Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park

Upper Malone Road,
BT17 9LA

About

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in south Belfast is one of our most popular parks. It is home to the City of Belfast International Rose Garden, which attracts thousands of visitors to our Rose Week celebrations, which take place in July each year.

Covering more than 128 acres, the park is made up of rolling meadows, copses, woodland and gardens and is home to a wide range of plants and animals. An ideal base for exploring nearby Lagan Valley Regional Park, it contains international camellia trials, a walled garden, a Japanese-style garden with water features for quiet contemplation.

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park was donated to the people of Belfast by Lady Dixon in 1959, in memory of her late husband, Sir Thomas.

Originally formed in the mid-18th century, as part of the Wilmont estate, the park was first owned by the Stewarts; a farming family from Scotland. The estate was used for growing crops and bleaching linen and the main family house stood on the site of what is now the park's lower car park.

In the mid-1800s, the estate was bought by the Bristow family. A family home, Wilmont House, was designed by Thomas Jackson for the Bristows and was completed in 1859.

The estate, which also included a walled garden, informal planting areas and gate lodges, attracted a number of different owners before it was taken over by the Dixons in 1919.

During World War II, American troops were stationed in the grounds of the estate while their officers lived in Wilmont House. Lady Dixon was well-known for her work with the troops and was created Dame of the British Empire as a result. Before she died in 1959, she donated the estate to the city of Belfast in memory of her late husband, a former High Sheriff of Belfast.

The site was re-opened as Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park later that year.

Facilities

Arboretum

Ecotrail

Orienteering

Playground

Toilet facilities

Car Park

Bottle bank

Cycling facilities

Park opening hours

Orangefield Park and Victoria Park are open 24/7. The rest of our parks open at 7.30am and close at the following times throughout the year.

If a park contains a 3G pitch, its gates may remain open while the pitches are booked for play. Users must leave the park promptly after play finishes on the 3G pitches as the park gates will be locked within 15 minutes.

Date	Closing time
2019
4 – 17 February 2019	5.30pm
18 February – 3 March 2019	6pm
4 – 17 March 2019	6.30pm
18 – 24 March 2019	7pm
25 March – 31 March 2019	8pm
1 – 14 April 2019	8.30pm
15 – 28 April 2019	9pm
29 April – 5 May 2019	9.30pm (9pm for Botanic Gardens)
6 May – 28 July 2019	10pm (9pm for Botanic Gardens)
29 July – 11 August 2019	9.30pm (9pm for Botanic Gardens)
12 – 25 August 2019	9pm
26 August – 1 September 2019	8.30pm
2 – 15 September 2019	8pm
16 – 29 September 2019	7.30pm
30 September – 13 October 2019	7pm
14 – 20 October 2019	6.30pm
21 – 27 October 2019	5.30pm
28 October – 10 November 2019	5pm
11 November – 31 December 2019	4.30pm

Getting here

Enter the park at Upper Malone Road. For The Stables coffee shop, use the lower entrance (towards Drumbeg). Take Ulsterbus no. 21 to Drumbeg from the Europa Bus Station in Belfast city centre (Mondays to Fridays only) or use Metro no. 8 A-C.

Award nomination

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park was awarded the Green Flag Award in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. This award recognises the best open spaces in the UK.

Other attractions

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park is next to to Lagan Valley Regional Park and the Lagan towpath. It's popular with both walkers and joggers with a range of orienteering and eco trails. The park also contains a children's playground, a bottle bank, barbecue area, picnic tables and full car parking facilities.

The Stables Coffee shop

The Stables Coffee shop offers tea, coffee and a selection of freshly baked or cooked hot and cold foods. It is open from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Sunday, and is also available for private events. For bookings, call 028 9061 0765.

Walking trails

The park was voted second-best Family Friendly Walk in Northern Ireland by Walk NI in 2018. Take a walk through our three trails which come alive in the spring time. Download a map of the routes (PDF - 1.5MB)