The Friends Of Boscombe Chine Gardens
Registered Charity Number 1112345
OUR STORY
The Friends of Boscombe Chine Gardens
The Friends of Boscombe Chine Gardens was inaugurated and constitutionalised on the 3rd July 2002.
The charity was registered on 30th November 2005. Charity number 1112345
Our primary objective is "to enhance & conserve Boscombe Chine Gardens for the enjoyment of the community & visitors".
Our intention is for Boscombe Chine Gardens to be a place where everyone from toddlers to grown-ups, can visit to enjoy the landscaped and natural gardens, associated wildlife and various amenities.
Community Garden
The community garden was originally championed by the Friends of Boscombe Chine Gardens (FoBCG’s) first chairman (Christopher Wakefield). As work started to refurbish Boscombe Chine Gardens in 2005, his thoughts for a community garden evolved. Through talks with members of the FoBCG’s and people using the Gardens a common objective was identified.
The common objective was for local people, many of whom live in nearby flats, to have a specific area within the gardens available for light gardening activities should they be missing their garden and perhaps 'feel the need to weed!'
Following discussion with Bournemouth Council an area was set aside for the community garden.
It had been a neglected corner of the garden with overhanging trees and was fronted by four pathways and contained a few overgrown shrubs.
A committee member (Jane Kelly) who was a keen gardener took up the challenge to design the garden layout and planting format. With help and assistance from some of the Council’s gardeners at the King's Park Nursery the community garden began to become a reality.
The community garden was designed to be enjoyed by all the community and includes an all weather track across the centre which is suitable for wheelchair access.
The planting originally followed a yellow and white theme using evergreen and deciduous, hardy perennial plants, shrubs and climbers, with the aim to have different plants in bloom at all times throughout the year thus providing continuous colour. This has been mainly successful with the occasional rogue purple foxglove creeping in.
Very gradually the plants bedded in and started to grow, tended by the FoBCG’s and supplemented by the addition of more plants and lots of bulbs, often donated by members. As the years have passed various problems have arisen and been solved. These have included cultivating a low hedge around the front of the garden to deter the trampling of plants by wandering animals. Also, the repetitive and back aching removal of sycamore seedlings from the overhanging trees to the rear of the community garden.
Fundraising and further assistance from the Council enabled the installation of an irrigation system, which was required because the overhanging sycamore trees also shielded the plot from the rain. Prior to installing the irrigation system water was carried from the nearest source located across the park in the Education Centre.
Over the years the community garden has continued to develop and given hours of pleasure to those who attend to its needs and those who just walk by.
Boscombe Chine Gardens
Originally developed from a natural 'chine' of heath and mire, Boscombe Chine Gardens, over the last 20 years, has been transformed into a splendid Victorian garden.
Features and Activities
- A delightful mix of formal flower beds and large grassy areas is perfect for people (and dogs) to enjoy.
- At the northern end of the gardens you can have a game of mini golf and a water-themed playground can be found half way down the gardens.
- The Squirrel Café is to the north of the gardens and is operated by The Parks Foundation. The café offers hot and cold drinks, freshly baked cakes, and daily specials. During the season, the café and mini golf course are usually open every day from 9:30am to 5pm. Please visit the website for the latest opening times and menus.
- Further down the gardens is an interpretation of the original circular spa shelter with a conical, oak shingled roof that acts as a stop off point for the Bournemouth land train.
- The southern entrance to Boscombe Chine is located opposite Boscombe Pier and is easily identified by a second circular spa shelter and information board.
Improvements and Accessibility
- The gardens have been enhanced by removing some of the tree canopy and sowing native grasses, improving habitat quality.
- A variety of trees grow on the banks of the chine and the gardens provide habitats for a range of wildlife. There’s a wildlife quiz trail along the pathway, all about the plants and animals found in the gardens.
- An old tennis court has been transformed into a popular ball court.
- The water play area now occupies the site of the former boating pond, and the mini-golf course has been re-launched with accessible features.
- The Café provides a scenic view of the mini-golf area.
Preserved Heritage
Original features, including two spa shelters and the lodge, remain, alongside the return of magnificent bedding displays, maintaining the gardens' historical charm.
Would you like to Volunteer in
Boscombe Chine Gardens?
If you like to potter in the garden and perhaps now live in a flat and miss this experience, why not contact the FoBCG’s and lend a helping hand?
In addition to the community garden, FoBCG’s volunteers are involved in a number of different areas within Boscombe Chine Gardens including; bird box maintenance, bat box surveys (under the watchful eye of the Dorset bat Group), garden related talks and various events throughout the year.
