This article is about the town of Vauxhall, for Vauxhall the vehicle manufacturer, see Vauxhall Motors. Vauxhall Motors is the UK subsidiary of General Motors. ...

Vauxhall is an area of London in the London Borough of Lambeth. On the south bank of the River Thames, across the water from the Tate Britain art gallery and the House of Commons. This article is about the map grid references in the UK. For the Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... A borough is a political division originally used in England. ... The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in inner southwest London. ... The division into counties is one of the larger divisions of England. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The region (sometimes known as Government Office Region) is currently the highest level of local government in England. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The Home Nations is a name to collectively describe the four nations of the United Kingdom: the countries of England, Scotland and Wales, and the province of Northern Ireland. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to administrative counties of England. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The traditional counties of England are historic subdivisions of the country into around 40 regions. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, one of the Home Counties. It is divided into a number of districts - Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Waverley, Woking, and borders on Hampshire, Berkshire, Greater London, Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... Australian postcodes are covered in the article List of postal codes in Australia. ... SW8 is the postcode for South Lambeth in the London Borough of Lambeth SW8 is also the postcode for the Nine Elms area of the London Borough of Wandsworth The post town for this postcode is LONDON. Categories: London geography stubs | London postal districts | Lambeth ... London SE1 is the London postal district covering the area of central London south of the river Thames, between Vauxhall Bridge and St Saviours Dock, which is just to the east of Tower Bridge. ... SE11 is the postcode for Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... Greater London and the Regions of England. ... The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in inner southwest London. ... Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Tate Britain is a part of the Tate Gallery in Britain, along with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. ... In some bicameral parliaments of a Westminster System, the House of Commons has historically been the name of the elected lower house. ...

It is hard to exactly define Vauxhall as an area - what some would call Vauxhall others would call Kennington, South Lambeth, Nine Elms, North Lambeth, Oval or Stockwell. Most people would agree however that Vauxhall encompasses the area immediately around Vauxhall station. Kennington is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... An oval or ovoid was originally an egg shape (from Latin OVVM); it is now usually used to refer to ellipses, but can also mean any similar shape, such as egg shapes or race-course shapes (a semicircle on either side of a quadrilateral). ... Stockwell is an inner city area in the South West of London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ...     Categories: Victoria Line stations | London Underground stubs | London railway stations | British railway stations ...

History of Vauxhall

There is no mention of Vauxhall in the 1086 Domesday Book. The area formed part of the extensive Manor of South Lambeth. From various accounts three local roads, the South Lambeth Road, Clapham Road (previously called Merton Road) and Wandsworth Road (previously called Kingston Road) were ancient and well known routes to and from London. The area was flat and marshy with parts poorly drained by ditches. The area only started to be developed in the mid 18th century. Prior to this it provided market garden produce for the nearby City of London. Domesday Book (also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester), was the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William the Conqueror, that was like a census by the government today. ... For the village in Bedfordshire, see Clapham, Bedfordshire. ... Merton may refer to People Paul Merton, British actor Robert Merton, economist Robert K. Merton sociologist Thomas Merton, American Cistercian monk and author Walter de Merton, Bishop of Rochester, England and founder of Merton College Places in England The London Borough of Merton Merton College, Oxford Merton Park, a suburb... Wandsworth is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth by the River Thames in south London. ... Places called Kingston include: in Australia Kingston, Tasmania Kingston, Victoria Kingston on Murray, South Australia Kingston SE, South Australia (named to differentiate it from Kingston on Murray) Kingston, Australian Capital Territory Kingston, Norfolk Island, the capital of the territory in Canada Kingston, New Brunswick Kingston, Nova Scotia Kingston, Ontario in... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The City of London forms the historic and financial centre of Greater London. ...

