A Community Space to Inspire a Love of Reading
The Reading Garden is a special community space created by Dalton with Newton Town Council to encourage a love of reading, creativity and imagination for people of all ages.
The space was previously known as the Sensory Garden. However, over time, a variety of plants were added which were not sensory in nature, meaning the original name was no longer truly representative of the space. The Town Council therefore took the opportunity to reimagine the garden and create a new identity centred around books, stories and community engagement.
The newly renamed Reading Garden is being developed as a welcoming place where residents can relax, discover new books and enjoy spending time outdoors. The Council hopes the garden will become a hub for reading-related activities and is already exploring ideas for future events, including poetry readings and activities linked to national initiatives such as the National Year of Reading and other literacy campaigns.
The Reading Garden is maintained by the Town Council’s dedicated Groundsman, whose ongoing care and attention help ensure the area remains a beautiful and welcoming community space that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike throughout the year.
By combining books, creativity and community spirit, the Reading Garden aims to inspire people of all ages and foster a lifelong love of reading in Dalton and Newton.
Our Vision
To create a welcoming community space that celebrates reading, creativity and imagination; encourages people of all ages to discover the joy of books; and provides opportunities for residents to come together through stories, poetry and shared experiences.
Our New Outdoor Library Box
In June 2026, despite some particularly challenging weather, Deputy Mayor Cllr Neil McDougall, together with the Town Clerk and Groundsman, installed the Reading Garden’s brand-new outdoor library box.
The library box is stocked with preloved books that are free for everyone to enjoy. Visitors are invited to:
- Borrow a book
- Swap a book
- Donate a book
- Discover a new favourite read
We hope the library box will encourage reading across all ages and support national reading initiatives throughout the year.
A huge thank you goes to Deputy Mayor Cllr Neil McDougall for braving the awful wet weather during the installation, along with the Clerk and Groundsman, to bring this exciting addition to the community.
Celebrating Stories Through Art
Along the garden wall you will find our growing collection of book bricks – hand-painted bricks celebrating favourite stories, characters and the joy of reading.
Each brick is unique and helps tell the story of our community’s love of books and imagination. Together, they create a colourful display that brings stories to life and helps make the Reading Garden a truly special place.
Get Involved
The Reading Garden belongs to everyone, and we’d love to see even more community creativity added to the space.
Why not get involved by:
Painting a book-themed brick featuring your favourite story or character.
Creating a painted insect pebble to hide around the garden.
Simply bring your creation along and place it in the garden for others to enjoy.
Together, we can make the Reading Garden an even more colourful, creative and welcoming place for the whole community.
Thank You
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the Reading Garden project so far. From donating books and painting bricks to helping with the installation of the library box, every contribution has helped bring this wonderful community space to life.
We can’t wait to see the Reading Garden continue to grow and hope you’ll visit soon to find your next good read, enjoy the surroundings and perhaps even contribute your own creative touch.
