What was a facility for bear-baiting in England during the 16th and 17th centuries called?

The Beargarden or Bear Pit was a facility for bear-baiting, bull-baiting, and other "animal sports" in the London area during the 16th and 17th centuries, from the Elizabethan era to the English Restoration period. Baiting is a blood sport where an animal is tormented or attacked by another animal, often dogs, for the purpose of entertainment or gambling. The last recorded event at the Beargarden was the baiting of "a fine but vicious horse" in 1682.

The Beargarden was a round or polygonal open structure, comparable to the public theatres built in and around London starting in 1576. Contemporaneous illustrated maps of the city show a substantial three-storey building that resembles the theatres nearby. It was located in the Bankside, across from the City of London on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark; but its exact location is unclear, and apparently changed over time.

The English monarchy had had an official "bearward," an officer in charge of its "bears, bulls, and mastiff dogs," at least from the reign of Richard III. In 1573 a Ralph Bowes was appointed Queen Elizabeth's "Master of Her Majesty's Game at Paris Garden." (Elizabeth herself, like other royals and aristocrats of her era, was a passionate fan of animal baiting).

Nowadays, by contrast, the term "Bear Garden" is employed by a retailer of teddy bears and stuffed animals.