The lands on which modern Vauxhall now stands belonged in the thirteenth century to Margaret de Redvers, a wealthy widow. She married Fulk le Breant, a mercenary soldier who was made Sheriff of Oxford and Hertford by King John, for services rendered. He was also granted the Manor of Luton, and adopted a griffin emblem as part of his coat of arms. The house they built was named Fulk's Hall, which name was gradually corrupted over time, first to Fox Hall, then Vaux Hall and finally Vauxhall. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... This article is about Hertford in England. ... This article is about the Shakespearian play. ... Luton is a town in England, located 50km north of central London and officially part of the East of England region. ... Roman griffon, Turkey The griffin (also spelled gryphon, griffon or gryphin) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion, the head of an eagle and the ears of a horse or a donkey. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

Vauxhall was home to the once divine Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London's playground for two centuries. The arrival of the London and South Western Railway in the 1840s saw Vauxhall becoming a high-residence, light industrial area, the gardens broken up. In 1857 the Vauxhall Iron Works was founded in the area, to build industrial machinery. The company adopted a modified form of Fulk le Breant's griffin as its emblem, and later became Vauxhall Motors. Six Flags New England, an amusement park in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1840 to 1923. ... Events and Trends First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi New Zealand. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Vauxhall Motors is the UK subsidiary of General Motors. ...

Vauxhall today

Now a major transport hub within minutes of central London, Vauxhall was neglected for many years. Many of its streets were also destroyed during World War II or through poor city planning. To many Londoners, Vauxhall has been seen merely as a bleak place of transit. However, a significant — and fast growing — community lives here. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Much of the area is Vauxhall contains light industry (like New Covent Garden flower and vegetable markets) as well as offices and government buildings. Many companies and organisations were attracted in the past by Vauxhall's central location and comparatively cheap rental prices when compared to Westminster and office blocks such as the Millbank Tower which can be seen across the river from Vauxhall. Vauxhall has a high security service presence - it houses MI6, Britain's foreign spy service, and a number of other policing agencies. Westminster is the name of a city that covers much of central London, located to the west of the ancient City of London, and which has been the principal seat of government in England for more than nine hundred years. ... Millbank Tower, from the north Millbank Tower from the south, taken from Vauxhall bridge. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), more commonly known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence [section] 6), or Her Majestys Secret Service or just the Secret Service, is the British external security agency. ... Spy and secret agent redirect here; for alternate use, see Spy (disambiguation) and Secret agent (disambiguation). ...

Housing and population of Vauxhall

Most Vauxhall dwellers live in social housing — mostly quality low-rise, 1930s stock of four or five stories. Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented First atom was split with a particle accelerator Golden Age of radio begins in U.S. Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur...

There are several 'gentrified' areas and smart roads of terraced town houses such as Fentiman Road are well known desirable locations. Vauxhall is home to many Members of Parliament and others such as civil servants connected with the government of Britain owing to its proximity to the House of Commons and Whitehall. Perhaps owing to this Vauxhall is one of the few places 'South of the river' that London taxi drivers are willing to go to. Some 18th and 19th century property also survives — most famously Bonnington Square, a community which emerged from the 1970s/ 1980s squat scene in London, and remains mostly housing co-operatives today. In some bicameral parliaments of a Westminster System, the House of Commons has historically been the name of the elected lower house. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament For other places with the same name see Whitehall (disambiguation) Whitehall is a road in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, running two-thirds of the distance from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square; the other third constitutes Parliament Street. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... The word squat has different meanings: The act of occupying a building without permission, as practiced by a squatter. ...

There is a significant Portuguese community in the area and many Portuguese restaurants and bars in South Lambeth Road and surrounding area.

The late 1990s/early 2000s explosion in London property prices has led to a boom in riverside developments and property re-developments, such as the large St George Wharf development by Vauxhall Bridge. Notorious ex-MP and criminal Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare is a noted Vauxhall resident, living in a large penthouse on the river. Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... Major controversy over U.S. presidential election, 2000 September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack on New Yorks World Trade Center and Virginias Pentagon killing over 3000 people. ... Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born April 15, 1940) is the successful author of a number of popular novels, raised considerable sums for charities, was a former MP and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, who was later convicted of perjury. ...

