Figure 1-- This is Children's Corner in Bournemouth Gardens in Dorset. The photograph seems to have been taken about 1913. Notice thev boy testing out his sailboat.

Bournemouth is a coastal resort town on Channel coast. It was until recet times undeveloped marshy land, including hat is now the gardens. Development began (1840). The land owners granted permission for the area to become a public park (1859). The park was developed separately as Upper, Central, and Lower Gardens. They were combined ino one park (1872). This was at the time that serious development of Bournemouth as a resortv town began with the arrival of the railroad which made the town easily acceable to London holiday makers. A competition to design the Lower Pleasure Ground was won by Philip Henry Tree (1871). He planned out new walks, plantations, and flowerbeds. Improvements to make a pleasant environment followed. There was a major expanson when the Square was laid out and the pavilion was built in the Lower Gardens (1920s). Large ornamental rock gardens and small waterfalls were included along the park facing side of the pavilion. A War Memorial was built in the Central Gardens and the rose beds were planted (1922). The basic design and layout of the gardens, hoever, hasn't changed significntly since the 1870s. Many different trees and shrubs have been planted. The Upper Gardens was a lake area with bad drainage. The drainage problem was finlly solved with broken pottery. This area now includes four grass tennis courts and a dressing house for people to get changed in. The tennis courts were moved to their current location (1903). The water tower was built over time (1883-1903) The purpose was to create a water wheel which would pump water to an ornamental fountain in the middle of the stream. The most recent improvement was to replant the Upper Gardens to include meadow walks and seating areas (1992). Information boards and fingerposts were put in to point the way to areas of interest. Board walks were built over the marshy areas.