Borough Gardens

The beautiful victorian Borough Gardens in Dorchester is one of the gems of the town. With its iconic bandstand, clock tower features, tennis courts, large play park and outdoor gym, the gardens are one of the most loved public spaces in Dorchester.

Easily accessible from the town centre, the gardens can be enjoyed as a perfect picnic spot. It takes just a few minutes walk from the shops, with a choice of multiple entrances. The gardens can be accessed from Princes Street, Cornwall Road, Bowling Alley Walk and West Walks.

Borough Gardens is owned and maintained by Dorchester Town Council who do a fantastic job of looking after the grounds, meaning it looks impressive all year round.

History of Borough Gardens

The Borough Gardens were first opened to the public on 30th July 1896 based on plans by William Goldring of Kew. The Gardens were given another lease of life and opened again on 7th May, 2007 by Julian Fellowes. This celebrated the completion of a restoration and refurbishment project, which was funded partly by money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Facilites

You’ll find an outdoor gym, fully enclosed children’s play area, plus four tennis courts which are open all year. There is also a fantastic refreshment kiosk which sells a range of drinks, ice creams and delicious snacks. The public toilets are located next to the kiosk and also near the tennis courts.

Events at Borough Gardens

The park really comes to life especially in the summer when community events are enjoyed by many in the gardens. These include live music performances on the bandstand, pop up food festivals, Love Parks Day and Dorchester Cider Festival and Annonymous Festival.

Opening times

Borough Gardens is open every day from dawn until dusk in the winter. In the summer the gates are closed at 9:00pm.

Find out more about Borough Gardens on the Dorchester Town Council website.

Gallery

Here are a selection of photos which showcase the range of special features in the gardens. As well as the bright and beautifully manicured flower beds.