Vauxhall Park was opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales on land that had been bought for property speculation but instead was sold to the Metropolitan Board of Works after public action had sought its preservation. It was one of the first parks to be opened by the newly-formed London County Council. A number of houses originally stood on the site of the park. A prime mover was Octavia Hill, one of the founders of the National Trust. The model village is thought to date from the 1930s.
Angie Pearson reported in November 2015 that the Wheatsheaf Hall is no longer used by the Portuguese church or the Unity Baptist Church. It was in earlier times referred to a mission hall which used to feed the poor of Lambeth and housed the first public library in south London.