Garden · England · Demolished

Vauxhall Gardens

Vauxhall Gardens was an extensive pleasure garden on the south bank of the Thames in Kennington, London, famous from the mid-17th to mid-19th centuries for concerts, supper boxes, fireworks and large public entertainments. Under Jonathan Tyers and later proprietors it comprised formal allées, groves, promenades, pavilions in chinoiserie and rococo taste, and specialised structures such as the Rotunda, a Turkish tent and a Gothic orchestra. It closed permanently in 1859; the site is now a public park.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1786

Today

Demolished

As it stood in 1786

What Vauxhall Gardens looked like in its prime.

A several-acre urban pleasure ground laid out with formal allées and radiating walks, densely planted groves and a central circular parterre; scattered small pavilions and supper-boxes in rococo and chinoiserie styles, a cylindrical Rotunda with richly painted interior, a Turkish tent and a Gothic-style orchestra. Materials are timber and painted boarding for many follies, with some masonry pavilions; open lawns and a large open ground for fireworks and balloon ascents; approaches from the Thames and a low enclosing boundary.

Step inside

11 places to explore in 1786.

The record describes 11 distinct spots at Vauxhall Gardens, including 2 interiors: rotunda interior, supper boxes and supper-room. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Main street entrance (approach from Lambeth Road)Riverside landing and boat approachCentral circular parterre and radiating pathsPrincipal allée, night illuminationRotunda interiorSupper boxes and supper-roomTurkish Tent (exterior)Gothic orchestra stageFirework ground and balloon ascent areaClose walks (wilderness) and secluded lanesStatue of Handel in the grounds

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