Baxter Park is a park located in the east of Dundee, Scotland. It was designed between 1862-63 and is the only complete park wholly designed by Sir Joseph Paxton in Scotland. The park is included in the

Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland The ''Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland'' is a listing of gardens and designed landscapes of national artistic and/or historical significance, in Scotland. The Inventory was originally compiled in 1987, although it is a cont ...

and it features a Category A

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

pavilion designed by George Henry Stokes. Baxter Park and the surrounding streets form the Baxter Park Conservation Area. The park is used as a venue for annual

Bonfire Night Bonfire Night is a name given to various annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. The event celebrates different traditions on different dates, depending on the country. Some of the most popular instances include Guy Fawkes ...

firework displays.

History

The park was donated to the citizens of the city by Sir David Baxter and his two sisters Mary Ann and Eleanor. The land was acquired in 1861, on a site that at the time was on the edge of the city, and it was laid out at a cost of £40,000, with an additional £10,000 set aside as an endowment to be managed by a board of trustees. The official opening took place on 9 September 1863 and was attended by

Earl Russell Earl Russell, of Kingston Russell in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 July 1861 for the prominent Liberal politician Lord John Russell. He was Home Secretary from 1835 to 1839, Foreig ...

. In 2003 the park was granted £3.25 million through the Heritage Lottery Fund and with additional funding from

Historic Scotland Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment ...

and

Dundee City Council Dundee City Council is the local government authority for the City of Dundee. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. History Dundee City became a single-tier council in 1996, under the Local Government e ...

it underwent a £5 million refurbishment. Queen Elizabeth II presided over its official reopening in July 2007. In 2009, the park was awarded

Green Flag Green Flag or Green Flag Rescue, is a British roadside assistance and vehicle recovery provider, which is part of the Direct Line Group. Formed in 1971, as the National Breakdown Recovery Club, as an alternative to the AA and RAC, it used ...

status.

Baxter Park Pavilion

In the centre of the park is a two-storey

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

style pavilion built of Bannockburn freestone. This originally housed a restaurant at one end and a gardener's room and ladies' room at the other. A marble statue of David Baxter, by

John Steell Sir John Robert Steell (Aberdeen 18 September 1804 – 15 September 1891) was a Scottish sculptor. He modelled many of the leading figures of Scottish history and culture, and is best known for a number of sculptures displayed in Edinburgh, ...

and paid for by public subscription, was placed on the north side of the pavilion. Historically, the pavilion and the statue within it, have suffered vandalism. The statue was moved to the McManus Galleries in Dundee but was reinstated as part of the refurbishment of the site. The redevelopment of the pavilion, which had been derelict for many years, included the opening of a

registry office A register office or The General Register Office, much more commonly but erroneously registry office (except in official use), is a British government office where births, deaths, marriages, civil partnership, stillbirths and adoptions in England, ...

and a café.

References

External links

{{commons, Baxter Park, Dundee *Dundee City Council
Baxter Park and Pavilion
*Visit Scotland
Baxter Park
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Parks in Dundee Category A listed buildings in Dundee