The Rose was the first theatre to be built on the second bank of the Thames. It originally had the shape of dodecagon, only to later be expanded into the shape of a fourteen-sided polygon. The length of one side of this shape corresponded to one rod, a measure typical for the 16th century. The foundations of this theatre were discovered by archaeologists in the years 1988-89. Another 8 similar theatres were consequently built over the years 1576 - 1617 in England: including amongst others The Theatre, Red Bull Theatre, The Swan, Fortune Playhouse, Hope Theatre, etc.