Borough Gardens

The Borough Gardens were laid out to a plan by William Goldring of Kew, and were opened to the public on 30th July 1896.  Although never closed the Gardens were ‘opened' again on 7th May, 2007 by oscar-winning local resident Julian Fellowes to mark the completion of a £1.4m plus restoration and refurbishment project funded in part by a grant of almost £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.  If you would like to know more about the work of the HLF visit their website at http://www.hlf.org.uk/.

The Gardens are located within a few minutes walk of the town centre and are wheelchair accessible from all entrances which are located on the corner between Albert Road and Princes Street, Cornwall Road, Bowling Alley Walk and West Walks.

The Gardens are open every day from dawn until dusk in the winter and 9.00pm in the summer.

The Gardens has a Management and Maintenance Plan which was last revised in January 2015.

Outdoor Gym Equipment - Replacement

Great news, Dorchester Town Council is looking to replace the outdoor gym equipment in the Gardens.

We will hopefully be doing this work over the winter and are currently at the development stage.

We would like your views as to which equipment could be included.

The site will stay in the same location and be roughly the same dimension, please let us know if you have a current favourite piece of equipment which you would like to see included in the new layout or a piece that is not currently there.

We can’t guarantee to include all suggestions but decisions on what to include will based where possible on feedback and observation of current use.

If you want to make suggestions or provide feedback please email: -  c.dallison@dorchester-tc.gov.uk 

Facilities

Play area

There is a fully enclosed play area which has facilities for all age groups. The play equipment includes baby and standard swings, rockers, mini spinner, two different types of slide, multi play structure and seesaw. For the warmer days there is also a splash area that shoots water from the ground (cooling for the kids, but they will get wet!).

Adult Fitness Equipment

Near to the main (Albert Road) entrance to the Gardens is a range of adult fitness equipment which gives everyone the opportunity to keep fit without needing to pay a gym subscription - provided, of course, that you don't mind people looking at you while you are exercising and can stand the weather!

Tennis Courts

There are four tennis courts open all year round and are available for public use at a very reasonable charge. Further details including how to book a court and the cost can be found by clicking here.

Community Room

The refurbished Borough Gardens House has a community facility located on the ground floor. There is a large room equipped with tables and chairs together with a kitchen and toilets and can be hired by the community for a multitude of uses. For further information on hire charges and how to book the room click on the 'Community Room Hire' button to the left of this screen.

Refreshment Kiosk

The 'Kiosk on the Green' located at the northern end of the Gardens sells a range of light snacks and drinks at a very competitive price. It is open every day in the summer and at weekends during the winter.  The kiosk is run by the operators of Cafe on the Green at Poundbury, both facilities have an ethos of helping train young adults with learning difficulties by giving them the opportunity to achieve valuable work experience  at the venues. To contact the Kiosk on the Green or Cafe on the Green please email Kelly Maston mastonkelly@hotmail.com. 

Public Toilets

The public toilets are located adjacent to the refreshment kiosk building and are open all year round during the Gardens opening times.

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Special Features

Bandstand

The centrally located bandstand was donated by Col. W.E. Brymer MP as a permanent memorial of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and in acknowledgement of kindness received by him from Dorchester townspeople.  It was designed by G.J. Hunt, the Borough Surveyor, and built by Messrs.  T. MacFarlane and Co. of Glasgow for £200. The bandstand is still the focal point for live music and other events which take place in the Gardens over most weekends during the summer.

Clock Tower

Close to the bandstand is an elaborate cast-iron clocktower painted in red, green and gold. There is an inscription recording the gift of the clock to the town by Charles Hansford in 1905.

Fountain

There is a fountain in the north-east area of the Gardens. It is 16ft high with four seated lions backed by fern leaves supporting a 7'6" diameter basin, a column of three carved birds below a 4' diameter basin above, and an inverted scalloped basin with cherub and cornucopia on a flowered column at the top.  It was donated by Charles Hansford in memory of G.J. Gregory JP, his brother-in-law and five times Mayor of Dorchester, and was officially named the Gregory Memorial Fountain

Tirah Memorial

In the north-west corner of the Gardens there is a stone obelisk known as the Tirah Memorial.  It was erected in 1899 and dedicated to the memory of the non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment who died in the Indian Northwest Frontier (Tirah) Campaign of 1897-98. It was carved by Westcott of Dorchester.

Shield Beds

There are three shield beds located near to the Cornwall Road entrance to the Gardens. Each year they are planted to commemorate anniversaries of local or national organisations and charities.

Sundial

The sundial on the lawn below the bandstand is an analemmatic dial and is unusual because the user forms part of the dial system. In other words if you stand in the right place your shadow will tell you what the time is!

A Children's Guide on how to use the sundial is available.  A Sundial information leaflet is also available..

Management and Maintenance Plan - Revised 2015