| Baxter Park | |
|---|---|
 The Pavilion in Baxter Park | |
  | |
| Location | Dundee, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°28′14″N2°57′00″W / 56.470670°N 2.950113°W /56.470670; -2.950113 |
| Area | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| Created | 1863 (1863) |
| Designation | Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland:GDL00051 |
Baxter Park is a 37 acres (15 ha) park located in the east ofDundee, Scotland. It was designed between 1862-63 and is the only complete park wholly designed by SirJoseph Paxton in Scotland.[1] The park is included in theInventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland[1] and it features a Category Alisted 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 annualBonfire Night firework displays.[4]
The park was donated to the citizens of the city bySir David Baxter and his two sistersMary 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 byEarl Russell.[1]
In 2003 the park was granted £3.25 million through the Heritage Lottery Fund and with additional funding fromHistoric Scotland andDundee City Council it underwent a £5 million refurbishment.Queen Elizabeth II presided over its official reopening in July 2007.[5][1] In 2009, the park was awardedGreen Flag status.[6]
In the centre of the park is a two-storeyItalian Renaissance style pavilion built of Bannockburn freestone. This originally housed a restaurant at one end and a gardener's room and ladies' room at the other. A marble statue of David Baxter, byJohn Steell and paid for by public subscription, was placed on the north side of the pavilion.[1][2][7]
Historically, the pavilion and the statue within it have suffered vandalism. The statue was moved to theMcManus Galleries in Dundee but was reinstated as part of the refurbishment of the site. The redevelopment of the pavilion, which had been derelict for many years, included the opening of aregistry office and a café.[1][8]
