117-540: Bournemouth ( / ˈ b ɔːr n m ə θ / BORN -məth ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset , England. The 2021 census built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest town in Dorset. Previously an uninhabited and rarely-visited heathland , other than by occasional fishermen and smugglers,
234-399: A World Heritage Site in 2001. Bournemouth's own coastline stretches from Sandbanks to Christchurch Harbour and comprises mainly sandy beaches backed by gravel and sandy clay cliffs. These cliffs are cut by a number of chines which provide natural access to the shore. At the easternmost point lies Hengistbury Head, a narrow peninsula that forms the southern shore of Christchurch Harbour . It
351-522: A promenade built; it runs continuously along the Bournemouth and Poole shoreline. Coastal resort A seaside resort is a city, town , village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast . Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements such as in the German Seebad . Where a beach
468-553: A 202-foot (62 m) spire and is one of three Grade I listed churches in the borough. The town also has both an events venue and a concert hall, the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Pavilion Theatre respectively. The first mention of Bournemouth comes in the Christchurch cartulary of 1406, where a monk describes how a large fish ("uni magno piscis"), 18 feet (5.5 metres) long,
585-592: A familiar presence at inquests. (Her husband had deserted her in 1911.) The site was renamed Tuckton Tea Gardens, and continues to operate today, having been in Bournemouth Borough Council ownership since 1963. Mrs. Nutter-Scott later became Tuckton's only recorded rag-and-bone woman, walking around the suburb and collecting rubbish in a canvas-backed Bath chair. Meanwhile, on the Christchurch side of Tuckton Bridge, Arthur Vine established
702-460: A health resort was founded in the area by Lewis Tregonwell in 1810. After the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway opened in 1870, it grew into an important resort town which attracts over five million visitors annually with the town's beaches and popular nightlife. It now has a financial sector that is worth more than £1 billion in gross value added . Part of Hampshire since before
819-547: A large selection of bars, clubs, and cafés. North of the centre there is an out-of-town shopping complex called Castlepoint. The 41-acre (17 ha) site has 40 units and was the largest shopping centre in the UK when it opened it 2003. Other major shopping areas are situated in the districts of Westbourne and Boscombe. Bournemouth is a tourist and regional centre for leisure, entertainment, culture and recreation. Local author and former mayor, Keith Rawlings, suggests that Bournemouth has
936-458: A massive growth in seaside and summer visitors to the town, especially from the Midlands and London. In 1880 the town had a population of 17,000, but by 1900, when railway connections to Bournemouth were at their most developed, the town's population had risen to 60,000 and it had become a favourite location for visiting artists and writers. The town was improved greatly during this period through
1053-402: A place for recuperation. At a time when the most convenient way to arrive in the town was by sea, a pier was considered to be a necessity. The Holdenhurst parish vestry was reluctant to find the money, and an attempt to raise funds privately in 1847 had only succeeded in financing a small 100-foot (30 m) jetty. The Bournemouth Improvement Act of 1856 granted greater financial autonomy to
1170-440: A result which accounts for 15% of all employment in the town. Bournemouth seafront is one of the UK's biggest attractions with 4.5 million visitors in 2011. RNLI lifeguards provide seasonal coverage of Bournemouth's beaches. With a third of all town centre businesses in the leisure industry, Bournemouth has a booming nightlife economy and is a popular destination for stag and hen parties. These party-goers contribute £125 million
1287-655: A seaside resort dedicated to tourism with a large fishing fleet of recreational charter boats. Seaside resorts on the Flemish coast of West-Vlaanderen exist at the famous Knokke , Ostend and also De Panne and coastal towns along the North Sea served by the coastal tramway Kusttram run by De Lijn . There are many seaside resorts on the jagged coastline of Croatia and its several islands, including: With three long coastlines, France has many seaside resorts on its various coasts; for specific towns in each region, see
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#17327654607311404-540: A sewer was being dug beneath the present Broadway, a palaeolithic hand-axe was recovered from one of these terraces, in mint condition - later complemented by a similar relic, excavated near the Wildown Road junction in 1931. Further implements, plus the remains of sixteen Bronze Age cremation urns, were recovered in the 1920s from the site of Magnolia Close - just yards from an Early Bronze Age tumulus in Wick Lane,
1521-512: A small stream, is a derivative of burna , old English for a brook. From the latter half of the 16th century "Bourne Mouth" seems to be preferred, being recorded as such in surveys and reports of the period, but this appears to have been shortened to "Bourne" after the area had started to develop. A travel guide published in 1831 calls the place "Bourne Cliffe" or "Tregonwell's Bourne" after its founder. The Spas of England , published ten years later, calls it simply "Bourne" as does an 1838 edition of
1638-408: A substantial increase in people moving into the area, has led to a sharp rise in the resident population since 2001. Of the total population, 3.3% are 85 or over, compared to 2.2% nationally; however the largest group of people moving into the area are students in the 16-24-year age group, and 9% of the current population are between 20 and 24. In England this age group accounts for only 7%. According to
1755-520: A thriving youth culture due to its large university population and many language school students. In recent years, Bournemouth has become a popular nightlife destination with UK visitors and many clubs, bars and restaurants are located within the town centre. In a 2007 survey by First Direct , Bournemouth was found to be the happiest place in the UK, with 82% of people questioned saying they were happy with their lives. Major venues for concerts include BIC , Pavilion Theatre and O2 Academy . Built in 1984,
