I know…it’s just outside the Victorian era, but close enough I thought.

St John’s gardens are situated at the end of the long terrace of houses that run along the start of the main Dorchester Road, known as St John’s Terrace, past St John’s church which stands proud at the end of the sea front,  on the opposite side to the  old vicarage.

I would think that they are possibly the smallest gardens in the area, and probably the majority of people have driven or walked past them time and time again without ever really noticing them.

 Only when you stop at the crossing to let pedestrians go, you might chance to glance to your left, and see them, but  think no more of it.

We would occasionally go in there on our way home from school, which being St John’s primary school, was only at the other end of the terrace.  The school has since been demolished, and now a block of flats stands there (this seems this happens more and more now, demolish one building, and replace with a whole block of flats), not surprisingly these flats were then named as St John’s Court!

Even in those days though, some less than salubrious characters hung around in these gardens, so we would check first to see if it was safe to enter.

Being such a small park, it never seemed to be somewhere anyone would head for with a purpose, just a place to stop off to rest a while on your way to other destinations, apart from a few local dog walkers who used it regularly, and it seems still do.

This small, derelict marshy area at the end of the terrace was donated to the Council by Sir Frederick Johnstone, who’d already handed over Greenhill gardens to the town.

Even today’s award winning Greenhill gardens hadn’t been without created without any problems, prior legal battles over ownership of  land.

At the same time as St John’s gardens were under development and construction, council were in negotiations with Mr. Young, Sir Johnston’s land agent, with reference to purchasing a further piece of land between the existing Greenhill gardens, and the  Greenhill sluices, later to become the bowling green and the Sluice Gardens, where the beach huts, sand and paddling pool now are are.

These gardens were started during the boom era of local Corporations providing open spaces for everyone to enjoy.  Even more importantly, in growing seaside towns like Weymouth during the Victorian era, a large source of their income was from visitors (and of course, still is to this day), they wanted to be able to offer beautiful open green spaces as added attractions for their visitors.

Every tourist was hard fought for with all the new resorts springing up along the South coast.

In the minutes of the Garden and Street Committee of Dec 1902 they were discussing as to what to do with the St Johns plot, a small triangle of derelict land that stood at the end of the terrace at the bottom of Dorchester road.

It obviously took them a while to come up with anything, because it wasn’t until eleven months later, in the October of the following year that they finally requested the town surveyor to prepare a plan of this piece of land.

A further sub-committee was then appointed to decide what should be done with it.

This sub committee, a couple of months later, were instructed to call at the surveyors house to discuss the laying out of the land…. either the poor chap was permanently on call, or it was an excuse for a social evening to decide business.

However, they’d obviously managed to come to some sort of a decision, because by February 1904 the surveyor had submitted his plans to the Gardens Committee, who decreed the land should now be fenced, and cleared.

When perusing the minutes of various borough meetings, I never cease to wonder at the workings of these committees. Judging by the amount of arguing, wrangling and passing decisions to others, sub committees, how on earth any decision ever got taken I’ll never know.

But get done it did.

Eventually!

Work finally started on the plot in March/April time. First came rustic fencing erected around the site, supplied by a Mr. Riley, chosen from an illustrated book containing all his pattern designs. Weymouth ordered pattern no 181, coming in at the grand total of £48.17s 9d.

Creating parks, public and private, was becoming big business in those days. Quick to jump on the bandwagon, many companies supplying wrought iron work, garden furniture and other necessities  bought out illustrated catalogues and pattern books that showcased their designs and structures,  bandstands, seating, lighting etc.

Before they could even begin work at St John’s, they had to cart in  350 loads of soil to build up the levels, then the work could start, beginning with  narrow pathways being pegged out.

The sub committee who were tasked with creating these gardens from scratch, on a shoe string,   were allowed £150.00 for the laying out and planting.

Once all decisions finalised, work proceeded at a pace, three months later, July, the gardens were ready for their grand opening as reported by a local paper.

The following article in the Southern Times dated July 21^st 1904, gives a more on the ground view of their opening.

                                    OPENING OF ST. JOHN’S TERRACE GARDENS.

                       THE MAYORESS GRACIOUSLY PERFORMS THE CEREMONY

What his Worship (Alderman Groves) in his brief speech aptly described as an “eye sore” has been transformed into a picturesque open space at the northern end of the borough.

In the “good old days,” before Weymouth had extended to anything like it’s present proportions the land at the higher end of “ the Front” and extending in a northerly direction was, in winter gales, swept by seas, and on occasions the waters of the Backwater and sea became united. But with the tides of progress such historical associations have been relegated to a by-gone age, and what was formerly known as “The barrows” has given place to bricks and mortar; and a row of houses have taken a firm foundation upon what originally formed nothing but a quagmire.

Opposite St John’s church a commanding line of houses was erected and named after the sacred edifice; and at the northern end for many years has been a waste piece of land running parallel with the terrace which has been fittingly characterised as one of the “undesirables” of the “loyal and ancient” “The old order changeth, wielding place to now,” thanks to the generosity of Weymouth’s ground landlord, Sir Frederick Johnstone, Bart. During the Mayoralty of Alderman John Bragg, J.P., the ground in question was offered to the Corporation by Mr. H A L Young, the local agent to the estate, acting on behalf of Sir Fredrick on condition that the Town Council laid out and enclosed it. The munificence of the worthy baronet was immediately accepted, and the thanks of the town were accorded him for his generous gift. The conditions of the contract were set in motion without undue delay, and after the somewhat wearying period of time necessary for filling up and settling had elapsed, what was eventually to be “a thing of beauty and joy for ever” was turned over to the Garden Committee to effect the necessary transformation.

