162 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 
“ Methought, when first I entered, 
Such splendours round me shone, 
Into a world I ventured 
Where rose another sun.” 
The site of these Gardens, which covered some twelve 
acres with groves, avenues, dining-halls, the famous 
Rotunda and caverns, cascades and pavilions, is now all 
built over. It lay about as far to the south-east of 
Vauxhall Bridge as the little Park is to the south-west. 
In name Vauxhall sounds quaint and un-English. In 
earlier times it was known as Foxhall, or more correctly 
Foukeshall, from Foukes de Breant, who married a sister 
of Archbishop Baldwin in the latter half of the twelfth 
century. 
The land of the present Park was purchased in May 
1889. 1 Then it was covered by houses standing in 
their own grounds. The largest of these was Carroun 
or Caroone House, which had been built by Sir Noel de 
Caron, who was Ambassador of the Netherlands for 
thirty-three years, during the reigns of Elizabeth and 
James I.—the others, a row of eight with gardens, were 
known as “ The Lawn.” In front of them was a long 
pond, said to have been fed by the Effra River. This 
stream, which rose in Norwood and flowed into the 
1 As Vauxhall is not included in Lieut.-Col. Sexby’s exhaustive book, 
the following details are not very accessible. It was bought from Mr. 
Cobeldick for .£43,500. 
Made up by Lambeth Vestry..£11,746 17 6 
„ Charity Commissioners . . . 12,500 o o 
„ London County Council . . . 11,746 17 6 
„ Donations and other sources . 7,506 5 o 
£43,SOo o o 
The fencing and laying out was done by the Kyrle Society. The Park 
was opened by the present King and Queen, July 7, 1890. 
