▁or ▁killed . ▁In ▁some ▁cases ▁the ▁bear ▁was ▁let ▁loose , ▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁ch ase ▁after ▁animals ▁or ▁people . ▁For ▁a ▁long ▁time , ▁the ▁main ▁bear - g arden ▁in ▁London ▁was ▁the ▁Paris ▁Garden , ▁that ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁B anks ide ▁lying ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁The ▁Cl ink , ▁at ▁South w ark . ▁ ▁Henry ▁VIII ▁was ▁a ▁fan ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁pit ▁constructed ▁at ▁White hall . ▁Elizabeth   I ▁was ▁also ▁fond ▁of ▁the ▁entertain ment ; ▁it ▁featured ▁regularly ▁in ▁her ▁t ours . ▁When ▁an ▁attempt ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁ban ▁bear - b ait ing ▁on ▁Sund ays , ▁she ▁over ru led ▁Parliament . ▁Robert ▁Lane ham ' s ▁letter ▁describes ▁the ▁spect acle ▁presented ▁by ▁Robert ▁D ud ley , ▁Earl ▁of ▁Le ic ester ▁at ▁Ken il worth ▁Castle ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 5 : ▁ ▁Vari ations ▁involved ▁other ▁animals ▁being ▁b ait ed , ▁especially ▁b ull s . ▁Bull - b ait ing ▁was ▁a ▁contest ▁which ▁was ▁similar ▁to ▁bear ▁b ait ing ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁b ull ▁was ▁ch ained ▁to ▁a ▁st ake ▁by ▁one ▁h ind ▁leg ▁or ▁by ▁the ▁neck ▁and ▁wor ried ▁by ▁dogs . ▁The ▁wh ipping ▁of ▁a ▁blind ed ▁bear ▁was ▁another ▁variation ▁of ▁bear - b ait ing . ▁Also , ▁on ▁one ▁curious ▁occasion , ▁a ▁p ony ▁with ▁an ▁a pe ▁tied ▁to ▁its ▁back ▁was ▁b ait ed ; ▁a ▁spect