Vauxhall Gardens
Preserved but no longer current.
A very popular pleasure resort for Londoners, from 1661, when it was opened, till 1859. Pepys, who calls it Fox Hall, says the entertainments there are "mighty divertising" ; and for the next two centuries its attractions and diversions furnished many writers and artists with incidents and scenes for their works.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Vauxhall Gardens” mean?
A very popular pleasure resort for Londoners, from 1661, when it was opened, till 1859. Pepys, who calls it Fox Hall, says the entertainments there are "mighty divertising" ; and for the next two centuries its attractions and diversions furnished many writers and artists with incidents and scenes for their works.
Is “Vauxhall Gardens” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.