The impact of new house building — and the rise in house prices — is creating a dramatic change in Vauxhall's make-up. As the numbers living here rise steeply, long-term Vauxhall residents are being driven out of the area, replaced with moneyed people.

Vauxhall community facilities

Vauxhall Park [1] (http://www.vauxhallpark.org.uk/) contains an area of miniature model houses (also found in Melbourne Australia) as well as tennis courts, one o'clock club and childrens' playground. It is open daily for recreation and has an open day once a year.

St Peter's Church in Kennington Lane [2] (http://www.stpeters-vauxhall.net) was designed by John Loughborough Pearson who was architect at Rochester, Bristol, Peterborough, Lincoln Cathedrals and designed Truro (Cornwall) and Brisbane (Australia) Cathedrals. Today the church acts as a community centre and arts venue as well as a church. Next to the St Peter's is Vauxhall City Farm which has many farm animals and pets. John Loughborough Pearson (1817-1897) was a 19th century architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. ...

Vauxhall 'Gay Village'

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern a well-known gay venue

Vauxhall is home to several gay bars and nightclubs such as The Hoist, Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Crash and various other centred around the Vauxhall station area. The presence of London's only gay gym (the Paris Gym), the burgeoning club scene and the recent opening of several shops serving the gay community have resulted in the ironic nickname of "Vauxhall village" being applied to the area. Royal Vauxhall Tavern taken by C Ford 6th March 04. ... Royal Vauxhall Tavern taken by C Ford 6th March 04. ...

Vauxhall Cross

Vauxhall Cross dominates the Vauxhall area. It is immediately to the south-east of Vauxhall Bridge where six major roads converge, including the Albert Embankment which exits the Cross to the north, and which is the southernmost point of entry into the London Congestion Charge area. Vauxhall Bridge with MI6 building in background Vauxhall Bridge is a steel arched bridge for road and foot traffic, crossing the River Thames in a north-west south-east orientation, between Lambeth Bridge and Grosvenor Bridge, in central London. ... The Albert Embankment is a stretch of the river bank on the south side of the River Thames in central London. ... The white on red C marks all entrances to the Congestion Charge zone. ...

Vauxhall Cross is the site of the central headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), which occupies purpose built offices erected between 1989 and 1992 and commonly referred to as Vauxhall Cross. More recently, a large complex of apartments and offices has been built to the south of Vauxhall Bridge. The SIS building at Vauxhall Cross, London, seen from Vauxhall Bridge The SIS building, seen from Millbank The opposite side of the building, seen from Vauxhall Cross The SIS Building, also commonly known as the MI6 Building, is the headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), more commonly known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence [section] 6), or Her Majestys Secret Service or just the Secret Service, is the British external security agency. ...

SIS Headquarters

Interestingly the James Bond film Die Another Day featured the fictional undergound station Vauxhall Cross which seems to be on a special branch of the Picadilly Line - presumably it was so that James Bond could commute to MI6 easily. MI6 HQ at Vauxhall taken by C Ford 6th March 04. ... MI6 HQ at Vauxhall taken by C Ford 6th March 04. ... James Bond, also known as 007 (double-oh seven), is a sophisticated fictional character and British spy created by writer Ian Fleming. ...

Vauxhall Cross was described as "one of the most unpleasant road junctions in South London", in Nikolaus Pevsner's architectural guide to London. Throughout the 2002 to 2004 period, the Cross has been undergoing a gradual redesign to accommodate a bus interchange linked to the Vauxhall mainline railway and tube stations, both of which are located to the south-eastern end of the cross. Work has involved design changes to traffic lanes, improved pedestrian and cycle crossings, refurbishment of walkways beneath the mainline railway viaduct, and the construction of a bus station, completed in December 2004 featuring an undulating steel-frame canopy and ribbed steel walls. An interesting feature of the canopy is a series of photoelectric cells generating electricity to offset that used by the bus station. Nikolaus Pevsner (January 30, 1902 - August 18, 1983) was a German-born British historian of art and, especially, architecture. ...     Categories: Victoria Line stations | London Underground stubs | London railway stations | British railway stations ...

