Baxter Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Baxter Park | |
|---|---|
 The Pavilion in Baxter Park | |
  | |
| Location | Dundee, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°28′14″N 2°57′00″W / 56.470670°N 2.950113°W |
| Area | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| Created | 1863 |
| Official name | Baxter Park |
| Designated | 31 March 2006 |
| Reference no. | GDL00051 |
Baxter Park is a 37 acres (15 ha) park located in the east of Dundee, Scotland. It was designed between 1862-63 and is the only complete park wholly designed by Sir Joseph Paxton in Scotland.[1] The park is included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland[1] and it features a Category A listed pavilion designed by George Henry Stokes.[2] Baxter Park and the surrounding streets form the Baxter Park Conservation Area.[3] The park is used as a venue for annual Bonfire Night firework displays.[4]
The park was donated to the citizens of the city by Sir David Baxter and his two sisters Mary Ann and Eleanor. The land was acquired in 1861, on a site that at the time was on the edge of the city, and it was laid out at a cost of £40,000, with an additional £10,000 set aside as an endowment to be managed by a board of trustees. The official opening took place on 9 September 1863 and was attended by Earl Russell[1] and an estimated crowd of 70–80,000 people.[5][6]
In 2003 the park was granted £3.25 million through the Heritage Lottery Fund and with additional funding from Historic Scotland and Dundee City Council it underwent a £5 million refurbishment. Queen Elizabeth II presided over its official reopening in July 2007.[7][1] In 2009, the park was awarded Green Flag status.[8]
