Bournemouth Lower Gardens are the green centrepiece of the town, a strip of landscaped Victorian parkland running from the upper town all the way down to the seafront. Created in the 19th century along the line of the Bourne stream, they are the obvious way to walk between the shops and the pier, and they remain among the most pleasant free things to do in the resort. Not many seaside towns have a garden this central, and visitors have been wandering through on their way to the sea for generations.
How the gardens came about
These were among Bournemouth's first pleasure grounds, laid out as a handful of villas turned into a fashionable Victorian resort. Running along the natural valley of the Bourne, they were meant for strolling rather than merely passing through, with winding paths, ornamental beds and shaded walks under the pines that first earned Bournemouth its name as a place to recover one's health. A good deal of that calm, unhurried feel remains.
Things to see and do
Immaculate flowerbeds, the mature pines lining the celebrated Pine Walk, and a small aviary are what give the gardens their character. Pine Walk is a Bournemouth institution in its own right, a shaded avenue that has been drawing walkers for well over a hundred years. Children head for the crazy golf, and through the summer the ornate bandstand puts on free concerts. When the evenings draw in, a seasonal light trail is strung through the gardens and turns the walk down to the sea into something quite different after dark. With benches, open lawns and shady corners, it is an easy place to slow down for ten minutes or a whole afternoon, and the seasonal floral displays deserve a pause.
Practicalities
Flat, step-free and open all year, with cafés and public toilets along the route, the gardens make a gentle, pram-friendly walk at any pace. Town centre to seafront takes around ten unhurried minutes, though it pays to allow longer for the planting and the bandstand. Entry costs nothing; only extras such as the mini-golf are charged for. As the gardens run straight through the heart of town, they are easily reached on foot from the shops and from Bournemouth's train and coach stations. Our guide to things to do in Bournemouth has more ideas across the bay.
Close by
The seaward end brings you out at Bournemouth Pier and the beach, with the Oceanarium standing right by the pier approach. Inside the gardens is Bournemouth Aviary, and at the landward end are the town-centre shops, so the Lower Gardens tie together a morning on the sand and an afternoon in town.
