INTRODUCTION 1
I. CLERKENWELL AND CENTRAL GROUP
ISLINGTON SPA, OR NEW TUNBRIDGE WELLS 15
THE PANTHEON, SPA FIELDS 25
THE LONDON SPA 29
THE NEW WELLS, NEAR THE LONDON SPA 33
THE ENGLISH GROTTO, OR GROTTO GARDEN, ROSOMAN STREET 37
THE MULBERRY GARDEN, CLERKENWELL 40
SADLER’S WELLS 43
MERLIN’S CAVE 54
BAGNIGGE WELLS 56
“LORD COBHAM’S HEAD” 68
“SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE” TAVERN AND GARDENS 70
ST. CHAD’S WELL, BATTLE BRIDGE 72
BOWLING GREEN HOUSE, NEAR THE FOUNDLING HOSPITAL 75
ADAM AND EVE TEA GARDENS, TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD 77
THE PEERLESS POOL 81
THE SHEPHERD AND SHEPHERDESS, CITY ROAD 86
THE SPRING GARDEN, STEPNEY 88
II. MARYLEBONE GROUP
MARYLEBONE GARDENS 93
§ 1. Origin of Marylebone Gardens 93
§ 2. Marylebone Gardens, 1738–1763 95
§ 3. The Gardens under Thomas Lowe 101
§ 4. Later History, 1768–1778 103
THE QUEEN’S HEAD AND ARTICHOKE 111
THE JEW’S HARP HOUSE AND TEA GARDENS 113
THE YORKSHIRE STINGO 115
BAYSWATER TEA GARDENS 117
III. NORTH LONDON GROUP
PANCRAS WELLS 123
ADAM AND EVE TEA GARDENS, ST. PANCRAS 127
THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE, KENTISH TOWN 129
WHITE CONDUIT HOUSE 131
DOBNEY’S BOWLING GREEN, OR PROSPECT HOUSE 141
BELVIDERE TEA GARDENS, PENTONVILLE ROAD 145
THE CASTLE INN AND TEA GARDENS, COLEBROOKE ROW, ISLINGTON 147
THREE HATS, ISLINGTON 148
BARLEY MOW TEA HOUSE AND GARDENS, ISLINGTON 153
CANONBURY HOUSE TEA GARDENS 154
COPENHAGEN HOUSE 156
HIGHBURY BARN 161
THE DEVIL’S HOUSE, HOLLOWAY 167
HORNSEY WOOD HOUSE 169
THE SPRING GARDEN, STOKE NEWINGTON 172
THE BLACK QUEEN COFFEE HOUSE AND TEA GARDENS, SHACKLEWELL 173
IV. HAMPSTEAD GROUP
HAMPSTEAD WELLS 177
THE SPANIARDS 184
NEW GEORGIA 187
BELSIZE HOUSE 189
KILBURN WELLS 194
V. CHELSEA GROUP
RANELAGH HOUSE AND GARDENS 199
§ 1. Origin of Ranelagh 199
§ 2. The Rotunda 201
§ 3. The Entertainments and the Company 203
§ 4. Annals of Ranelagh, 1742–1769 208
§ 5. Later History, 1770–1805 212
STROMBOLO HOUSE AND GARDENS 219
STAR AND GARTER TAVERN AND GARDENS, CHELSEA 220
JENNY’S WHIM, PIMLICO 222
CROMWELL’S GARDENS, AFTERWARDS FLORIDA GARDENS, BROMPTON 225
VI. SOUTH LONDON GROUP
BERMONDSEY SPA GARDENS 231
ST. HELENA GARDENS, ROTHERHITHE 238
FINCH’S GROTTO GARDENS 241
CUPER’S GARDENS 247
“THE FOLLY” ON THE THAMES 258
BELVEDERE HOUSE AND GARDENS, LAMBETH 261
RESTORATION SPRING GARDENS, ST. GEORGE’S FIELDS 263
THE FLORA TEA GARDENS (OR MOUNT GARDENS) WESTMINSTER BRIDGE ROAD 265
THE TEMPLE OF FLORA 266
APOLLO GARDENS (OR TEMPLE OF APOLLO) 268
DOG AND DUCK, ST. GEORGE’S FIELDS (ST. GEORGE’S SPA) 271
THE BLACK PRINCE, NEWINGTON BUTTS 278
LAMBETH WELLS 279
MARBLE HALL, VAUXHALL 281
THE CUMBERLAND TEA GARDENS, VAUXHALL (SMITH’S TEA GARDENS) 283
VAUXHALL GARDENS 286
§ 1. 1661–1728 286
§ 2. 1732–1767 290
§ 3. 1768–1790 305
§ 4. 1791–1821 311
§ 5. 1822–1859 316
INDEX 327
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
“C. H. Simpson, Esq., M.C.R.G.V.” Frontispiece.