1872-597: A unique architectural style called resort architecture . The coast of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania alone has an overall length of 2000 km and is nicknamed German Riviera . Heiligendamm in Mecklenburg , established in 1793, is the oldest seaside resort in Germany and continental Europe . Most important coastal areas with seaside resorts in Germany: Selection of German seaside resorts along
1989-569: A venue for the municipal orchestra. It continues to provide traditional entertainment today, presenting West End stage shows, ballet and operas. The Palace Court Theatre opened in 1931, was later used as a Christian centre, and has recently been bought and reopened as a theatre by Arts University Bournemouth. Bournemouth has more than 200 listed buildings, mainly from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, including three grade I churches; St Peter's , St Clement's and St Stephen's. The Russell-Cotes Museum
2106-604: A visit being considered as treatment for chest complaints. Owing to its generally better climate, the south coast has many seaside towns, the most being in Sussex . In the later 20th century, the popularity of the British seaside resort declined for the same reason that it first flourished: advances in transport. The greater accessibility of foreign holiday destinations, through package holidays and, more recently, European low-cost airlines , makes it easier to holiday abroad. Despite
2223-511: A year to the economy and support 4,000 jobs. In 2010 the town was awarded a Purple Flag for providing a wide variety of night-time activities while maintaining the safety of both residents and visitors. An independent report published in 2012 indicates there has been a rise in antisocial behaviour which it attributes to the increase in nightlife. Those of working age make up approximately 65% of Bournemouth's population and of these, 74.6% are economically active although not necessarily employed within
2340-558: Is a Grade II* listed , villa completed in 1901. It houses artefacts and paintings collected by the Victorian philanthropist Merton Russell-Cotes and his wife during their extensive travels around the world. The four art galleries display paintings by William Powell Frith , Edwin Landseer , Edwin Long , William Orchardson , Arthur Hughes , Albert Moore and Dante Gabriel Rossetti . It was Russell-Cotes who successfully campaigned to have
2457-441: Is a local nature reserve and the site of a Bronze Age settlement. Like all of the UK, Bournemouth has a temperate oceanic climate with moderate variation in annual and daily temperatures, mild summers, and cool winters. From 1991 to 2020 the annual mean temperature was 10 to 11 °C (50 to 52 °F). The warmest months are July and August, which have an average temperature range of 12 to 22 °C (54 to 72 °F), while
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#17327654607312574-586: Is a suburb of Bournemouth , situated on the River Stour in the eastern part of the borough. First recorded in 1271, this was a hamlet in the tithing of Tuckton and Wick until 1894, when the Local Government Act replaced all tithings in England and Wales with civil parishes and district councils. At that point, Tuckton became part of the civil parish of Southbourne , which was absorbed into
2691-557: Is an example of that. Later, Queen Victoria 's long-standing patronage of the Isle of Wight and Ramsgate in Kent ensured that a seaside residence was considered a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to afford more than one home. The extension of this form of leisure to the middle and working classes began with the development of the railways in the 1840s; they offered cheap travel to fast-growing resort towns. In particular,
2808-549: Is based at the Civic Centre (formerly known as Bournemouth Town Hall) on Bourne Avenue in Bournemouth. The area that is now Bournemouth was historically mostly within the ancient parish of Christchurch in Hampshire. A chapel of ease was established at Holdenhurst to serve the west of the parish, and the chapelry of Holdenhurst subsequently came to be treated as a separate civil parish from medieval times. When
2925-474: Is both a retail and commercial centre. Areas within Bournemouth include: Boscombe , Kinson , Southbourne , Springbourne , Throop , Westbourne , Winton and Pokesdown . The area's geology has little variety, comprising almost entirely of Eocene clays which, prior to urbanisation, supported a heathland environment. Patches of the original heath still remain, notably Turbary Common, a 36-hectare (89-acre; 0.14 sq mi; 0.36 km) site, much of which
3042-679: Is buried in Christchurch Cemetery. Tuckton is also notable for being the lowest bridging point over the Stour. The first bridge here, a wooden toll structure on iron piles, was opened to carriage traffic in May 1883. It was replaced by the present structure in 1905. The present bridge was designed to bear the weight of the Bournemouth Corporation trams, whose routes were being extended to Christchurch; accordingly, it
3159-554: Is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest . This heathland habitat is home to all six species of native reptile, the Dartford warbler and some important flora such as sundew and bog asphodel . Small populations of Exmoor pony and Shetland cattle help to maintain the area. Bournemouth is directly north of Old Harry Rocks , the easternmost end of the Jurassic Coast , 96 miles (155 km) of coastline designated
3276-469: Is held by 13.9% of residents. An apprenticeship has been completed by 6.3% of the population while 16.9% have some other work-related or vocational qualification and 8.3% hold a foreign qualification. Historically Bournemouth has suffered from negative rates of natural increase and has relied on immigration to maintain population growth. In 2007 however, births exceeded deaths for the first time, and this trend has continued through to 2011. This, coupled with
3393-494: Is not always true; for example Broadstairs in Kent has retained much of its old world charm with Punch and Judy and donkey rides and still remains popular, being only one hour from the M25 . Brighton has also seen a fall in visitor numbers in recent years. The city has also experienced a rise in homelessness, especially noticeable on the city streets and in green spaces where tents have been erected. Tuckton Tuckton
3510-469: Is one of the few buildings designed by Ferrey still standing and operating. Bournemouth grew at a faster rate as Tapps-Gervis began developing the area similarly to the south coast resorts of Weymouth and Brighton . Despite enormous investment, the town's share of the market remained modest. In 1841 Tapps-Gervis invited the physician and writer Augustus Granville to stay. Granville was the author of The Spas of England , which described health resorts around