You can contact the friends by sending an email to
admin@boscombechinegardens.org
OUR#PHOTOS
The History of Bosocombe Chine Gardens
Boscombe Chine Gardens are located in a steep-sided valley known locally as a 'Chine'. The Chine runs roughly north west to south east where it reaches the coast at Boscombe Pier; a side valley joins the Chine from the west, about half way along its length.
Prior to the development of the site, the sides of the Chine formed part of the once extensive Dorset heathland, although vegetation was sparse towards the sea with exposed soft sandstone banks and cliffs.
The Christchurch Road has existed for some considerable time and would have linked the coastal settlements (harbours) of Christchurch and Poole. Prior to the introduction and rapid development of the railway, there were very few dwellings in the vicinity of what is now known as Boscombe.
In 1860 records indicate that the Shelley and Tyler families lived in the area, as well as families from a few other cottages. There was also an Inn on the Christchurch Road called the Ragged Cat, which later became the Palmerston Arms. This building is still there but is no longer a public house.
The upper section of Boscombe Chine Gardens were first laid out between 1868-71 by Sir Henry Drummond Wolff, the local landowning MP, as 'pleasure grounds' for the adjoining properties.
Wolff's original design included:
- Walks
- Croquet Grounds with shelter
- A Rustic Bridge
- A Substantial Lodge (which stands in the northwest corner of the Gardens)
A mineral spring existed at the southern (or lower end) of the Gardens until the 1920s, which gave the surrounding area the name 'Boscombe Spa'.
In the 1860's there was a building boom that transformed the picturesque village of Boscombe Spa into a fashionable coastal resort, famed for its aromatic pines, public promenades, and Italian and Elizabethan style villas.
The key period of Gardens' development occurred during the 1880's, when they were transformed into a public park under the direction of the Borough of Bournemouth Pleasure Grounds Committee.
In 1883, the western arm of the Chine was leased to the Bournemouth Improvement Commissioners by Sir George Meyrick, this included the area designed by Sir Henry Drummond Wolf back in 1868. Over several years the development of the gardens continued and included:
- Channeling of the stream
- Building of the main paths
- Levelling, planting and turfing
- Construction of a model boating pond, tennis courts and tennis pavilion
Despite a number of changes in the intervening years, the general layout of the Gardens remains largely intact. The principal alterations to the original layout include:
- The disappearance of the Spa spring
- Replacement of public tennis courts with mini golf
- Filling in of the model boating pond
- Improvements to the northern boundary of the site (Christchurch Road)
- Replacement of the rustic bridge with a concrete structure
- Cliff stabilisation
- Road widening at the southern end opposite Boscombe Pier
OUR TREES
The Friends of Boscombe Chine Gardens have produced a Tree Trail Leaflet, which you can also download and print. You can use the Tree Trail leaflet and go on a circular walk round the gardens to identify nine different trees.
The trees in the formal part of Boscombe Chine Gardens
The formal part of Boscombe Chine Gardens is the area south of the Christchurch road down to the concrete bridge. Within this area are at least 30 different species of tree, many of them are not native to the UK and all are very special. South of the concrete bridge and towards Boscombe Pier is a Local Nature Reserve. This area of the chine has less of a variety of trees but they still play an important part in preserving the bio-diversity of the chine.
If you look carefully at some of the trees you will notice a small rectangular plastic label with the common and Latin name of the tree. Why not see how many different trees you can find in the gardens?
The Nature Trail
Dotted around the gardens you will notice nature boards with questions and answers on them.
The nature trail was commissioned by the Friends of Bosocmbe Chine Gardens some years ago to encourage people to explore the gardens and learn some interesting facts.
The questions and answers are changed throughout the year.
Events in Boscombe Chine Gardens
Over the years, The Friends of Boscombe Chine Gardens have held various events.
These events have brought people into the gardens that might not necessarily have been before.
These events have taken the form of Family Fun Days and in December, walking through the gardens whilst singing Christmas songs.
Summer 2024
The Friends held their Family Fun Day on Sunday 7th July 2024.
The day was filled with lots of fund and laughter.
Over 1,000 people were entertained by our resident entertainer Jamie Jigsaw, various stalls and a community choir.
As ever, the Pig Racing drew a massive crowd.
The Friends would like to thank Mandy Polkey, of Stir Events, for organising such a FUN day.
If you would like to find out about volunteering opportunities with the Friends, please get in touch via email.
admin@boscombechinegardens.org
The Friends of Bosocmbe Chine Gardens is a charity run by volunteers for the community.
Charity Number 1112345
Further details can be found on the charity commission website