Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a seaside resort town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. Bournemouth is known for its popularity with pensioners and has many residential care homes due to its constant and warm weather (by English terms). However, it is still possible to find vibrant nightlife and youthful activities like watersports.

Bournemouth's spa magic has been revitalised and history is repeating itself. A century ago the cream of Victorian society including royalty flocked to Bournemouth's pine forest landscape of luxurious villas.

They were eager to sample the relaxing ambience of the town, breathe its healthy air, bathe in the pure seawater and unwind at leisure. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles Thomas Hardy generously described Bournemouth (alias Sandbourne) as "a Mediterranean lounging place on the English Channel". The aroma and perfume of the pine trees were considered health-giving and many a famous person came here to take advantage of it including J.R.R. Tolkien and D.H. Lawrence.

The first spa hotel was built in 1885 - the Mont Dore Hotel (now Bournemouth's Town Hall). Apart from luxury rooms and tennis courts, the hotel also offered the Mont Dore cure which was said to be a healing water and could not be found anywhere else in England. Sea and pure water from the Bourne stream were pumped into the basement of the hotel to allow the additional luxury of soaking and perspiring in Turkish and salt baths.

Since then, Bournemouth has grown into a thriving seaside resort and many of the big hotels offer spa treatments of their own as well as spa and beauty boutiques peppered throughout the town centre catering for men and women.

The pine trees still exist and visitors can still stroll through Pine Walk in Bournemouth Gardens today to breath in the healthy air. During the summer, the Pine Walk Open Air Art Exhibition is held here.

Bournemouth's growing population of students, gays and surfers have given it a more bohemian image than a typical south coast retirement town, leading to the nickname "BoMo".

Bournemouth is famous for its year-round mild and temperate climate. The warmest months are May to September which is when you will enjoy long, hot and sunny days. It can get very cold in the depths of winter though, and will sometimes reach temperatures below zero. Bournemouth's annual rainfall is well below the national average. Take a look at the latest Bournemouth weather forecast before planning a trip.

Bournemouth is famous for its 7 miles of golden sandy beaches and clean seas. The beach has retained the international Blue Flag award status since it was introduced in 1996 and in 2011 also secured 4 Blue Flag awards for Alum Chine beach, Durley Chine beach, Fisherman’s Walk beach and Southbourne beach.

The Pier is almost in the middle of the beach and offers a small fair, boat trips, an arcade, a café/bar and some other shops.

• Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Russell Cotes Rd, BH1 3AB (on the Eastcliff, +44 1202 451800. This museum and gallery has some wonderful collections of 19th-century art and Japanese artifacts. The interior of the museum is worth seeing because it is lavishly decorated and shows the Victorian interests in eccentric collecting and other cultures, especially Japan and China. Admission free.
• TheGallery, Wallisdown, Poole, BH12 5HH, +44 1202 533011. At the Arts University Bournemouth. It runs artist talks, school workshops, events and film nights to support the exhibition programme.
• The Atrium Gallery, Poole House, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB, +44 1202 961428.

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Russell Cotes Rd, BH1 3AB (on the Eastcliff, +44 1202 451800. This museum and gallery has some wonderful collections of 19th-century art and Japanese artifacts. The interior of the museum is worth seeing because it is lavishly decorated and shows the Victorian interests in eccentric collecting and other cultures, especially Japan and China. Admission free.

TheGallery, Wallisdown, Poole, BH12 5HH, +44 1202 533011. At the Arts University Bournemouth. It runs artist talks, school workshops, events and film nights to support the exhibition programme.

The Atrium Gallery, Poole House, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB, +44 1202 961428.

• St.Peter's Church, Hinton Rd, BH1 2EE, +44 1202 290986. The famous author Mary Shelly who wrote Frankenstein is buried in the churchyard of this church along with the heart of her husband the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelly.
• Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, Wootton Gardens, BH1 1PW, +44 1202 557433. Built in 1905 in what would have been then a contemporary Art Nouveau take on the Moorish Revival style that was extremely popular for synagogues.
• Bournemouth Pier, Pier Approach, BH2 5AA, +44 1202 983983. 10AM-7PM. Includes a theatre.
• Central Gardens, BH2 6EY.
• Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Rd, BH2 5BH, +44 1202 055555. Hosts conferences and is the largest music venue in the town. The BIC has become a venue for a round of Premier League Darts in addition.
• Boscombe Pier, Undercliff Dr, BH5 1, +44 1202 451773.

St.Peter's Church, Hinton Rd, BH1 2EE, +44 1202 290986. The famous author Mary Shelly who wrote Frankenstein is buried in the churchyard of this church along with the heart of her husband the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelly.

Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, Wootton Gardens, BH1 1PW, +44 1202 557433. Built in 1905 in what would have been then a contemporary Art Nouveau take on the Moorish Revival style that was extremely popular for synagogues.

Bournemouth Pier, Pier Approach, BH2 5AA, +44 1202 983983. 10AM-7PM. Includes a theatre.

Central Gardens, BH2 6EY.

Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Rd, BH2 5BH, +44 1202 055555. Hosts conferences and is the largest music venue in the town. The BIC has become a venue for a round of Premier League Darts in addition.

Boscombe Pier, Undercliff Dr, BH5 1, +44 1202 451773.

• Oceanarium Bournemouth, Pier Approach, BH2 5AA, +44 1202 311993. 10AM-6PM.
• Pavilion Theatre, Westover Rd, BH1 2BU, +44 1202 451870.
• Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Rd, BH2 5BH. 9AM-5PM. Concerts and exhibitions.
• Bournenmouth Air Festival. Free, every August.
• Bourne Free, Town Centre, +44 845 463 9583. Bournemouth's annual gay pride festival Bourne Free.
• Chines. Explore a series of picturesque ravines in the cliff. Can be combined with a stroll along the seafront.
• Fun Central, 45-47 Westover Rd, BH1 2BZ, +44 1202 555552. A large arcade, slot machines and entertainment centre.
• Watch football (ie soccer) at AFC Bournemouth, Vitality Stadium, King's Park Drive BH7 7AF (one mile east of centre off A338. They play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their 11,360-capacity stadium is very small by Premier League standards and the club are looking to build a replacement.
• Cricket and bowls are played by a lot of locals and are easy to get involved in. Swimming, windsurfing and kite-surfing is popular as is (normal) surfing to a lesser extent.

Oceanarium Bournemouth, Pier Approach, BH2 5AA, +44 1202 311993. 10AM-6PM.

Pavilion Theatre, Westover Rd, BH1 2BU, +44 1202 451870.

Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Rd, BH2 5BH. 9AM-5PM. Concerts and exhibitions.

Bournenmouth Air Festival. Free, every August.

Bourne Free, Town Centre, +44 845 463 9583. Bournemouth's annual gay pride festival Bourne Free.

Chines. Explore a series of picturesque ravines in the cliff. Can be combined with a stroll along the seafront.

Fun Central, 45-47 Westover Rd, BH1 2BZ, +44 1202 555552. A large arcade, slot machines and entertainment centre.

Watch football (ie soccer) at AFC Bournemouth, Vitality Stadium, King's Park Drive BH7 7AF (one mile east of centre off A338. They play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their 11,360-capacity stadium is very small by Premier League standards and the club are looking to build a replacement.

Bournemouth has a good range of shops with mainly well known high street outlets in the centre but also many independent shops. Examples of large stores are Beales, Dingles, Debenhams and Marks & Spencers. The Boscombe area is well known for its many antique shops and for those who are into designer, vintage, and specialist clothes, Westbourne offers a good variety of designer boutiques.

For out of town shopping the massive Castlepoint Shopping centre is easily accessible by public transport, although there is little else to do in the area

• Consortium, 8 Albert Rd, BH1 1BZ. Independent skate, streetwear and sneaker store.

Consortium, 8 Albert Rd, BH1 1BZ. Independent skate, streetwear and sneaker store.

Bournemouth has many different restaurants suiting different tastes and budgets. The Old Christchurch Road at the "top" of the main shopping area has a string of low to mid-range eateries alternating with your orientated bars and clubs. There is another crop of eateries in the West Cliff area (around the International Centre), and in the Triangle, and in Westbourne. The number of takeaways in Bournemouth has also increased over the years, offering a cheap alternative to a restaurant meal.

• Tapas Plus. Authentic, independent Spanish restaurant, between the Square and the Town Hall.
• Aruba - On Bournemouth Pier has a fantastic menu based on the caribbean with outstanding decor a must see when in Bournemouth.
• Crab, Exeter Rd, +44 1202 203601. Upmarket fish restaurant, opposite the BIC.
• Jumbo (Lansdown Rd) - All you can eat Chinese; you'll eat plenty as the food is fantastic!
• The Gallery Brasserie, Boscombe Spa Road, +44 1202 396234. Brasserie with innovative menus, stunning views and comprehensive wine list.
• Dosa World (260 Old Christchurch Rd). South Indian restaurant with many unusual specialities. Good value lunchtime buffet.
• Oriental Garden (105 Commercial Road). Affordable Chinese restaurant with super-authentic dim sum — crispy squid, deep-fried turnip paste, curried whelks, etc. Also a more typical menu.
• Atlantic Fish Restaurant (6, The Triangle) combines British fish-and-chips with a more continental approach in the sit-down section. Large portions mean good value.
• West Beach - Excellent frontline seafood restaurant adjacent to Bournemouth Pier. Definitely not cheap, but aboard the beachfront decked area, about as close to dining Californian-style as you'll get in the UK!
• Himalay (10 Queens Road). Indian restaurant and takeaway with unusual Nepalese specialities.
• Chez Fred. An excellent fish and chip restaurant and takeaway, as attested by long queues.
• Isabel's. Romantic restaurant with reliable French cuisine in trendy Ashley Cross.
• Urban Beach. A boutique hotel and trendy bistro between the High Street and Pier.
• Tomlins (Seabourne Grove, Southbourne). A popular fish and chip shop. Open until late.