3627-805: Is particularly known for its beaches. All seaside resorts in Jordan are located in Aqaba , the only seaport in Jordan. Seaside resorts of Aqaba include Ayla Oasis and Marsa Zayed in the Tala Bay region. Many seaside resorts are located in Gyeongsang , Jeolla , Chungcheong , Gangwon , Gyeonggi , Incheon , Ulsan and Busan . The following are the main resort towns in Malta : Mexican resorts are popular with many North American residents, with Mexico being
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3744-405: Is predominantly based in neighbouring Poole, but still employed 2% of the workforce in 2010 and 2.6% in 2011. Notable employers in this sector include Escor Toys and Parvalux . Tourism is also important to the local economy. In 2011, domestic and overseas visitors made more than 5.6 million trips to the town and spent over £460 million between them. The equivalent of 8,531 full-time jobs exist as
3861-663: Is the primary focus for tourists , it may be called a beach resort . Seaside resorts have existed since antiquity. In Roman times, the town of Baiae by the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy was a resort for those who were sufficiently prosperous. Barcola by the Adriatic Sea in northern Italy with its Roman luxury villas is considered a special example of ancient leisure culture by the sea. Mersea Island in Essex , England
3978-600: The Baltic Sea coastline: At the North Sea coastline: Greece, renowned as a summer destination, features a large amount of seaside resorts. Some of them include: India has a long coastline and hence has numerous beaches and resort towns. Beaches were already a popular tourist destination for the kings and the masses alike especially in South India where the Dravidian Empires built large temples near
4095-490: The Baltic Sea . The opening of the resort in Brighton and its reception of royal patronage from King George IV extended the seaside as a resort for health and pleasure to the much larger London market, and the beach became a centre for upper-class pleasure and frivolity. This trend was praised and artistically elevated by the new romantic ideal of the picturesque landscape; Jane Austen 's unfinished novel Sanditon
4212-649: The Borough of Bournemouth in 1901. The lower reaches of Tuckton, including the shops in Tuckton Road, stand on one of the very flat gravel terraces that lie beneath much of modern Bournemouth. These terraces were formed around 35,000 BC, when a series of temperature fluctuations led to a rise in sea levels, inundating the Solent and its tributaries - which included the River Stour, in embryo form. In 1925, when
4329-536: The Domesday Book , it was assigned to Dorset under the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. Bournemouth Borough Council became a unitary authority in 1997 and was replaced by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in 2019; the current unitary authority also covers Poole , Christchurch and adjoining land. The town centre has notable Victorian architecture . St Peter's Church has
4446-529: The Earl of Southampton noted that the area was "Devoid of all habitation", and as late as 1795 the Duke of Rutland recorded that "... on this barren and uncultivated heath there was not a human to direct us". There were some prehistoric settlements in the area, notably along the River Stour, including Longham where a skull thought to be 5,500 years old was found in 1932. Bronze Age burials near Moordown , and
4563-764: The Galapagos Islands in Ecuador . Spanish resorts are popular with many European and world residents. Notable resorts on the mainland and islands include: Some examples of Ukrainian seaside resort towns are: The United Kingdom saw the popularisation of seaside resorts , and nowhere was this more seen than in Blackpool . Blackpool catered for workers from across industrial Northern England , who packed its beaches and promenade . Other northern seaside towns (for example Bridlington , Cleethorpes , Morecambe , Scarborough , Skegness , and Southport ) shared in
4680-618: The Hampshire Advertiser . In the late 19th century "Bournemouth" became predominant, although its two-word form appears to have remained in use up until at least the early 20th century, turning up on a 1909 ordnance map. The Coat of arms of Bournemouth was first granted on 24 March 1891. In the 12th century the region around the mouth of the River Bourne was part of the Hundred of Holdenhurst . The hundred later became
4797-574: The Liberty of Westover when it was extended to include the settlements of North Ashley, Muscliff , Muccleshell, Throop , Iford , Pokesdown , Tuckton and Wick , and incorporated into the Manor of Christchurch . Although the Dorset and Hampshire region surrounding it had been the site of human settlement for thousands of years, Westover was largely a remote and barren heathland before 1800. In 1574
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4914-662: The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea . Most tourists come from the United States and European countries. Other resorts include: Italy is known for its seaside resorts, visited both by Italian and European tourists. Many of these resorts have a history of tourism which dates back to the 19th century. Resorts include (among many others): There are seaside resorts in Honshu , Shikoku , and Kyushu , but Okinawa
5031-474: The Napoleonic Wars , spent much of his time searching the heath and coastline for French invaders and smugglers. Anticipating that people would come to the area to indulge in the newly fashionable pastime of sea-bathing , an activity with perceived health benefits, Tregonwell built a series of villas on his land between 1816 and 1822, which he hoped to let out. The common belief that pine-scented air
5148-657: The North Pier in Blackpool was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for elite visitors. Central Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor. Many popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines , because even the all-covering beachwear of the period was considered immodest. By the end of the century the English coastline had over 100 large resort towns, some with populations exceeding 50,000. The development of
5265-632: The Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours in 2022 but was unsuccessful. On 13 March 2022, 21-year-old Thomas Roberts was stabbed to death in Bournemouth Town Centre by Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai in a high-profile murder case. On 31 May 2023, two people died and eight others were injured in an incident at Bournemouth beach . There is one tier of local government covering Bournemouth, at unitary authority level: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council , which
