A model village exists in Vauxhall Park, yet few people seem to know about it.
Truth be told, calling it a village is a bit of a stretch — hamlet might be a better term for managing expectations.
Six houses, each around 1ft high, plus three smaller outbuildings, nestle amongst flower beds in an area no bigger then 10 x 10 metres. The houses were previously mock Tudor — white with black beams — but in 2018 they underwent a Suffragette-themed makeover, rendering them green, purple and white.
The houses look good for their age; they were made in 1949 and restored in 2001, before that most recent lick of paint. They lack the intricacy you'll find in a model village like the one at Bekonscot (the colours are punchy, the roofs particularly shiny) yet something about them puts us in mind of the animated French village in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
If you're looking for somewhere to play giants, this is not the place for you. Concrete paths between the houses exist as if the area was once explorable, but access is now prohibited by railings on one side and flora on the other. The odd rogue squirrel, uninhibited by human boundaries, breaks through, but other than that, interaction with the model houses is out of the question, for their own protection, no doubt.
As of summer 2024, the plants surrounding the houses have grown up considerably, partially obscuring the petite abodes from view.
Their position, overshadowed by all manner of trees, makes you feel as though you've discovered something special and secret. Despite being on the main footpath through the park, there are plenty of other things to distract your attention as you round the corner — a fountain and the children's park being top of the list — so it wouldn't be difficult to cross the park without noticing these modest dwellings.
If you do find yourself in Vauxhall Park on a sunny day, the human sundial just a few metres away in the Lavender Garden is also worth a visit. Stand on the stone in the middle, and the sun and your shadow will join forces to tell you the time. Alas, it was as grey as a badger on the day we visited, but the girl on the poster at the entrance to the park seemed to be having a whale of a time.
Vauxhall Model Village is best left for when you happen to find yourself in the area, rather than something to set out to explore. Overlooked by the shiny St George Wharf Tower and a couple of other high rise blocks of flats — with South West trains crammed full of suburban commuters whizzing past on viaducts in the middle distance — it does make you think; if these six humble abodes ever went on the market, they may well be the only affordable houses left in zone 1/2.
Vauxhall Model Village is free to visit and is open during the hours that the park is open.