Tapas Plus. Authentic, independent Spanish restaurant, between the Square and the Town Hall.

Aruba - On Bournemouth Pier has a fantastic menu based on the caribbean with outstanding decor a must see when in Bournemouth.

Crab, Exeter Rd, +44 1202 203601. Upmarket fish restaurant, opposite the BIC.

Jumbo (Lansdown Rd) - All you can eat Chinese; you'll eat plenty as the food is fantastic!

The Gallery Brasserie, Boscombe Spa Road, +44 1202 396234. Brasserie with innovative menus, stunning views and comprehensive wine list.

Dosa World (260 Old Christchurch Rd). South Indian restaurant with many unusual specialities. Good value lunchtime buffet.

Oriental Garden (105 Commercial Road). Affordable Chinese restaurant with super-authentic dim sum — crispy squid, deep-fried turnip paste, curried whelks, etc. Also a more typical menu.

Atlantic Fish Restaurant (6, The Triangle) combines British fish-and-chips with a more continental approach in the sit-down section. Large portions mean good value.

West Beach - Excellent frontline seafood restaurant adjacent to Bournemouth Pier. Definitely not cheap, but aboard the beachfront decked area, about as close to dining Californian-style as you'll get in the UK!

Himalay (10 Queens Road). Indian restaurant and takeaway with unusual Nepalese specialities.

Chez Fred. An excellent fish and chip restaurant and takeaway, as attested by long queues.

Isabel's. Romantic restaurant with reliable French cuisine in trendy Ashley Cross.

Urban Beach. A boutique hotel and trendy bistro between the High Street and Pier.

Tomlins (Seabourne Grove, Southbourne). A popular fish and chip shop. Open until late.

At night the town comes alive with a vibrant bar and club scene. It is one of Britain's most popular clubbing locations, with many stag and hen parties held in Bournemouth. There are over 50 nightclub venues which are open every day of the week. On busy clubnights, roughly 40,000 people are out in Bournemouth. The Triangle area in Bournemouth (5 minutes walk up Commercial St from the main square) is where the gay community is concentrated with several gay friendly clubs and pubs. Most night clubs are in and around town centre, with the exception of the O2 Academy in Boscombe. Old style pubs are at a premium in the centre with the emphasis more on trendy bars. Those fancying an ale pub crawl are advised to do by bus—the Goat, Porterhouse and Bermuda Triangle (see below) are all near stops.

• Moon in the Square, Exeter Rd, BH2 5AQ. An outstanding Wetherspoon's pub when it is quiet, dreadful when it is not. It is in an old department store, with outside seating and great views of the gardens from its two floors, and a good selection of guest ales. Idiot central on Friday and Saturday nights, though.
• 1812, 1812 Exeter Rd, BH2 5BY. A swanky jazz music night club in the first mansion in Bournemouth.
• Goat and Tricycle. The town's top real ale pub, located just off the Triangle and serving at least 10 varieties, also popular for its food.
• Smokin' Aces. A small "Cocktail Bar and Whisky Lounge" in the Triangle, with live acts.
• Winchester, 39 Poole Hill. A music and DJ venue. Rather peculiar, very dark inside with a rather cliquey crowd, but good acts.
• Sixty Million Postcards. Painfully hip and arty bar, bistro, club and live venue, in a building that looks like a huge, graffiti'd garage on the way to West Cliff from the Square. Definitely not for everybody.
• Halo. Clubbing in a refurbished church.
• 2930 The Triangle. The biggest gay venue in Bournemouth, set over two floors.
• Daisy O'Brien's, 77 Old Christchurch Rd. One of the few traditional pubs in the town centre, with low prices.
• O'Neil's, 260 Old Christchurch Rd. At the far end of the Old Christchurch Road strip (number 260), this Irish pub has live music most nights and attracts the slightly quieter kind of student.
• The Porterhouse. A traditional pub (Ringwood's) in the cute and quaint Westbourne district, a little to the west of the centre.
• The Bermuda Triangle. Wackilly decorated pub with ever-changing real ales. In the trendy Lower Parkstone district, well to the west of the centre.
• Mr Kyps. One of the area's top rock music venues is next door.
• Old Fire Station. Medium-sized live entertainment venue in the Holdenhurst Road studentland. Run by the Student's Union of Bournemouth University.
• Chaplin's, Boscombe High St. Wine bar and cellar bar. This two-in-one venue offers some kind of live music most days of the week. Continental beers and acoustic music in the wine bar on top, real ale in the scruffy cellar where the louder acts play.
• The Gallery Bar, Boscombe Spa Road, +44 1202 396234. Stylish bar and brasserie - spectacular views, great atmosphere with a wide range of drinks and cocktails.
• O2 Academy. The former Opera House vies with the BIC as the town's main entertainment centre, with major acts and club nights.

Moon in the Square, Exeter Rd, BH2 5AQ. An outstanding Wetherspoon's pub when it is quiet, dreadful when it is not. It is in an old department store, with outside seating and great views of the gardens from its two floors, and a good selection of guest ales. Idiot central on Friday and Saturday nights, though.

1812, 1812 Exeter Rd, BH2 5BY. A swanky jazz music night club in the first mansion in Bournemouth.

Goat and Tricycle. The town's top real ale pub, located just off the Triangle and serving at least 10 varieties, also popular for its food.

Smokin' Aces. A small "Cocktail Bar and Whisky Lounge" in the Triangle, with live acts.

Winchester, 39 Poole Hill. A music and DJ venue. Rather peculiar, very dark inside with a rather cliquey crowd, but good acts.

Sixty Million Postcards. Painfully hip and arty bar, bistro, club and live venue, in a building that looks like a huge, graffiti'd garage on the way to West Cliff from the Square. Definitely not for everybody.

Halo. Clubbing in a refurbished church.

2930 The Triangle. The biggest gay venue in Bournemouth, set over two floors.

Daisy O'Brien's, 77 Old Christchurch Rd. One of the few traditional pubs in the town centre, with low prices.

O'Neil's, 260 Old Christchurch Rd. At the far end of the Old Christchurch Road strip (number 260), this Irish pub has live music most nights and attracts the slightly quieter kind of student.

The Porterhouse. A traditional pub (Ringwood's) in the cute and quaint Westbourne district, a little to the west of the centre.

The Bermuda Triangle. Wackilly decorated pub with ever-changing real ales. In the trendy Lower Parkstone district, well to the west of the centre.

Mr Kyps. One of the area's top rock music venues is next door.

Old Fire Station. Medium-sized live entertainment venue in the Holdenhurst Road studentland. Run by the Student's Union of Bournemouth University.

Chaplin's, Boscombe High St. Wine bar and cellar bar. This two-in-one venue offers some kind of live music most days of the week. Continental beers and acoustic music in the wine bar on top, real ale in the scruffy cellar where the louder acts play.

The Gallery Bar, Boscombe Spa Road, +44 1202 396234. Stylish bar and brasserie - spectacular views, great atmosphere with a wide range of drinks and cocktails.

O2 Academy. The former Opera House vies with the BIC as the town's main entertainment centre, with major acts and club nights.

There is an absolutely incredible number of stag and hen parties passing through the centre during the summer, but they tend to be loud rather than dangerous. Drunken youths tend to congregate in Old Christchurch Rd late at night — it is safe the rest of the time.

• The very well-heeled town of Christchurch is about a 15-minute journey east of Bournemouth. It is a couple of hours of very pleasant walking along the cliffs. The Regent Arts Centre tends to be the main attraction. If you do not yacht, you may not fit in!
• Poole, a similar distance to west boasts a long shopping street and the atmosphere of a working port and fishing town. It can be used a stop-off for a sea journey to Brownsea Island, Purbeck, Swanage, etc. The Lighthouse arts centre is the cultural magnet.
• Corfe Castle - approximately 1½ hours away by bus through Sandbanks, the 4th most expensive post code in the world and the Isle of Purbeck - part of a World Heritage coastal zone. One option is to take the open top bus via the Sandbanks ferry in the summer for approx £5 from central Bournemouth and change at Swanage.
• The New Forest - half an hour way to the east

The very well-heeled town of [[Christchurch (England)|Christchurch]] is about a 15-minute journey east of Bournemouth. It is a couple of hours of very pleasant walking along the cliffs. The Regent Arts Centre tends to be the main attraction. If you do not yacht, you may not fit in!

[[Poole]], a similar distance to west boasts a long shopping street and the atmosphere of a working port and fishing town. It can be used a stop-off for a sea journey to Brownsea Island, Purbeck, Swanage, etc. The Lighthouse arts centre is the cultural magnet.

The [[New Forest]] - half an hour way to the east