5382-476: The South East Dorset conurbation should be in the same county. Bournemouth's borough status was transferred to the new district, allowing the council to take the name Bournemouth Borough Council and giving the chair of the council the title of mayor, continuing Bournemouth's series of mayors dating back to 1890. On 1 April 1997, Bournemouth Borough Council became a unitary authority , taking over
5499-467: The 18th-20th centuries. In the past the resorts have received mostly domestic tourism, however, since the 1990s, following the opening of Polish borders, the international tourism has grown considerably. Notable resorts include: Many European and world tourists visit Portuguese resorts, particularly those on the Algarve and Madeira . Notable resorts include: The Romanian Black Sea resorts stretch from
5616-540: The BCP councillors representing wards in the former borough of Bournemouth. The trustees preserve the town's civic charters and traditions, including appointing one of their number each year to serve as mayor. Bournemouth is represented by two parliamentary constituencies in the House of Commons; Bournemouth East and Bournemouth West . In the 2024 general election , the former was gained for Labour by Tom Hayes with 40.8% of
5733-587: The BIC is also a popular place for party political conferences and has been used by all three major political parties. Its four auditoria make it the largest venue on the south coast. The O2 and Pavilion are older and are both Grade II listed buildings . The O2, which opened in 1895 as the Grand Pavilion Theatre, was initially used as a circus and later for music hall theatre. The Pavilion opened in 1929 as concert hall and tea room while also providing
5850-901: The Bournemouth area. Industry in Bournemouth employed more than 76,400 people in 2011 but not all of these were Bournemouth residents. Of those employed in Bournemouth based industries, 29.32% were employed in the public administration, education and health sector. This compares favourably with Dorset, the South-West region, and the country as a whole, as do the other large sectors; distribution, hotels & restaurants (29.06%), and banking, finance and insurance (24.48%). 37.2% of Bournemouth's resident population are employed full-time while 13.3% are employed part-time. An additional 7.1% full-time workers are self-employed, 3.1% are self-employed part-time. Full-time students with jobs account for 5.3% and 3.8% are unemployed. The shopping streets are mostly pedestrianised with modern shopping malls, Victorian arcades and
5967-553: The Centre for Cities in 2016, Bournemouth's population had the third highest average age among 63 large towns and cities in the UK, at 42.8 years. Similarly to the rest of Dorset, Bournemouth's economy is primarily in the service sector , which employed 95% of the workforce in 2010. This was 10% higher than the average employment in the service sector for Great Britain and 11% higher than the South West . Of particular importance are
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#17327654607316084-921: The Danube Delta in the north down to the Romanian-Bulgarian border in the south, along 275 kilometers of coastline. Notable seaside resorts in South America include Búzios , Camboriú , Florianópolis , Fortaleza , Recife and Salvador in Brazil ; Mar del Plata in Argentina ; Piriapolis and Punta del Este in Uruguay ; Easter Island and Viña del Mar in Chile ; Barranquilla and Cartagena in Colombia ; and Guayaquil , Salinas and
6201-517: The East of Ireland developed after the introduction of rail travel. The Dublin and Kingstown Railway introduced day-trippers from Dublin to Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire ) in South Dublin , and the coastal town became Ireland's first seaside resort. Other South Dublin towns and villages such as Sandycove , Dalkey and Killiney grew as seaside resorts when the rail network was expanded. Since
6318-709: The Firth of Clyde have continued to prosper as middle-class commuter towns . Some resorts, especially those more southerly such as Hastings , Worthing , Eastbourne , Bournemouth , and Brighton were built as new towns or extended by local landowners to appeal to wealthier holidaymakers. Others came about due to their proximity to large urban areas of population, such as Southend-on-Sea , which became increasingly popular with residents of London once rail links were established to it allowing day trips from London. The sunshine and sea air were seen by Victorians as beneficial for health, and resorts such as Ventnor owed their growth to
6435-409: The River Stour, Stour Valley Way , Millhams Mead and Stour Valley nature reserves and arboretum, Hengistbury Head , and the small communities of Throop and Holdenhurst. Turbary Park is a heathland which is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest . The 2011 census records the population of Bournemouth as 183,491, comprising 91,386 males and 92,105 females, which equates to 49.8% and 50.2% of
6552-634: The Tuckton Golf School in 1932 which eventually evolved into the Tuckton Golf and Leisure Park, built up by Harry Stiller and distinguished by the four-acre model landscape known as Tucktonia , which attracted thousands of visitors a year until it closed in 1986. Until the publication of McKinstry's The Village of Tuckton , no satisfactory account of the settlement's history had been presented. Tuckton had suffered somewhat from not being Iford, for which histories do exist nor Wick, also
6669-539: The US Atlantic coastline, enticing northern upper-class families south to subtropical Florida. The Florida East Coast Railway brought northern tourists to St. Augustine in greater numbers, and by 1887 Flagler began to build two large ornate hotels in St. Augustine, the 540-room Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar , and bought the Casa Monica Hotel the next year. Continental European attitudes towards gambling and nudity tended to be more lax than in Britain, and British and French entrepreneurs were quick to exploit
6786-409: The area has otherwise been provided from Poole Lifeboat Station . The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), a large conference and exhibition centre, was constructed near the seafront in 1984, and in the following year Bournemouth became the first town in the United Kingdom to introduce and use CCTV cameras for public street-based surveillance. In 1993, the IRA orchestrated a terrorist attack in
