We are proud to have been involved in the Douglas Park Project since its inception in 2020.
Visit our adopted bed in the Douglas Park where we have a range of beautiful flowers for the public to enjoy. Our team tends the bed year-long and is always happy to welcome new volunteers.
Douglas Park was created in 1906 when Mr C J C Douglas gifted the land to Largs Town Council for a public park. It comprised of the formal Spring Gardens at Irvine Road and the hill section of Haylie Estate. In 1919 he also gifted the lower lands of Haylie, for use as a bowling green and tennis courts, now known as Douglas Park.
The park proved to be a great success both for its sport and formal gardens and the hillside rising to 600 feet. So popular was it with visitors to the town that the former president of the Scottish Ramblers Association, Thomas Lockhead, had his ashes scattered on the hillside in 1938.
In 1947/48, Spring Gardens were renovated at a cost of £1640 with the building of a bird sanctuary, stone arches, lily pond and shelter. The arches proved very popular with amateur photographers as ready frames to take snaps of each other.
In 1955, a fountain was added to the pond. It originally came from Crescent Lodge which was being redeveloped as housing. Messrs Cairney gave it to the park and erected it for free. Visitors were soon throwing pennies into the pond as a response to the popular film 'Three Coins in the Fountain'.
In 1978, a section of Spring Gardens was re-landscaped by Cunninghame District Council as a Burns Garden. It was designed by council gardener Robert Finlay McKay with replicas of a plough, Alloway Kirk, Brig O' Doon and Tam O' Shanter quotations.
In 1980, a new steel direction chart was put on the summit of the park. This replaced an earlier one which had been destroyed by vandals. Ex-Provost Dan Doris hoped this one wouldn't be harmed as he said; "I think they would need an acetylene burner".
Today's group of volunteers are keen to restore this sadly neglected park and create a beautiful space for walking, picnicking, relaxing, learning, reflecting, socialising, exercising and enjoying.