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© 2014 Borough of Poole Environmental Development Team, Unit 1 Newfields Business Park, 2 Stinsford Road, Poole BH17 0NF. All rights reserved.

The Official Re-opening

The sun shone all afternoon and hundreds of people came armed with picnics and blankets to celebrate the re-opening of the Walled Garden on Saturday 30th June 2012.

A jazz band provided a nice atmosphere to the afternoon; giant games such as quoits, Jenga and noughts-and-crosses were used by all ages - and even the Mayor took on the limbo competition!

The Walled Garden Upton Country Park

Last news update: 9th July 2012

Click on any image to enlarge it / view the photo gallery:

Landscape & Infrastructure Improvements

The aim of this project was to allow the garden to be used all year round, utilise the space for a range of different events and improve access to the Tea Rooms.

The project included the following features:

• Improved access to / from the Tea Rooms by opening up and widening the existing doorway
• Construction of a patio in front of the new doorway using clay brick pavers and low walls, with two steps and wheelchair access ramp to the side
• Construction of a footpath around the garden to include brick edging and seating bays
• Installation of a water feature - automated or self-activated fountains that can be shut off to create a flat (dry) area when necessary for events
• Creation of new pedestrian entrances using Purbeck stone setts
• Creation of a new vehicle entrance from Cooper's Yard
• Refurbishment of the turreted seating areas - false ceilings to be removed and repairs carried out to the structure and roof tiles
• Planting of four new corner beds, with wider beds around the footpaths - some 3,000 new shrubs and plants put in the ground!
• Improvements to infrastructure, including electricity points, water stand pipes for events & irrigation and new drainage.

Project Details

• Budget: £180,000
• Funding: Open Spaces Revenue budget £15,000; Planning Obligations (Upton Country Park) £115,000;  Friends of Upton Country Park £50,000
• Landscaping works undertaken by the Borough’s Grounds Maintenance team
• All brickwork within the landscaping undertaken by Phil Webb (Bricklayers) Ltd of Poole, including patio steps & walls, brick paver surface, path edging and the vehicle entrance from Coopers Yard.
• Building work undertaken by Westmade Ltd, Verwood
• The gazebos have been re-tiled by Peter Heppelwhite & Sons
• One of the new planted areas kindly donated by Knoll Gardens, the UK's leading Ornamental Grass Specialist.  Tel: 01202 873931, Wimborne, Dorset
• Other planting supplied by Marchants Nursery, Wimborne . Glenacres Nursery, Wimborne .  Trehane, Wimborne . The Palm Centre, London . David Austen Roses and Gilbert's Nursery, Romsey
• Landscape designs & images by Dumitru Furnea, Landscape Technician, Environmental Development Team

Lead Officer Martin Whitchurch • 01202 261323 • Email: environment@poole.gov.uk

The Walled Garden Party & official re-opening, 30th June

The new planting is stunning and was admired by all but the attraction that made the most impact was the new water feature. From the moment the gates were opened at 1pm children rushed to the water jets and played in the different features as the jets danced around them. With the activator button being constantly pressed there was barely chance for the area, or for children to dry out!

The newly refurbished tea rooms looked great; with new artwork on the walls, a lick of paint and a rearranged serving counter there was brisk business all afternoon. The Mayor certainly enjoyed her cream tea after making speeches, climbing on tractors and judging the children's fancy dress competition.

The garden and rose borders are now open every day from approx. 9am - 5pm, except for days that a special event is booked, such as a wedding reception, theatre production or charity function.