Victoria Gardens is a public garden, located at Underhill,

Isle of Portland An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

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 (unitary authority), Dors ...

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 close to

Fortuneswell Fortuneswell is a village in Underhill, Dorset, Underhill on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. It lies on steeply sloping land on the northern edge of the island, known as Underhill, where Chesil Beach connects the island to the mainland. ...

village and overlooks both Victoria Square and Chiswell. The gardens, which were created to mark the 1897

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, have remained a focal point since their opening in 1904. The gardens are made up of grassed and formal bedding areas, with a large rockery running along its centre. There is a children's play area, tennis courts and a bowling green managed by the Portland Victoria Bowls Club.

History

The idea of transforming the land known as Little Common into a public garden was first suggested in 1896, along with the transformation of another Portland site, Easton Square, into

Easton Gardens Easton Gardens is a public garden, located at Tophill, Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. 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 ...

. Plans for Little Common were drawn up by the surveyor Mr E. J. Elford in 1897 and approved in 1901. Once funding was secured, work began in November 1902 and Victoria Gardens were officially opened on 25 May 1904 by Mr Henry Sansom, Chairman of the Portland Urban District Council. The event was attended by thousands of local residents and visitors, and performances were provided by the Portland Town Band. The original lower gate of the gardens was later replaced by a new set in 1953, made by the inmates of

HM Prison The Verne HM Prison The Verne is a Category C men's prison, located within the historic Verne Citadel, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. Operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, HMP The Verne was established in 1949 and occupies the southern ...

. These were later removed but not replaced until 2015.

D-Day Memorial

In 1944,

Portland Harbour Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and rema ...

and its naval base were commissioned as part of USNAAB Portland-Weymouth, which was used as a major embarkation point for American troops during D-Day, particularly the US 1st Division who embarked for "Omaha Beach" in June 1944. Portland's role in the landings was celebrated on 22 August 1945, when American ambassador John Gilbert Winant unveiled a commemorative stone in the gardens. The plaque attached to the stone reads: "The major part of the American Assault Force which landed on the shores of France on 'D' Day, 6 June 1944, was launched from Portland Harbor. From 6 June 1944 to 7 May 1945, 418,585 troops and 144,093 vehicles were embarked from this harbor. This plaque marks the route which the vehicles and troops took on their way to the points of embarkation. Presented by the 14th major port, U.S. Army." It is signed Harold G. Miller, Major, T.C., Sub Port Commander, and Sherman L Kibor, Colonel, T.C., Port Commander.

References

{{Isle of Portland 1904 establishments in England Buildings and structures completed in 1904 Isle of Portland Gardens in Dorset Tourist attractions in Dorset Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria