The most "Family friendly" UK beach

As well as the best beaches in the UK (some say possibly in Europe) Bournemouth has won many "Blue Flag" awards for its overall cleanliness. There are terrific views over the Purbeck Hills. During the summer months there is a fantastic free display of fireworks.

Bournemouth pictures... more...

Arcade Bournemouth shopping centre is close to the town centre, Bournemouth Arcade was built between 1866 and 1872. The Arcade which was originally called the Gervis Arcade. Bookshops such as Waterstones are convenient to browse and have a relaxing place to enjoy a coffee in their coffee shop. C'est chic! It is another good place to go if the weather turns sour. A variety of shops and refreshing change from the stereotyped shops of the modern malls.

Hot Rocks Restaurant and Cocktail Bar enjoys a prestigious location next to Bournemouth Pier. With flavours inspired by coastal cuisine from around the world, diners can enjoy freshly prepared food made from wholesome ingredients whilst taking in the breathtaking views of the surrounding beaches. The Ocean View Restaurant caters for every taste with highly trained chefs serving up fresh, honest, generously portioned dishes that are well worth waiting for.

Shopping in Bournemouth in the centre of town just behind the seafront on either side of the small Bourne stream The shopping streets are mostly pedestrianised and lined with a wide range of boutiques, stores, jewellers and accessory shops. There are major stores (Debenhams, Beales, Marks and Spencer, Bhs, Dingles), modern shopping malls

Spotting deer in the New Forest isn't always easy, but at Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary there is a purpose built viewing platform overlooking an area where a herd of fallow deer regularly gather. The herd are fed daily by the local New Forest keeper, between the months of April and September, so the deer are more than happy to remain in the main meadow
Several of the animals are white, which is quite an uncommon colour for fallow deer. more...

Bournemouth central gardens In 1910 Mate and Riddle described this part as "A veritable paradise", so it has been called "Paradise" ever since. It is a garden to be viewed in upon, and is rich in daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops, and cyclamen, azaleas, and other spring flowering plants. Also notable are the Chusan Palm ( Trachycarpus fortuneii), Mimosa ( Acacia dealbata ), Persian Ironwood ( Parrotia persica )

Upper and Central Pleasure Gardens Until the beginning of the nineteenth century this area comprised vegetated slopes and a marshy valley bottom. Development took place after 1840 under the influence of Decimus Burton (architect to the Meyrick Estate), in 1859 the Meyrick Estate granted a lease for the area to the south of the square to be developed as a public pleasure ground. Between 1864 and 1872 leaseholds of the Upper and Central Pleasure Gardens were granted by the Durrant and Meyrick Estate more...

The Upper Gardens originally resembled a lake, being badly drained. The Durrant Estate drained the area bringing in broken pottery from the clay works higher up the valley as drainage material. The considerable strip to both sides of the stream was set out for the purposes of public recreation, with the higher ground being sold off as building plots. Between 1883 and 1903 the water tower was built to supply water via a water wheel to a fountain in the middle of the stream. more...

Pier Theatre, Bournemouth was opened on 3rd June 1960 with the show "Carry on Laughing" starring Ted Rogers.  In 1964, Thora Hird starred in "The Best Laid Plans". In 1966, Sid James was in "George & Alfred Black present 'Spring Wedding'". He was followed by Dick Emery in 1967 ("Oh! You are Awful"). The popular comedy "The Mating Game" was performed in 1969 and 1971. "No Sex Please We're British" was first performed at the Pier Theatre in 1973 and again in 2000 more...

This rose hip was captured on the cliff-top overlooking the sea at Southbourne. Lets hope that the seeds germinate and continue to produce such vibrant colour for future roses along this beautiful area. Roses can do more than grace our landscapes and floral designs. Like its cousins the apple, pear, peach and cherry, roses produce a fruit. Rose Hips are a valuable source of vitamin C, containing as much as 20 times more vitamin C than oranges.

German Candy cane in Bournemouth:- It is believed that the very first candy cane was made in 1670 by the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. He gave each one of the younger members of the choir a white candy stick in an effort to keep them quiet during the Living Crèche ceremony. Rather than being the normal straight stick of hard candy, he had them made in the shape of a shepherd's crook, which symbolizes the first shepherds who worshipped the newborn Christ.

Bliss is one of Bournemouth's larger nightclub venues. A very trendy bar with 2 floors, it is beautifully decorated with dark wooden floors and blue bar lighting.
The upper floor is usually filled with people chatting and enjoying a drink, whilst the downstairs floor is home to clubbers because of the dance floor.
Bliss is conveniently located next to its sister bar Toko in the middle of Bournemouths busiest clubbing area. more...

Poole Quay has the UK’s biggest and best weekly bike meet takes places every Tuesday from 6pm. This popular motorbike event runs from the first Tuesday in April to the end of September and will return to Poole Quay in 2009. The Quay is closed off to all traffic, except bikes. Numbers of motorbikes regularly exceed 2000. The display features a wide range of models and makes, many of which have been modified and fitted with interesting features and extras. more...

The UK’s largest coach network
The most comfortable and reliable coach services in the UK and Europe, offering great value for money and much more Around one billion journeys a year are made worldwide on our bus, train, light rail and express coach operations. Our coach business provides Britain’s only scheduled national coach network and serves more than 1,000 destinations across the UK more...

Bars & Clubs

Toko is well known amongst Bournemouth's residents and tourists. Located in a night life hotspot next to several other big night clubs (such as Bliss and Elements), it attracts many visitors each night of the week.

The interior of Toko is superbly decorated with marble and huge fish tanks, which give the venue an exclusive look. There are two floors, each with their own bar and playing different styles of music. The top floor is mainly used as a bar area with comfy seating, whereas the downstairs floor is a dance area.

Language Schools

Specialised courses provide a combination of language and subject, and include University Foundation programmes, Diploma programmes, short business Summer programmes, specially tailored closed group programmes and much more. Teachers are experts in their fields - qualified language teachers who have
professional working experience. The atmosphere of the school is friendly, hardworking and professional.
University Foundation programmes are available and achieve total success in placing students in universities of their choice, achieving wide recognition from UK
universities. Shorter-term summer courses (2 weeks minimum) are also focussed on business, and are particularly suited to working people who want to improve their Business English in a short time more...

Camping & Caravan Holidays

Camping sites, Caravan and Holiday Parks are on the periphery of Bournemouth. But access to Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the New Forest are only minutes away. Walking, cycling and horse riding in Dorset (considered by many to be one the most beautiful areas of Britain) is very popular. Many bridle paths lead into remote and wild areas where wildlife such as pony's badgers, foxes, stoats, deer, and occasionally wild boar. Grove Farm Meadow is a five star park offering luxury Rose award holiday caravans, touring pitches and holiday home sales. The park is beautifully landscaped and planted with an abundance of flowers, providing a peaceful and relaxing environment to compliment its stunning riverside location. In keeping with this ideal we choose not to offer clubs or bars and operate a no pets policy. more...

Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site It is the only natural World Heritage site in Britain and ranks alongside the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. This England's first natural World Heritage Site - it is known as The Jurassic Coast. It covers 95 miles of truly stunning coastline from East Devon to Dorset, with rocks recording 185 million years of the Earth's history. World Heritage Sites are places of ‘outstanding universal value' selected by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

Old Harry Rocks Dorset is in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with a fantastic variety of sandy beaches, towering cliffs and unspoilt countryside. Old Harry Rocks are chalk stacks located directly east of Studland and to the north of Swanage in Dorset. Nearby and to the north are the larger towns of Poole and Bournemouth. The rocks are part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site of which they form the eastern end. It is also believed that the rocks were once connected to The Needles on the Isle of Wight. Boat trip excursions are available from Bournemouth pier in the summertime.

Parking: Not normally a big problem in Bournemouth, with lots of free and ample parking areas which are convenient to walk from. Bournemouth's terrific beaches, shops, pubs, clubs and cinemas all have handily placed "Pay and Display" multi-storey car parks. National Car Parks (Car Parks, Bournemouth)  Bournemouth Car Parks And Airport Parking if you are planning to fly on to another destination from Bournemouth Tel: 01202 556965 - Glen Fern Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 2LZ (1.57 miles)

for our "dogs on the beaches" page

for our Doctors in Bournemouth page

to go to our "Local Landmarks "page

Bournemouth Bay Run 2009

BoscombeSurf Reef