walk/tour
Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG
what3words: chemistry.lied.epic
This tour will explore themes of incarceration, reuse, and renewal focusing on the Millbank Penitentiary and Millbank Estate in Westminster. The walk will explore where the Penitentiary stood, its architectural style, its chequered history and its conditions for inmates. The walk will then take in Millbank Estate, its origins, design, and its physical connection with the Penitentiary.
Pimlico
Vauxhall
88, C10
Locals.media.maple
Meet: at the ain entrance to Tate Britain, Atterbury Street.
The walk will mainly take place on peaceful streets and there will be places to sit or lean on the route. It will finish opposite a pub.
Walking tour
10:00–11:45
How to book
Bookings will open at midday on 19 August. You won't be able to book a ticket before then.
The 12 stop walk will last approximately 1.5hrs and the route will take in the boundary of the Millbank Penitentiary and key parts of the Millbank Estate. The walk will end by the Thames and the Morpeth Arms, for those needing some sustenance! The walk is largely on the flat, with just a few steps, and there are places to sit and lean on the way. If you are running late, our first stop is located at whats3words - fades.help.rice - between the Tate Britain and Millbank Tower opposite the Thames
Overlooking the Thames, the Tate Britain stands majestically, enjoying a pleasant and tranquil location. It may come as a surprise to learn that the site was once occupied by an altogether different place… a place of dread and great suffering known as the Millbank Penitentiary. But how and why did a place of incarceration and transportation of inmates to Australian penal colonies come to be in this place, built on land belonging to Westminster Abbey? This walk will unpack the story of Millbank Penitentiary, its inmates, and ultimately its demise as a place of incarceration.
In addition to the Tate Britain, the Millbank Estate sits on the site of the old Millbank Penitentiary. This estate was built between 1897 and 1902, and many of its original working class residents included London County Council employees, who had come from the West End following the demolition of slum housing in the area. Remnants of the Millbank Penitentiary are visible today in the estate. In addition, many of the architectural features and physical properties of the Estate evoke the arts and crafts style of design. The planting of plentiful trees adds to the environment. We will explore key locations in the estate on the walk which demonstrate reuse and its connection with the Millbank Penitentiary.
The Millbank Penitentiary and Millbank Estate will forever be connected. The vacant land provided by the demolition of the Penitentiary in the late 19th century afforded an opportunity for visionary urban planners of the day to start afresh, renew, and build something in its place for the new 20th century. Via its construction and garden spaces, they contributed to the connection of the two sites and their historical and townscape importance. Towards the end of the walk, we will pause for a moment of reflection in Millbank Gardens and have a short discussion on this theme.
Drop in
community/cultural, military
A Grade 2 listed former Territorial Army Drill Hall featuring restored elements of the original 1882 design. It has a triple height central hall with the restored wrought iron balconies and roofing. Notable Neo-Georgian design brickwork. It is also unique in being the last ever military drill hall built in the UK.
Oliver Hill RIBA, 1952
