Vauxhall Gardens was a pleasure garden located in Kennington on the south bank of the river Thames. Originally known as the New Spring Gardens, the site was named Vauxhall Gardens in 1785. Attractions included tightrope walkers, concerts, fireworks, and hot-air balloon ascents, and the gardens drew large crowds. The gardens closed permanently in 1859, but in the late twentieth century, part of the site was reopened as a public park managed by the London Borough of Lambeth. The park was renamed Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in 2012. Vauxhall features in Thackeray’s Vanity Fair and Pendennis, Thomas Hardy’s Dynasts, and Frances Burney’s Cecilia.