Westgate Gardens have been a public space since the middle ages. Reminders of the past include a Norman archway, a tower house and a 200-year-old oriental plane tree. It's said that the tree's enormous trunk has grown through a circular iron seat placed round it many years ago. Other attractions include the River Stour, home to swans, ducks and moorhens, and ornamental flowerbeds. The 11-acre park is the venue for outdoor events during the summer.