6903-399: The beach, later to become known as the Invalids' Walk. After the death of Tapps in 1835, his son Sir George William Tapps-Gervis inherited his father's estate. He hired the young local architect Benjamin Ferrey to develop Bournemouth Gardens along the coastal area on the east side of the stream. Bournemouth's first hotel, later to become part of the Royal Bath Hotel , opened in 1838 and
7020-429: The births, deaths and tonsillectomies of Tuckton residents until selling up at the age of ninety-one in 1965, whereupon the property was demolished. The house called 'Slavanka' in Belle Vue Road was used by Countess Chertkov as a holiday home before the Revolution. When she escaped in 1917 she returned to Slavanka but had to sell it as an Evangelical Conference Centre. She remained in the house until her death in 1922 and
7137-406: The borough council bought the former Mont Dore Hotel on Bourne Avenue, which had been completed in 1885, and converted into the Town Hall. The county borough of Bournemouth was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The district kept the same boundaries, but was transferred from Hampshire to Dorset, it being considered desirable that the whole of
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#17327654607317254-423: The branch line to the small seaside town of Blackpool from Poulton-le-Fylde led to a sustained economic and demographic boom. A sudden influx of visitors arriving by rail motivated entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and rapid growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton mill owners of closing
7371-474: The colony returned to Russia with Chertkov in 1908, after the Tsar issued a general amnesty to political exiles. The Tuckton House estate was then steadily sold off, the proceeds funding a complete edition of Tolstoy's works in Russian - a mammoth project that ultimately extended to ninety volumes, and was still in progress when Chertkov died in 1936. Tuckton House itself was sold to Mrs. C. Angus in 1929, and renamed Tuckton Nursing Home; she continued to preside over
7488-421: The construction of Bournemouth Gardens alongside the Bourne stream , an idea first mooted by Granville. The fields south of the road crossing (later Bournemouth Square ) were drained and laid out with shrubberies and walks. Many of these paths, including the Invalids' Walk, remain in the town today. A second suggestion of Granville's, a sanatorium, was completed in 1855 and greatly raised Bournemouth's profile as
7605-594: The coolest months are January and February, which have an average temperature range of 2 to 9 °C (36 to 48 °F). Average rainfall in Bournemouth is around 34.4 inches (875 mm) annually, well below the national average of 45.8 inches (1,163 mm). It records both higher and lower temperatures than would be expected for its coastal location. Since 1960, temperature extremes as measured at Bournemouth Hurn Airport have ranged from 34.1 °C (93.4 °F) in August 1990, down to −13.4 °C (7.9 °F) in January 1963. The lowest temperature recorded in recent years
7722-416: The country, and as a result of his visit, he included a chapter on Bournemouth in the second edition of his book. The publication of the book, and the increase in visitors seeking the medicinal use of seawater and the pine-scented air, helped the town to grow and establish itself as an early tourist destination. In the 1840s Benjamin Ferrey was replaced by Decimus Burton , whose plans for Bournemouth included
7839-407: The development of Beach Resorts where Europeans used to visit during the harsh and cold winter of Europe. The archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are also famous for beach resorts. Other beach resorts in India includes: The 'Irish Riviera' on the South Coast of Ireland features the seaside resorts of Youghal , Ardmore , Dungarvan , Cóbh and Ballycotton , all set close to
7956-399: The development of Bournemouth began in 1810, the site straddled the parishes of Holdenhurst and Christchurch. An ecclesiastical parish of Bournemouth was created in 1845, but for civil purposes the town continued to straddle the parishes of Holdenhurst and Christchurch. A body of improvement commissioners was established in 1856 to provide local government services in the town. Bournemouth
8073-418: The discovery of Iron Age pottery on the East Cliff in 1969, suggest there may have been settlements there during that period. Hengistbury Head , added to the borough in 1932, was the site of a much older Palaeolithic encampment. During the latter half of the 16th century James Blount, 6th Baron Mountjoy , began mining for alum in the area, and at one time part of the heath was used for hunting, although by
8190-475: The earliest such seaside resorts was Scarborough in Yorkshire during the 1720s; it had been a popular spa town since a stream of acidic water was discovered running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town in the 17th century. The first rolling bathing machines were introduced by 1735. In 1793, Heiligendamm in Mecklenburg , Germany was founded as the first seaside resort of the European continent, which successfully attracted Europe's aristocracy to
8307-410: The early 20th century. By the 1970s cheap and affordable air travel was the catalyst for the growth of a global tourism market. Since the late 20th century, recreational fishing and leisure boat pursuits have become very lucrative, and traditional fishing villages are often well positioned to take advantage of this. Destin, Florida , for instance, has evolved from an artisanal fishing village into
8424-411: The efforts of Sir Merton Russell-Cotes , the town's mayor and a local philanthropist, who helped to establish the town's first library and museum. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum was housed in his mansion, and after his death, it was given to the town. Bournemouth became a municipal borough in 1890 and a county borough in 1900. As Bournemouth's growth increased in the early 20th century,
8541-430: The factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as wakes weeks . Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the summer. A prominent feature of the resort was the promenade and the pleasure piers , where an eclectic variety of performances vied for the people's attention. In 1863,
8658-456: The financial and public service sectors which through 2011 continued to show sustained growth. Compared to the rest of the country, Bournemouth performed well in these two areas but under performed in transport and communications. The smallest geographical region for which gross value added information is available is the NUTS3 area, Bournemouth and Poole. The latest figures, as of 2012, are for