With the advent of the ideal shelters in the Alexandra Gardens, which now forms one of the best improvements carried out during late years in Weymouth, mould, turf, shrubs, flowers, &c., consequently had to be removed, and these proved acceptable material for form-inganncleus to work upon. The Garden Committee, with it’s indefatigable Chairman (Alderman T.H. Williams, J.P.) and an able lieutenant in councillor E. C. Watts, together with the co-operation of other members, with commendable promptitude, took the work in hand, with the result that in an incredible period of time the “eye sore” has been converted into a veritable paradise.

Under the direction of the committee, the town’s head-gardener (Mr. Smith) is to be congratulated on the admirable manner in which the St John’s-terrace gardens have been laid out, and the economy, which has resulted to the town, by utilizing material “salved” from the Alexandra Gardens when ruthlessly pulled up for effecting the construction of the shelters.

 The addition of an open space to Melcombe North will not only be warmly welcomed by the inhabitants of that portion of the borough, but will be enhanced in value owing to the picturesque bearing which St John’s-terrace Gardens will lend to the fine avenue of trees bordering either side of the Dorchester-road.

Around the triangular piece of garden a rustic fencing has been erected by Mr. Riley, who constructed the garden shelters, and inside bushy shrubs have been planted which apparently have “struck” remarkably well, notwithstanding the dry season. In the centre of the lawn, flower beds have been made, and the plants being now in bloom greatly add to the enchantment. As the autumn approaches trees, shrubs, and plants will be planted and creepers to perfectly cover the black wall of St. John’s terrace, so that in the course of time the appearance of the gardens will be further improved.

Wednesday afternoon, in glorious summer weather, was fixed for the ceremony of opening and dedicating the newly laid out gardens to the benefit of the public. Shortly before three o’clock the Weymouth Season Band entered the grounds, and the gates which are immediately opposite Lindisfarne, the residence of Miss Dansy, were locked by one of the two Town Sergeants who were present in attendance on Weymouth’s Chief Magistrate. Punctual to the hour fixed for the preceedings the Mayoress and Mrs Selby drove up in a brougham and were joined by His Worship, who had been attending a gathering at Sutton Poyntz.

Amongst those interested in watching the ceremony there were to be seen Aldermen Williams, Welsford, Whettam, Bagg, Councillors Dennis, Watts, Gregory, Evans and De Meric, Sir R. N. Howard (Town Clerk), Dr. Jones (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. W. B. Morgan (Borough Surveyor), Mr. W. R. Wallis (Committee Clerk), Sir John and Lady Groves, Colonel Sanders, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. L. Young, Surgeon-Colonel Lloyd Barrow, of Barrowdene, Misses. Groves, Mrs. R. C, Watts, Mrs. Selby, Mrs. W. B. Morgan, Colonel Russell, &c. Immediately outside the gates.             

The MAYOR speaking from his brougham, said; Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a pleasing duty to perform this afternoon, that is to ask my wife, the Mayoress, to open the gates of this new garden. (Applause) For many years past this piece of ground has been a waste and an eyesore to the public. Now, through the liberality of Sir Frederick Johnstone, the Corporation, through the energy of the Gardens Committee, have been able to lay it out as a garden for the service and enjoyment of the residents and visitors. (Applause.) It was during the Mayoralty of my predecessor, Alderman John Bragg, that the fee of the land was conveyed to the Corporation through the kind offices of Sir Frederick’s agents, Mr. Foster and Mr. Young.

As recently as the year 1804 this piece of land was washed over by the Backwater, being indeed part of the Backwater. All the houses you see in the neighborhood in a due westerly direction, and in the Park district have been built since that period, and on land reclaimed from the Backwater. This shows that Weymouth has made progress, although perhaps not so fast as some of us may have desired; but I am sure if we can secure open spaces, and lay them out in this way, it will add to the picturesque ness of the town and be a good thing for Weymouth. (Applause.)

All the shrubs and plants you see have been transplanted from our own Corporation gardens, and, as time goes on, we hope to replace many of them with some of a more ornamental kind. (Applause.) I will now ask the Mayoress to open the grounds. (Applause.)

                                    ……………..

The public either promenaded or were accommodated with chairs, and for an hour, Mr. Howgill’s band discoursed a pleasant selection of music.

I do remember sometimes sitting in these gardens with my Mum as a very small child, probably having a rest while walking to or from town.

As I grew older, and began to attend St Johns, I passed by them morning and night, and can vividly remember hiding in there once, too scared to go to school, all because I hadn’t bothered to learn my times tables which we always seemed to have to recite every morning.

Some kind soul must have spotted me lurking there, informed the school, because while I was trying to decide what to do next, a teacher came marching along and hauled me off to stand in front of the headmaster.

It wasn’t until I started researching our parks and gardens that I realised just how much of the Weymouth I know has been built on reclaimed land. I had always heard tales from my Dad of how the sea and the backwater nearly met along the seafront, called the Narrows.

If you study old maps, huge areas that we now live, work, play on, were originally marshy lands, or water.

You could, and still can,  judge the popularity of a resort, or gardens, by how often they appeared as postcards, in peoples photos, or mentioned in the newspapers or guidebooks of the era.

I have only ever seen two postcards of St Johns gardens.

Both taken around the same time, at the start of their existence.

Sadly, these days the gardens seem to have a rather neglected feel to them, the grass unkempt, shrubs and roses look as if they have seen better days, the only people a couple of ladies walking their dogs.

This I would suspect is probably what they are most used for these days, a green space to dog walk.

The little shelter that once sat at the end no longer contains a seat, I suspect that this might be more to do with stopping undesirable people from using the privacy it gave them.

Old statue plinths standing empty, hinting a slightly more luxurious past.

Such a sad ending for little gardens that started out with such big hopes.

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