Vauxhall Gardens

Vauxhall Gardens
A prospect of Vauxhall Gardens in 1751
Location	London, SE11 England
Open	All year
Public transit access	Vauxhall

Vauxhall Gardens /ˈvɒksɔːl/ is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames.

Originally known as New Spring Gardens, it is believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660, being mentioned by Samuel Pepys in 1662. From 1785 to 1859, the site was known as Vauxhall, a pleasure garden and one of the leading venues for public entertainment in London from the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century. The Gardens consisted of several acres of trees and shrubs with attractive walks. Initially entrance was free, with food and drink being sold to support the venture.

It was accessed by boat until the erection of Vauxhall Bridge in the 1810s. The area was absorbed into the metropolis as the city expanded in the early to mid-19th century.

The site became Vauxhall Gardens in 1785 and admission was charged for its attractions. The Gardens drew enormous crowds, with its paths being noted for romantic assignations. Tightrope walkers, hot-air balloon ascents, concerts and fireworks provided entertainment. The rococo "Turkish tent" became one of the Gardens' structures, the interior of the Rotunda became one of Vauxhall's most viewed attractions, and the chinoiserie style was a feature of several buildings. A statue depicting George Frideric Handel in the Gardens later found its way to Westminster Abbey. In 1817, the Battle of Waterloo was re-enacted, with 1,000 soldiers participating.

It closed in 1840 after its owners suffered bankruptcy, but re-opened in 1841. It changed hands in 1842, and was permanently closed in 1859. The land was redeveloped in the following decades, but slum clearance in the late 20th century saw part of the original site open up as a public park. This was initially called Spring Gardens and renamed in 2012 as Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. It is managed as a public park by the London Borough of Lambeth.

Vauxhall Gardens is depicted in a tile motif at Vauxhall tube station by George Smith.^[1]