Ranelagh Gardens facts for kids
Ranelagh Gardens were famous public parks located in Chelsea, which was just outside London, England, during the 1700s. People visited these gardens for fun, entertainment, and social events.
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History of Ranelagh Gardens
The Ranelagh Gardens got their name from Ranelagh House. This house was built around 1688-1689 by the 1st Earl of Ranelagh. He was an important person who worked for the Chelsea Hospital, which was right next door. The house was later torn down in 1805. The original Ranelagh was actually one of the Earl's family estates in Ireland. A similar fun park was even opened near Dublin city, and that area is still called Ranelagh today.
Opening to the Public
In 1741, a group of business people bought Ranelagh House and its grounds. This group included the owner of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and a Member of Parliament named Sir Thomas Robinson. The gardens then opened to the public in 1742.
Ranelagh Gardens quickly became more popular and fashionable than another older park called Vauxhall Gardens. It cost two shillings and sixpence to get into Ranelagh, which was more expensive than the one shilling charged at Vauxhall. A writer named Horace Walpole said that Ranelagh had "totally beat Vauxhall" and that you couldn't walk without seeing important people like princes and dukes.
Ranelagh Gardens also helped make "masquerades" popular with regular people. A masquerade is a fancy dress party where people wear masks. Before Ranelagh, these parties were usually only for rich, noble families.
The Famous Rotunda
The most important building at Ranelagh was a large, round building called the Rotunda. It was designed in a fancy style called rococo. The Rotunda was very big, about 120 feet (37 meters) across. It was designed by William Jones, who worked for the British East India Company. In the middle of the Rotunda, there was a chimney and fireplaces, so it could be used even in winter.
The Rotunda was a very important place for music concerts. In 1765, a nine-year-old musical genius named Mozart even performed there! A famous painter named Canaletto painted the gardens and the inside of the Rotunda more than once. The Rotunda was closed in 1803 and taken down two years later.
Other Attractions and Popularity
Besides the Rotunda, Ranelagh Gardens also had a Chinese-style building that was added in 1750. There was also a pretty lake and many paths for walking. Ranelagh was a very popular place for people to meet and get to know each other. A historian named Edward Gibbon once wrote that it was "the most convenient place for courtships of every kind."
The gardens were so well-known that other places copied them. A "New York Ranelagh Gardens" opened in New York City, and a "Jardin Ranelagh" was created in Paris, France, in 1870.
Today, Ranelagh Gardens have been redesigned and are now a beautiful green park with shady paths. They are part of the grounds of Chelsea Hospital and are also where the yearly Chelsea Flower Show takes place.
See also
- Cremorne Gardens – another public garden from the 1800s, also in Chelsea.
- Ranelagh – a suburb in Dublin, Ireland, which also had pleasure gardens like those in London.
- Chelsea Bridge Road – a road next to Ranelagh Gardens.
- Ranelagh Paris – a Metro station in Paris named after the gardens there.
