Christchurch's Permanent Commemoration of the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II
The development which led to the formation of Druitt Gardens was the building of James Druitt’s house in 1844, now Druitt Library. During the late 1800s he bought up land to extend his formal gardens. When the house was extended in 1870 it had an ornamental garden with paths laid out and a greenhouse next to where Druitt Hall stands. The Red House Museum has a photograph showing a croquet lawn and features of the ornamental garden.
A feature of the current gardens is the route of the Creedy, a definitive right of way running east-west along the southern boundary of the gardens.
After James died in 1904 his widow lived in the house until her death during the First World War. The house passed to Herbert and in turn to his sister Charlotte, who both died in the 1940s. Although neither lived in the house for any great length of time they continued, during the 1930s, to acquire neighbouring plots. Herbert used the house to hold his great collection of local history while the garden, not well tended, became more of a wild plot.
In a conveyance of 1946 Charlotte records that she was leaving land to the Corporation of Christchurch as a “gift for use in establishing a welfare centre at Christchurch”. It is recorded in letters between her and her solicitors that she intended the land to be a garden of rest and bird sanctuary.
Part of Druitt Gardens sits within the boundaries of a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) following the discovery of possible Saxon burh-related features. The “burh” was a defensive structure which defined the Saxon settlement. The SAM status means that any works in that part of the gardens will require consent from English Heritage.
Elsewhere, there is evidence of a Medieval Ditch and there are listed walls both inside and on the boundaries of the site. Earthworks visible in the gardens are probably the remains of 19th century boundaries or landscape gardening.
Druitt Gardens covers an area of 1.2 hectares (3.07 acres) and have been designated a Public Open Space and lies within the Town Centre Conservation Area.
Over time the gardens with very little attention became overgrown with uneven pathways and no apparent destinations, making it difficult to negotiate. In 2008 Christchurch Borough Council commissioned a Landscape Masterplan Report which had as its aim “to create a town centre woodland with enhanced wildlife value; a landscape and visual asset to the character of the Central Conservation Area and town centre; and a valuable element in the pedestrian links throughout the town centre”.
Work has been carried out to remove dead trees, open up the undergrowth and create paths for cyclists and those on foot. Two protected species, Bats and Stag Beetles have been found in the gardens and their habitat must be preserved.
In 2016 a ‘Friends of Druitt Gardens’ group was re-established to support Christchurch Borough Council in the conservation, maintenance and management of Druitt Gardens as part of an Ancient Monument, a Public Open Space and Town Centre Woodland.
The Friends group, working closely with Christchurch Town Council, are now working on a wildlife education area at the rear of Druitt Hall and will be improving the maintenance of the general gardens area. The intention is to reverse the decline in the numbers of the 'birds, bats and bees'.