York Water Gate
York Water Gate, Victoria Embankment Gardens, WC2
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1237938
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1958
- List Entry Name:
- York Water Gate
- Statutory Address:
- York Water Gate, Victoria Embankment Gardens, WC2
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-05-24
- Reference:
- IOE01/04378/30
- Rights:
- © Les Kerry. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1237938
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1958
- List Entry Name:
- York Water Gate
- Statutory Address 1:
- York Water Gate, Victoria Embankment Gardens, WC2
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- York Water Gate, Victoria Embankment Gardens, WC2
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- City of Westminster (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 30364 80471
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 9 March 2023 to amend the address and to reformat the text to current standards
TQ 3080 SW
83/11
CITY OF WESTMINSTER
VICTORIA EMBANKMENT
GARDENS (VILLIERS STREET SECTION) WC2
York Water Gate
(Formerly listed as GARDENS (VILLIERS STREET SECTION) SW1 York Water Gate)
24.2.58
I
Former Thameside water gate. 1626, executed by Nicholas Stone but the design also attributed to Sir Balthazar Gerbier; built as the watergate to York House where alterations were carried out at the same period by Gerbier for George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Portland stone. Tripartite monumental gateway in bold Franco-Flemish Baroque style, similar in design to the Fontaine de Medicis. The principal centre archway contains flight of river steps.
The south (former river) front is rusticated with central archway and smaller flanking arched loggias articulated by banded engaged Doric columns supporting deep entablature with large broken segmental pediment over raised centre, flanked by lions couchant. The north front has three arches, with carved cartouche keystones, articulated by pilasters supporting entablature and surmounted by spiked ball finials on pedestals.
R. C. H. M.
Survey of London: vol XVIII
Architecture in Britain 1530-1830: Sir John Summerson
Listing NGR: TQ3036480471
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 207405
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Summerson, J, Architecture in Britain 1530-1830, (1970)
Survey of London in The Strand The Parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields Part 2: Volume 18 , Vol. 18, (1937)
Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 17 Greater London
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 13:52:38.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.