched a brand new embankment that’s been in the works for years

You hear a lot of things about London – prices going up, space going down, resources struggling, the list goes on. One thing it’s not famous for is getting bigger. But for the first time in decades, London’s Square Mile has just got bigger, and the River Fleet (Fleet Street’s namesake) just got a smidge longer.

Without any big ribbon-cutting ceremonies or unveilings, London’s Bazalgette Embankment just got quietly reopened after years of renovation. The space itself is a fairly sizeable walkway and plaza, running adjacent to the existing Victoria Embankment and Blackfriars Bridge.

Part of the Tideway project, it's named after the Victorian engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, who thought up the subterranean sewer system solution back in the day, which was instrumental in solving the Great Stink. To this day, his ‘super sewer’ has stopped raw waste from flowing into the streets and the river, keeping the city clean. The Tideway project is officially the Thames Tideway Tunnel – a 25km long sewer that runs under London.

The space is predominantly open, giving Londoners the opportunity to admire the Thames and South Bank, with the quiet (or as quiet as you can get in the city) views of London’s scenery. Dotted along the walkway are also a series of sculptures by artist Nathan Coley. As well as the open space, there are also pockets of green scattered across the embankment; a small woody area contains over 70 saplings and 3,000 plants, which will hopefully grow up to be the perfect shady spots come summer.

For the first time in an age, pedestrians will be able to wander by the riverside, right up to, under, and beyond Blackfriars bridges. Plus, it makes navigating your way around Temple so much easier.

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