The Bull Ring Theatre
Bull baiting were immensely popular in Tudor times and even monarchs were pleased to spend an afternoon watching this bloodthirsty entertainment in which trained bulldogs attacked tethered bulls. The bull, with a rope tied round the root of his horns, would be fastened to a stake with an iron ring in it, situated in the centre of the ring. The rope was about 15 feet long, so that the animal was confined to a space of 30 feet diameter. The owners of the dogs stood round this circle, each holding their dog by its ears, and when the sport began, one of the dogs would be let loose. The bull was baited for about an hour. Bull-Baiting and Bear-Baiting was extremely similar, except that Bull-Baiting was more common in England due to the scarcity and cost of bears. Theatres in London were closed by the Puritans, however Bull-Baiting and Bear-Baiting was allowed to continue and this form of entertainment continued to be popular during this era. The last bull baiting in England took place in England in 1832.