8775-506: The following articles: Germany is known for its traditional seaside resorts on the Baltic Sea and the North Sea coasts, mainly established in the 19th century. In German they are called Seebad ("Sea Spa") or Seeheilbad , sometimes with Ostsee- or Nordsee- as prefixes for the respective coastline. The most prestigious resorts can be found along the Baltic coastline, including the islands of Rugia and Usedom . They often feature
8892-494: The front were removed and melted down for munitions, as was much of the superstructure from both Bournemouth and Boscombe piers before they were breached to prevent their use by enemy ships. The large amounts of barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles along the beach, and the mines at the foot of the chines , took two years to remove when peace was finally achieved. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution stationed an inshore lifeboat at Bournemouth between 1965 and 1972. Coverage for
9009-459: The hands of five private owners, including James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury , and Sir George Ivison Tapps . In 1809 the Tapps Arms public house was built on the heath. A few years later, in 1812, the first official residents, retired army officer Lewis Tregonwell and his wife, moved into their new home built on land purchased from Tapps. The area was well known to Tregonwell who, during
9126-462: The identity of outlying communities, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. Bournemouth has small areas of green belt within its district to the north and east, mostly along the fringes of the shared border with the Christchurch and East Dorset districts. These cover landscape features and greenfield facilities including
9243-456: The largest of seven surviving tumuli in the Bournemouth borough. The land at Tuckton was put to agricultural use into the early twentieth century. Originally this land formed part of the Manor of Christchurch , but in 1698 the Lord of the Manor, Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon , began selling off land to settle the debts of his alcoholic transvestite son . The large copyhold estate at Tuckton
9360-718: The late 18th century little evidence of either event remained. No-one lived at the mouth of the Bourne river and the only regular visitors to the area before the 19th century were a few fishermen, turf cutters and gangs of smugglers . Prior to the Christchurch Inclosures Act 1802 , more than 70% of the Westover area was common land . The act, together with the Inclosure Commissioners' Award of 1805, transferred 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) into
9477-517: The local rabbit population. In 1900 a group of followers of Leo Tolstoy took up residence at Tuckton House, now the site of 9-17 Saxonbury Road. They were headed by Vladimir Chertkov , Tolstoy's literary agent, who had been ordered into exile from Russia in 1897 after clashing with the Tsar. Chertkov opted for a British exile: like his mother (who had holidayed in Southbourne since the 1870s), he
9594-472: The loyalty of returning holidaymakers, resorts such as Blackpool have struggled to compete against the hotter weather of Southern Europe and the sunbelt in the United States . Now, many symbols of the traditional British resort ( holiday camps , end-of-the-pier shows and saucy postcards ) are regarded by some as drab and outdated; the skies are imagined to be overcast and the beach windswept. This
9711-630: The north coast, with its two beaches and a world-famous golf course, Royal Portrush Golf Club . Other Ulster seaside resorts are Newcastle , located on the east coast at the foot of the Mourne Mountains; Ballycastle ; Portstewart ; Rathmullan ; Bundoran and Bangor . Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland and the marina has on occasion been awarded the Blue Flag for attention to environmental issues. The main seaside towns in
9828-631: The only drawback to living there, said Mrs. Booth, was that strangers knocked on the door at 2 a.m. asking how much it was to cross. Tuckton is part of the Bournemouth East parliamentary constituency . Tuckton is also part of the East Southbourne and Tuckton ward which elects two councillors to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council . The first shops in Tuckton were built on the south side of Tuckton Road in 1925, following
9945-626: The opening of Bray Daly Station in 1852, the County Wicklow coastal town of Bray has become the largest seaside resort on the East Coast of Ireland. The town of Greystones , five miles south of Bray, also grew as a seaside resort when the railway line was extended in 1855. Other seaside resorts include Courtown and Rosslare Strand in County Wexford . Ulster has a number of seaside resorts, such as Portrush , situated on
10062-498: The piecemeal selling-off of the Tuckton Farm estate. The rickyard and farm buildings, which stretched along the north side of Tuckton Road, between Iford Lane and Riverside Lane, were put up for auction in 1926 when the farm ceased trading altogether. As Bournemouth developed to the west, Tuckton became a popular setting for watersports and other recreational pursuits. One of the first riverside businesses here, Tuckton Creeks,
10179-609: The population respectively. The mean average age of all persons is 40 years. With 4,000 residents per square kilometre, Bournemouth has the highest population density of any authority in the South-West region, and is the eighth most populated. Much of the population, 83.8%, describe their ethnicity as ' White British ' while other white groups account for a further 8.1%. Asian groups; Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian, make up 3.9%. Black British , Black African, Black Caribbean and other Black groups form 1.0% of
10296-423: The population while 15.2% have a level 2 NVQ, a City and Guilds craft certificate, BTEC or general diploma. Just over 20% of residents had two or more A-levels, four or more AS-Levels or an advanced diploma while 15.8% possessed a degree, such as a BA or BSc or a higher degree such as an MA or PhD. An NVQ level 4 or 5, HNC , HND , higher BTEC or higher diploma , is held by 4.2% and a professional qualification
