The Orchard Garden is a community-built garden tucked into the grounds of TOSH, The Old School House, a former Victorian school on Gladstone Road in Boscombe. What began as four fruit trees planted during TOSH's 2015 refurbishment has grown, after a two-year rebuild led by local volunteers, into a proper sanctuary: 14 fruit trees, wildflowers, herbs and climbing plants set around a handmade terracotta-tile seating circle, an arbour seat and a bench made from recycled plastic.
A community project
Much of the garden was built by TOSH's own community groups, including the Seeking Refuge men's group, who laid the paths and seating areas, and the Threads women's group, who sewed cushion covers and bunting, with a garden bench built by trainees from local charity Faithworks. The redevelopment was funded by the People's Health Trust (through Health Lottery South West), along with JPMorgan and Wessex Water, and officially reopened on Sunday 21 July 2024 with an open day that drew more than 100 people for garden crafts and shared food.
Visiting
The garden isn't a casual walk-in public space; it sits within TOSH's working building, itself opened in 1878 by Sir Percy Florence Shelley, son of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, who is commemorated a short distance away at The Mary Shelley, and runs a seasonal Garden Skills workshop programme. It's also available to hire directly through TOSH for small gatherings, workshops and kids' parties. For more green spaces and days out around the bay, see our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.
