Sitting just north-west of Bournemouth town centre, Meyrick Park ranks among the town's oldest and largest green spaces: 120 acres of undulating parkland, mature woodland and open playing fields that have served the public since Victorian times. It functions as much as a working sports ground as a park, with a golf course, tennis courts, bowling green and rugby pitches all sharing the same historic land.
History
Compared with most of Bournemouth's parks, this land has a longer history: the Domesday Book of 1086 records it as heathland, and for a long stretch it served as common land used for grazing, turf-cutting and wood-gathering. Sir George Ivison Tapps bought the land after the Christchurch Inclosure Act of 1802 and planted Scots and maritime pine across it, while leaving locals' common rights intact. The family later took the Meyrick name, and Lady Meyrick formally opened the park in 1894 as one of Bournemouth's first municipal parks, complete with a bowling green, playing fields and an 18-hole golf course that was, at the time, the first municipally owned golf course anywhere in the country.
Sport & recreation
Golf is still what the park is best known for. Tom Dunn, a professional who went on to stay as club professional and greenkeeper, originally laid out the course, and it was later enlarged and reconstructed by the influential golf architect H S Colt. The Club at Meyrick Park now runs it, offering an 18-hole course, clubhouse and gym to both members and visitors. Elsewhere in the park, Bournemouth Bowling Club makes use of the bowling green, Oakmeadians RFC plays rugby on the central pitches, and tennis courts are also available, alongside paths that see heavy year-round use from dog walkers, runners and cyclists.
Visiting
Free, open access applies to the park at any time, with entrances off Central Drive and Braidley Road to the south and Meyrick Park Crescent to the north, and woodland bordering both sides. Separate charges apply only to the golf course, tennis courts and gym. An easy, level walk from the town centre gets you there, making it a convenient green escape between sightseeing or shopping. Explore more of the area in our guide to things to do in Bournemouth, or discover the town's other green spaces such as Alum Chine Tropical Gardens.