The road originally ran in a straight line parallel to the river, with views between the pavilion blocks of the hospital to the Thames.

[2] The purpose was to create a new highway and open space, and to help even out irregularities in the riverfront (since malodorous mud accumulated[3] in the wider places).

In fact the Albert Embankment was built on arches to permit vessels to continue to access landside business premises, such as draw docks; these already had their own defensive walls — as did most of the tidal Thames.

This allowed the southern section of the embankment (upstream from Lambeth Bridge) to include a pair of tunnels onto a small slipway, named White Hart Draw Dock, whose origins can be traced back to the 14th century.

[9] This is contrary to the popular myth that the dock was built and used by the nearby Royal Doulton's pottery works to transport clay and finished goods to and from the Port of London.

From spring 2009, refurbishment of White Hart Dock commenced as part of an ongoing public art project being delivered by Lambeth council.

[12] The name refers to the commercial cultivation of lavender on the gentle north-facing slopes of this part of the Thames estuary – helped by well-drained soil, fresh air and several natural springs.

After the 1780s a few large villas were built on the hillside, owned by wealthy residents attracted by the expansive views over Battersea Fields and the Thames towards London.

The clean air and supply of fresh water meant Lavender Place became home in the early-to-mid nineteenth century to several laundresses, who bleached and dried linen on the grassland behind the houses.

By 1885 it was such a busy commercial district that Arding & Hobbs, the largest department store south of the River Thames, was built.

The imposing Church of the Ascension, designed by James Brooks, was built in 1883 to cater to the growing population of the neighbouring Shaftesbury Estate.

The film was so-named because the lead character, Henry Holland, lives in a seedy boarding house on the street, the 'Balmoral Private Hotel' where he and fellow resident (and foundry owner) Alfred Pendlebury meet and hatch the 'perfect' plot to steal a load of gold bullion.

[24] Lavender Hill is featured with a chapter of its own in the historical novel London by Edward Rutherfurd, with descriptions of it in the 19th century from the pre-industrial era.

In 1967 the English group The Kinks recorded a whimsical song entitled "Lavender Hill" which may have been under consideration as a follow-up single to Waterloo Sunset,[25] but was rejected in favour of Autumn Almanac.

The song was eventually released in the U.S. in 1973 on The Great Lost Kinks Album, and has been described as "a southerner's counterpoint to the Beatles' Penny Lane".

Its architecture is dominated by the landmark Arding & Hobbs building (the greater part of which is still a department store, now Debenhams), a number of restaurants and cafes (including a branch of Pizza Express with decoration loosely themed on The Lavender Hill Mob).

There are also clusters of shops from sectors including cycling, music equipment, interior design, decorators merchants, and contemporary furniture.

In 2011, Wandsworth Borough Council completed the first phase of the Clapham Junction Exemplar project, which extensively de-cluttered and upgraded the streetscape of the western part of Lavender Hill to make it a more attractive and welcoming retail environment.

Some small sites continued into the early 2000s (with manufacturers such as Rotoplas precision engineering on Stormont Road); however, almost all industrial land has been converted to residential development as the area has gentrified.

Lavender Hill is in the centre of a high density middle class residential neighbourhood, of predominantly Victorian architecture, including the large Shaftesbury Park Estate.