(Coloured print published by W. Kidd, 1833; Robert Cruikshank del. W. cp. infra, “Vauxhall Gardens,” pp. 319, 320.)
“A Tea Garden” To face page 6
(G. Morland pinxit; Mlle. Rollet sc. W.)
Plan showing distribution of the London Pleasure Gardens „ 12
“Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham” „ 17
(Mezzotint. G. Kneller pinx.; Faber fecit 1732. W.)
“Vincent Lunardi, Esq.” „ 79
R. Cosway del.; F. Bartolozzi sc., frontispiece to Lunardi’s _An Account of the First Aërial Voyage in England_. London, 1784. W.)
“William Defesch” „ 97
(Soldi pinx.; F. Morellon le Cave sc., 1751. W.)
“Ann Catley” „ 105
(Lawrenson pinx.; Evans sc., published by Matthews and Leigh, 1807.)
“South-east View of Copenhagen House,” 1783 „ 157
(See Views, Copenhagen House, No. 2.)
The Rotunda at Ranelagh, circ. 1751 „ 202
(From the 1754 ed. of Stow’s Survey.)
The Chinese House, the Rotunda and the Company in Masquerade in Renelagh (sic) Gardens” „ 205
(A coloured print, Bowles del. et sc., 1751. W.)
“St. Helena Tavern and Tea Gardens” „ 239
(See Views, St. Helena Gardens, No. 1.)
“Mrs. Baddely” „ 243
(Mezzotint. Zoffany pinx.; R. Lowrie sc. [1772]. W.)
“View of the Savoy, Somerset House and the water entrance to Cuper’s Gardens” „ 249
(See Views, Cuper’s Gardens, No. 1.)
General Prospect of Vauxhall Gardens, 1751 „ 301
(From the 1754 ed. of Stow’s Survey.)
The Rotunda (Music Room), Vauxhall, 1752 „ 303
(Printed for Tho. Bowles, 1752. W.)
Admission ticket to the Vauxhall Jubilee Ridotto, 29 May, 1786. With the seal and autograph of Jonathan Tyers the younger. W. „ 305
“Vauxhall” „ 307
(From Rowlandson’s drawing engraved by R. Pollard, aquatinted by F. Jukes, 1785. W. For details, see Grego’s Rowlandson, I. p. 62f. and p. 156f.)
“Vauxhall on a Gala Night” „ 311
(Pugh del.; Rhodes sc., published by Richard Phillips, 1804.)
“Mrs. Martyr” „ 313
(Engraved by W. Ridley for Parson’s Minor Theatre, 1794.)
Plan of Vauxhall Gardens in 1826 „ 318
(From Allen’s Lambeth.)
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT
PAGE Islington Spa in 1733 19
(See Views, Islington Spa, No. 2.)
May Day at the London Spa, 1720 31
(See Views, London Spa, No. 2, Brit. Mus. Library.)
A View of the English Grotto near the New River Head, circ. 1760 38
(See p. 37, note 1, No. 1, infra. W.)
Sadler’s Wells Anglers, 1796 46
(Woodward del. Cruikshank sc. Coloured print [W.] “New River Head, Islington,” in Woodward’s Eccentric Excursions, 1796.)
Sadler’s Wells in 1792, and as it was before 1765 49
(See Views, Sadler’s Wells, No. 3.)
Spinacuti’s Monkey at Sadler’s Wells, 1768 51
(“The curious and uncommon performances of a monkey as they will be introduc’d every evening at Sadler’s Wells by Signor Spinacuta” (sic). Engraved placard, circ. 1768. W.)
“The Bread and Butter Manufactory,” Bagnigge Wells, 1772 59
(See Views, Bagnigge Wells, No. 2, mezzotint. W.)