Vauxhall Parliamentary Constituency

Since the abolition of the Lambeth Central constituency, the Vauxhall constituency has included all of Kennington and Stockwell and the northern areas of Clapham and Brixton as well as the area commonly known as Vauxhall. Kennington is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... Stockwell is an inner city area in the South West of London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... For the village in Bedfordshire, see Clapham, Bedfordshire. ... Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth. ...

The MP for Vauxhall since a 1989 bye-election is Kate Hoey (Labour). Ms Hoey was returned with a 9,977 majority over her Liberal Democrat challenger in the 2005 General Election. The Vauxhall area has traditionally been left wing and represented by Labour Members of Parliament. The local government wards of Vauxhall and Kennington are now represented by Liberal Democrats on Lambeth Council. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... Catharine Letitia Hoey, known as Kate Hoey (born June 21, 1946) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on 5 May 2005, just over three weeks after the dissolution of Parliament on 11 April by Queen Elizabeth II, at the request of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. A ward in England is an electoral district represented by... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in inner southwest London. ...

Vauxhall — the Russian connection

There are competing theories as to why the Russian word for a railway station is vokzal, pronounced very similarly to Vauxhall. It has been long suggested that a Russian delegation visited the area to inspect the construction of the London and South Western Railway in 1840, and mistook the name of the location for a generic title of the building type. The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1840 to 1923. ...

A more likely explanation, however, is that the first Russian railway, constructed in 1837, ran from St Petersburg via Tsarskoye Selo to Pavlovsk, where extensive Pleasure Gardens had earlier been established. In 1838 a music and entertainment pavilion was constructed at the railway terminus. This pavilion was called the Vokzal (Russian spelling of "Vauxhall") in homage to its famous London predecessor. The name soon came to be applied to the station itself, which was most visitor's gateway to the gardens, and later came to mean any substantial railway station building (a different Russian word, stantsiya, is used for minor stations). 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... Tsarskoye Selo (Царское Село in Russian, may be translated as “Tsar’s Village”), a former residence of the royal families and visiting nobility 24 km south of St. ... Pavlovsk (Russian: Павловск) is a town situated in the Leningrad oblast, Russia, 30 km from St. ... Six Flags New England, an amusement park in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Nearest places:

• Kennington
• Oval
• Pimlico
• Stockwell
• Camberwell
• Walworth
• Newington

Nearest tube stations: Kennington is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... This article is about the London district of Pimlico. ... Stockwell is an inner city area in the South West of London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... For other uses of the name Camberwell, see Camberwell (disambiguation). ... Walworth is a place in the London Borough of Southwark, between Camberwell and Elephant and Castle. ... Newington is a place in the London Borough of Southwark. ...

• Vauxhall station
• Kennington tube station
• Oval tube station
• Pimlico tube station

    Categories: Victoria Line stations | London Underground stubs | London railway stations | British railway stations ... Categories: Northern Line stations | London Underground stubs ... Categories: Victoria Line stations | London Underground stubs ...

External links

• The Vauxhall Society (http://www.vauxhallsociety.org.uk)
• A Strange Connection, between a garden, a train station and a composer (http://www.ludwigvanweb.com/navigation/1,1270,18-9-1,00.html)
• Michael Carter, "Vauxhall Gardens Revisit'd" (http://www.wual.ua.edu/carter_page_02.asp)
• Vauxhall Bus Terminal (http://www.geocities.com/londondestruction/vauxhall.html) - A critical critique