Introduction

The Borough Gardens were designed by William Goldring of Kew, and were open to the public on July 30th 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+ restoration and refurbishment project funded in part by a grant of almost £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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 9pm in the summer.

Fountain

There is a fountain in the north-east area of the gardens. It is 16' high with 4 seated lions backed by fern leaves supporting a 7'6" diameter basin, a column of 3 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 5 times Mayor of Dorchester, and was officially named the Gregory Memorial Fountain.

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 recieved by him from Dorchester townspeople. It was designed by G.J. Hunt, the Borough Surveryor, 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.

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-comissioned 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.

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!