Lost London: Astley’s Circuses
The origin of the modern circus is often traced back to performances given by Philip and Patty Astley, starting from Easter Monday of 1768. At Ha’penny Hatch, a field in Lambeth, the Astleys showed off their trick riding, sabre-work, and sword-play skills to a crowd of spectators in a circular arena.
The following year, the arena was moved to a more permanent site at the Lambeth end of Westminster Bridge. Philip Astley used the site as both a riding school and performance venue; his equestrian feats began to earn him reputation and wealth, and after two successful seasons he hired additional performers to keep the shows fresh and engaging. His new hires were not limited to just more horse riders, but also clowns, acrobats and performing dogs – the first time such a programme of integrated entertainment was available with one ticket, and the beginning of the modern format of circuses.
In 1773, Astley was able to replace the open-air venue with the purpose-built Astley’s Amphitheatre; the term ‘circus’ was never actually used to describe the establishment, instead being coined by one of Astley’s rivals. The building burned down in 1794, was subsequently rebuilt, then that was destroyed by fire again in 1803. Each rebuild was progressively grander than what had come before, with the building eventually becoming Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre.
After Astley’s death in 1814, the Amphitheatre continued to be popular, passing through a series of owners (and at least one more fire) until 1863, when it became the Theatre Royal, and then from 1871 it was known as Sanger’s Amphitheatre until its closure and demolition in 1893. Very few traces of the circus remain: the original 1768 site has an easy to find memorial plaque, whilst the site of the Amphitheatre is now part of the grounds of St Thomas’s Hospital (apparently there is a plaque somewhere in the hospital gardens, but the winter of 2021/22 was not an appropriate time to go looking for this!).