10413-718: The population, Those who are Mixed race make up 2.3% of the population, and 0.9% are from other ethnic groups. Christians made up 57.1% of the population but 30% of residents said they had no religion and 7.8% declined to say whether they were religious or not. Muslims were 1.8%, Buddhists, Hindus and Jews each had a 0.7% share, Sikhs were 0.1%. and other religions made up 0.7%. Of all Bournemouth residents aged 16 or over, 19.1% had no qualifications at all, although 35% said they had between one and four O-levels , CSEs , GCSEs or equivalent, and 36.5% have more than five O-level equivalents (grade C and above), an A-level or two to three AS-levels. Those with an NVQ level 1 comprise 8.0% of
10530-561: The possibilities. In 1863, the Prince of Monaco , Charles III and François Blanc , a French businessman, arranged for steamships and carriages to take visitors from Nice to Monaco, where large luxury hotels, gardens and casinos were built. The place was renamed Monte Carlo . Commercial seabathing also spread to other areas of the United States and parts of the British Empire such as Australia , where surfing became popular in
10647-495: The provision of county council functions from Dorset County Council . As from April 2019, the nine councils of Dorset were merged into two and Bournemouth became part of a unitary authority with Christchurch and Poole (known as BCP). For the purposes of the Lieutenancy it remains part of the ceremonial county of Dorset. Since the abolition of Bournemouth Borough Council in 2019, Bournemouth has had charter trustees , being
10764-633: The royalty of Europe, including Queen Victoria and King Edward VII . In the United States , early seaside resorts in the late 1800s catered to the wealthy, including city businessmen. Cape May, New Jersey became one of the first coastal resorts in the United States, when regular steamboat traffic on the Delaware River began after the War of 1812. Early visitors to Cape May included Henry Clay in 1847, and Abraham Lincoln in 1849. By 1880, Henry Flagler had extended several rail lines southward down
10881-402: The seashore. Beaches are also associated with Hindu rituals where pilgrims from different parts of India go for worshipping rituals. The sun rise and Sunset are also associated with Hindu traditions which are considered sacred my many Hindu communities and there are festivals to celebrate the sunset and sunrise. A major example of such festivals is Chhath Puja . The British Raj also contributed in
10998-568: The seaside resort abroad was stimulated by the well-developed English love of the beach. The French Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea had already become a destination for the British upper class by the end of the 18th century. In 1864, the first railway to Nice was completed, making the Riviera accessible to visitors from all over Europe. By 1874, foreign residents in Nice, mostly British, numbered 25,000. The coastline became renowned for attracting
11115-670: The second most visited country in the Americas. Notable resorts on the mainland and the Baja Gold Coast and Peninsula include: There are many seaside resorts on the Dutch coast, chiefly in the provinces of North Holland , South Holland and Zeeland , as well as on the West Frisian Islands . A selection includes: Poland's coast on the Baltic Sea includes many traditional seaside resorts established throughout
11232-627: The ships bringing the trade could berth. Another area notable for its seaside resorts was (and is) the Firth of Clyde , outside Glasgow. Glaswegians would take a ferry "doon the watter" from the city, down the River Clyde , to the Firth's islands and peninsulas and beyond, such as Cowal , Bute , Arran , and Kintyre . Resorts include Rothesay , Lamlash , Whiting Bay , Dunoon , Tighnabruaich , Carrick Castle , Helensburgh , Largs , Millport and Campbeltown . In contrast to many resorts, some on
11349-614: The south coast of Ireland . Youghal has been a favoured holiday destination for over 100 years, situated on the banks of the River Blackwater as it reaches the sea. Dungarvan is a seaside market town beneath the mountains in the centre of the Irish south coast. Kinsale is often described as a food lover's and yachting town, with a diverse range of restaurants, as well as a large and active creative community with numerous art galleries and record and book shops. Seaside resorts in
11466-623: The success of this new concept, especially from trade during wakes weeks . The concept spread rapidly to other British coastal towns, including several on the coast of North Wales , notably Rhyl , and Llandudno , the largest resort in Wales and known as "The Queen of the Welsh Resorts", from as early as 1864. As the 19th century progressed, British working class day-trippers travelled on organised trips such as railway excursions , or by steamer , for which long piers were erected so that
11583-470: The town and a pier was approved that year. A number of wooden structures were built before an 838 feet (255 m) cast iron design by Eugenius Birch was completed in 1880. Under the Act, a board of 13 Commissioners was established to build and organise the expanding infrastructure of the town, such as paving, sewers, drainage, street lighting and street cleaning. The arrival of the railways in 1870 precipitated
11700-581: The town centre . The only injuries sustained were minor ones but over £1 million in damage was caused. From 2000 to 2001 the Tesco bomb campaign hit the town with a plot to extort money from Supermarket giant Tesco . Visitors to the town plummeted during the campaign, especially after a bomb exploded at an elderly woman's home after she opened a letter sent by the bomber. During the eight months, over seven bombs were found by Dorset Police , ranging from small letter bombs, to pipe bombs and parcel bombs. The culprit
11817-539: The town centre spawned theatres, cafés, two art deco cinemas, and more hotels. Bournemouth Corporation Tramways was established in 1902, becoming the town's first public transport system. In 1908, a deadly tram crash in the town gardens killed 7 people. Other new buildings constructed included the war memorial in 1921 and the Bournemouth Pavilion , the town's concert hall and grand theatre, finished in 1925. The Bournemouth Blitz saw heavy damage to
11934-521: The town during the Second World War despite initially escaping heavy bombing. A raid by German fighter bombers on 23 May 1943 killed 131 people and damaged 3,359 buildings, with two large hotels being completely destroyed. It is believed that the large number of RAF airmen billeted in the town may have been the reason for the attack. The seafront incurred damage when it was fortified against invasion . The cast iron lampposts and benches along
