Description
Vauxhall has a combination of 20th century and Victorian housing supplemented by recent developments of riverside walks and apartments supported by a hub of road and rail transport at Vauxhall Cross.
It has become known as south London's gay village and also is home to the headquarters of MI6, the secret intelligence service. The New Covent Garden flower and vegetable market is at Nine Elms close to the location of the new American Embassy and the Embassy Gardens Development.
There is enormous amount of development taking place in and around Vauxhall Cross and along Nine Elms Lane including the American Embassy, Chinese Dutch Embassies and further West regeneration of Battersea Power Station including 500,000 sq ft
History
The name Vauxhall is said to derive from the Norman owner of the land in the 13th century. Falkes Hall became Fox Hall and later Vauxhall. Samuel Pepys describes a trip to Fox Hall in the 17th century. Vauxhall was the site of pleasure gardens renowned throughout Europe and developed as a residential area in the 18th century when the Lambeth Marsh was drained and Westminster Bridge was built. Vauxhall Bridge was built later, in 1816.
The area was heavily bombed in World War 2 but Brunswick House, built in 1758, remains and is just south of Vauxhall Bridge.
The Vauxhall car company started here in 1897 and used the Griffin badge of the Falkes family as its emblem.
Leisure & Amenities
Places to go and things to do:
- Vauxhall City Farm
- Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery
Active Life:
- Riverside walks
- Spring Gardens
Eating and drinking ideas:
- Royal Vauxhall Tavern
- Fire nightclub
- Brunswick House Cafe
- Vauxhall Street Food Garden
- Barcode
Transport
- Vauxhall underground station is on the Victoria line
- Vauxhall rail station serves South West trains.
- Vauxhall Cross bus station