Every seaside resort has public gardens and a putting green right by the beach. Doesn’t it? It’s a pretty much a mandatory requirement along with fish and chips, penny arcades and assertive seagulls. I was going to mention Punch and Judy, but they’re hard to find these days, although Weymouth has one!
As I was saying about public gardens and putting greens – they’re two of the symbols of a proper seaside town and ours at Greenhill Gardens, and the north end of Weymouth beach (the other end from the Pavilion Theatre).
For five years in a row the gardens won a Green Flag Award for being one of the best community gardens in the country. Unfortunately, the Friends of Greenhill Gardens website is a little unclear about which five years were covered by the awards, but it must have been very recently.
Interesting features in the gardens include:
- a giant floral clock, installed in 1936.
- an 18 hole putting course overlooking Weymouth Bay.
- a wishing well, from which coins are collected and donated to charity.
- four tennis courts that residents can use for no charge in winter months.
- The Schneider Trophy weathervane which commemorates Lieutenant George Stainforth’s successful attempt on the world air speed record in 1931. Stainforth had been a student at Weymouth College.
The Friends of Greenhill Gardens (FOGG) organise a variety of entertainments in the gardens, having installed a bandstand in 2013.
The popular music events held during the summer are entirely free to attend. In 2015 they included performances by Tony Lowe, The Silhouettes and Weymouth Ukeleleans.
If you’re looking for refreshment there are two cafes in the gardens, both offering fantastic views across Weymouth Bay.
FOGG have installed a raised bed which has been planted as a sensory garden, for the benefit of visually impaired visitors.