12051-442: The vote, while the latter was also gained for Labour by Jessica Toale with 36.4%. However, the seats had previously both been considered Conservative safe seats. In 2022, both of the towns Conservative MPs , Conor Burns and Tobias Ellwood had the whip withdrawn forcing them to sit as Independents . Bournemouth is about 94 miles (151 km) southwest of London. The town borders the neighbouring towns of Poole and Christchurch to
12168-553: The west and east respectively. Poole Bay lies to the south. The River Stour forms a natural boundary to the north and east, terminating at Christchurch Harbour ; while the River Bourne rises in Poole and flows through the middle of Bournemouth town centre, into the English Channel. The towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch form the South East Dorset conurbation with a combined population of over 400,000. Bournemouth
12285-578: The west of Ireland are in County Clare ; the largest are Lahinch and Kilkee . Lahinch is a popular surfing location. Like British resorts, many seaside towns in Ireland have turned to other entertainment industries. Larger resorts such as Bray or Portrush host air shows , while most resorts host summer festivals. Israel is a major tourist area. Tourism in Israel is one of the major sources of income, with beautiful beaches, such as those found on
12402-785: The year 2009 which showed that the Bournemouth and Poole area enjoyed the strongest annualised growth in the South-West region. In 2009 the South West Regional Accounts showed that the Financial Services sector in Bournemouth was worth £1,031.8 million in Gross Value Added . Important employers in this sector include JPMorgan , Nationwide Building Society , and the Liverpool Victoria , Tata Consultancy Services (formerly Unisys), and RIAS insurance companies. The manufacturing sector
12519-600: Was a committed Anglophile, and knew that the tradition of free speech in England would be of benefit to his campaigns. Chertkov and his circle traded at Tuckton as the Free Age Press, producing English-language versions of Tolstoy's religious and ethical works and using the silted-up waterworks in Iford Lane as their printing press. It is estimated that the Free Age Press produced 424 million words of Tolstoy's writing during its comparatively short existence. Most of
12636-491: Was a seaside holiday destination for wealthy ancient Romans living in Colchester . The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the aristocracy, who began to frequent the seaside as well as the then fashionable spa towns, for recreation and health. One of
12753-577: Was built using the Hennebique ferro-concrete construction method, then gaining popularity in England. When built, it was the longest Hennebique bridge in Britain (at 347 ft.), as well as being the first such bridge to carry a tramway. The tolls were abolished in 1943, though the toll-house continued to stand until 1955, and was used as a squat by the Booth family during the post-war housing crisis;
12870-402: Was found to be Robert Edward Dyer, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Waterfront complex , which was intended to hold an IMAX cinema, was constructed on the seafront in 1998. The 19-metre-high (62-foot) concrete and smoked glass building featured a wavy roof design, but was despised by residents and visitors alike because it blocked views of the bay and the Isle of Purbeck . In 2005 it
12987-415: Was good for lung conditions, and in particular tuberculosis , prompted Tregonwell and Tapps to plant hundreds of pine trees . These early attempts to promote the town as a health resort meant that by the time Tregonwell died in 1832, Bournemouth had grown into a small community with a scattering of houses, villas and cottages. The town would ultimately grow up around the scattered pines and tree-lined walk to
13104-518: Was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1890. In 1900 it was elevated to the status of a county borough , making it independent from Hampshire County Council , whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Hampshire. The borough boundaries were enlarged on several occasions, notably in 1901 when it absorbed Pokesdown , Southbourne and Winton , and in 1931 when it absorbed Holdenhurst and Kinson (the latter being transferred from Dorset to Hampshire on its absorption into Bournemouth). In 1921
13221-469: Was set up in 1903. This offered boat trips along the Stour to Mudeford, and the taking of light luncheons, served on the upper deck of a beached lugger in the days before the site acquired a pavilion. The site was initially run by William Nutter-Scott and his Armenian wife, Phœnicia Yevbraxeh Nargise Zérène, but was reassigned to two newcomers in 1919 after a number of their boats sank, making Mrs. Nutter-Scott
13338-464: Was sold for £350. It went through several owners including John Sloman of Wick House , who began breeding pigs on the unproductive plateau above Tuckton in the 1840s. The venture was a failure, and this land was eventually sold to Dr. Thomas Armetriding Compton, who founded the resort of Southbourne there in 1871. When Compton purchased the land it was still festooned with the remains of pigsties, equipped with very deep foundations in an effort to outwit
13455-651: Was voted the most hated building in England in a 10,000-person poll conducted by the Channel 4 programme Demolition , and was pulled down in spring 2013. The site is now used as an outdoor event arena. The council has recently completed a larger redevelopment of the site and adjoining council land. In 2010, Bournemouth celebrated its bicentenary. In 2012 Bournemouth was unsuccessful in its bid for city status , losing out to Chelmsford , Essex in competition with 26 other towns to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II 's Diamond Jubilee . Bournemouth sought city status once again for
13572-499: Was washed up at "La Bournemothe" in October of that year and taken to the Manor of Wick ; six days later, a portion of the fish was collected by a canon from Christchurch Priory and taken away as tithe . "La Bournemowthe", however, was purely a geographic reference to the uninhabited area around the mouth of the small river which, in turn, drained the heathland between the towns of Poole and Christchurch. The word bourne , meaning
13689-525: Was −10.4 °C (13.3 °F) in December 2010. The February and winter month record high was broken in 2019, with a temperature of 17.8 °C (64.0 °F). Bournemouth lies at the centre of a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties. It is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent the towns in the South East Dorset conurbation from further convergence, protect
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