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Easton Gardens is a public garden, located at Tophill,
The idea of transforming an area of Tophill into a public garden was first suggested in 1896, along with the transformation of another Portland site, Little Common, into Victoria Gardens. Easton Square was later chosen as Tophill's site in 1901 and plans, created by engineer Mr R. S. Henshaw, were approved in August 1903. That year saw work commence on their creation, with Messrs Stewart & Sons tasked with laying out lawns, flower beds and footpaths, along with a bandstand.
The gardens were opened by Mr Henry Sansom, Chairman of the Portland Urban District Council, on 18 August 1904, in front of large audience. The day was noted for its sunshine. In 2004, locals donned costumes of the 1900s to celebrate the garden's 100th anniversary. In recent years, Easton Gardens has been awarded
Easton Gardens is a public garden, located at Tophill, Isle of Portland
An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct fr ...
, Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It is found at Easton Square, the centre of Easton village. The gardens have remained a focal point since their opening in 1904 and have been awarded the Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces, managed under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a UK Government department, by Keep Britain Tidy, ...
in recent years. The gardens feature grassed and formal bedding areas, with other facilities including a children's play area and basketball court.
Background
The idea of transforming an area of Tophill into a public garden was first suggested in 1896, along with the transformation of another Portland site, Little Common, into Victoria Gardens. Easton Square was later chosen as Tophill's site in 1901 and plans, created by engineer Mr R. S. Henshaw, were approved in August 1903. That year saw work commence on their creation, with Messrs Stewart & Sons tasked with laying out lawns, flower beds and footpaths, along with a bandstand.
The gardens were opened by Mr Henry Sansom, Chairman of the Portland Urban District Council, on 18 August 1904, in front of large audience. The day was noted for its sunshine. In 2004, locals donned costumes of the 1900s to celebrate the garden's 100th anniversary. In recent years, Easton Gardens has been 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.
In 1905, Sansom suggested the erecting of a clock tower within the gardens. Designed by R. Stevenson Henshaw, the clock was built by Wakeham Brothers and unveiled during a ceremony in May 1907. As a prominent feature in the square ever since, the clock tower became Grade II Listed in 1993. English Heritage's survey noted that the clock is a Jacobethan-styled structure with Gothic details.
References
{{Isle of Portland Isle of Portland Gardens in Dorset