The History of Greenhill Gardens
Key Dates in the History of Greenhill Gardens
(Research carried out by FOGG Committee Member Tim Spooner)
1.1871
Around 1871, Sir Frederic Johnstone (MP for Weymouth 1874 to 1885) enclosed and laid out Greenhill Gardens on land that he owned. The inhabitants of Weymouth were allowed free access, but the gates were locked at night.
The gardens were designed by the local architect G. R. Crickmay who also designed the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was expanding at this time. The railway had arrived (1857) and the Portland breakwater was being completed (1872) The population of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis had reached 20,000 at this time.
2. 1884
A “riotous mob” of 600 to 700 townsfolk stormed Greenhill Gardens in protest to the enclosure of the Gardens which they claimed were common land and owned by the Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Borough Council.
In the subsequent court case, no documents were produced that could verify the claim of common land.
3. 1902
Sir Frederic Johnson gifted Greenhill Gardens and Greenhill Gardens North to the Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.
4.1904
More land to the north of Greenhill Gardens (the current tennis courts and bowling green) were sold by Sir Frederic Johnstone to the Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis as an extension to the gardens.
5.1906
The extended Greenhill Gardens were opened on 11 August 1906 and “in connection with the Greenhill Gardens three tennis lawns, croquet ground, and bowling green”
The population had doubled since the gardens opened, and was now 40.000
6.1920 Shelter
Mr V H Bennett, Mayor from November 1918 to November 1919 donated an Shelter to be built in Greenhill Gardens. This was in commemoration of the Armistice at the end of World War 1
7.1922 Cafe
Borough accounts list an amount of £333 paid for the erection of a cafe in Greenhill Gardens. This has now been replaced by the Seascape café.
8.1923
Completion of “48 beach bungalows, ...four all weather tennis courts, the existing bowling green widened from 100 to 121ft, a pavilion for use of the tennis courts and bowling green, and considerable extensions to the conveniences”
Much of the work, and 50% of the costs were provided under the Unemployed Relief Schemes.Up to 200 people were employed,
9.1929
Erection of wooden 12 beach chalets (between the putting green and esplanade) This was followed by a further 8 wooden beach chalets
10.1932 Stainforth Weathervane.
This memorial is to a former pupil, Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth set a world record air speed record of 406.92 mph in a Schneider supermarine S6B seaplane in 1931. Stainforth was an experimental pilot who broke the record for flying upside down which he did for 12 minutes at Farnborough.Stainforth died in a plane crash in 1942, during a night sortie over the Western Desert.
11.1936 Floral Clock
The Floral clock was installed in 1936. The clock’s big hand is 8 feet in length and covers a circle of 10 feet in diameter with the mechanism is housed in the nearby shed which allows it to seen. The clock is still working (possibly only 2 others in UK also work) and has cuckoo chimes.
Key Dates in the History of Greenhill Gardens
(Research carried out by FOGG Committee Member Tim Spooner)
1.1871
Around 1871, Sir Frederic Johnstone (MP for Weymouth 1874 to 1885) enclosed and laid out Greenhill Gardens on land that he owned. The inhabitants of Weymouth were allowed free access, but the gates were locked at night.
The gardens were designed by the local architect G. R. Crickmay who also designed the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis was expanding at this time. The railway had arrived (1857) and the Portland breakwater was being completed (1872) The population of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis had reached 20,000 at this time.
2. 1884
A “riotous mob” of 600 to 700 townsfolk stormed Greenhill Gardens in protest to the enclosure of the Gardens which they claimed were common land and owned by the Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Borough Council.
In the subsequent court case, no documents were produced that could verify the claim of common land.
3. 1902
Sir Frederic Johnson gifted Greenhill Gardens and Greenhill Gardens North to the Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.
4.1904
More land to the north of Greenhill Gardens (the current tennis courts and bowling green) were sold by Sir Frederic Johnstone to the Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis as an extension to the gardens.
5.1906
The extended Greenhill Gardens were opened on 11 August 1906 and “in connection with the Greenhill Gardens three tennis lawns, croquet ground, and bowling green”
The population had doubled since the gardens opened, and was now 40.000
6.1920 Shelter
Mr V H Bennett, Mayor from November 1918 to November 1919 donated an Shelter to be built in Greenhill Gardens. This was in commemoration of the Armistice at the end of World War 1
7.1922 Cafe
Borough accounts list an amount of £333 paid for the erection of a cafe in Greenhill Gardens. This has now been replaced by the Seascape café.
8.1923
Completion of “48 beach bungalows, ...four all weather tennis courts, the existing bowling green widened from 100 to 121ft, a pavilion for use of the tennis courts and bowling green, and considerable extensions to the conveniences”
Much of the work, and 50% of the costs were provided under the Unemployed Relief Schemes.Up to 200 people were employed,
9.1929
Erection of wooden 12 beach chalets (between the putting green and esplanade) This was followed by a further 8 wooden beach chalets
10.1932 Stainforth Weathervane.
This memorial is to a former pupil, Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth set a world record air speed record of 406.92 mph in a Schneider supermarine S6B seaplane in 1931. Stainforth was an experimental pilot who broke the record for flying upside down which he did for 12 minutes at Farnborough.Stainforth died in a plane crash in 1942, during a night sortie over the Western Desert.
11.1936 Floral Clock
The Floral clock was installed in 1936. The clock’s big hand is 8 feet in length and covers a circle of 10 feet in diameter with the mechanism is housed in the nearby shed which allows it to seen. The clock is still working (possibly only 2 others in UK also work) and has cuckoo chimes.
Summer crowds watch the entertainmentThe Friends of Greenhill Gardens (FOGG) started in 2007. In the past 10 years we have been involved in a number of projects in Greenhill Gardens.
We have organised a great deal of entertainment on the Bandstand since 2013. The performers include: Local Band REPLAY The Silhouettes The Decadettes Singer Tony Lowe The Weymouth Ukuleleans Singer Darron Garnett No Standards Weymouth Choral Society Twirl Academy |
The BandstandThe Friends of Greenhill Gardens started in 2007. At that time the Council were considering plans to build a large Restaurant in the Gardens mainly covering the tennis courts area. Local residents were not happy with the design or even the concept of a new restaurant. Various objections to the scheme were submitted and many of the residents banded together to form the Friends Group. The proposals were dropped and we then tried to have a dialogue with the Council concerning the future of the Gardens. Initially this did not work but now a dialogue is in place and relations are very good.
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Local group REPLAY entertainIn the past 10 years we have been involved in a number of projects including funding the cost of railings in the Gardens; the planting of the two large flowers beds on the Esplanade; attending Council meeting to support the activities and aims of FOGG, organising a huge number of events in the Gardens every year; running regular Quiz Nights to raise funds; supporting the Council’s annual bid for the Green Flag Awards; being interviewed on local radio stations and designing, building and funding a Bandstand in the Gardens.
We’re now planning on erecting an impressive Arch at the entrance to the Gardens opposite the Seascape Cafe. |
