BOURNEMOUTH TOWN

History of Bournemouth Town

The town was founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, before this it was a deserted heathland. Originally Bournemouth was marketed as a health resort and became more popular after it appeared in the book The Spas of England. The arrival of the railway boosted Bournemouths growth considerably and it officialy became a town in 1870.

The town centre still has impressive Victorian architecture as well as 3 Grade 1 listed churches, one of which is St Peter’s Church, Bournemouths first church designed by George Edmund Street, with a 202ft (62m) tall spire. The Invalids’ Walk was proposed back in the 1840s by Decimus Burton who wanted to have a garden along the Bourne Stream, therefore the area that is Bournemouth Square today was drained and shrubberies and walks were built.

Other notable landmarks of Bournemouth are the 2 Piers, Bournemouth Pier and Boscombe Pier, that might be shorter but is architecurally more important and is also a grade II listed building. Bournmouths town hall was initially built as a hotel (Month Dore Hotel – 1881) but was purchased by Bournemouth Borough Council in 1919.

Shopping

Bournemouth has a bustling town centre that has a number of streets dedicated to shopping, with a number of familiar retailers, local boutiques and, in Westover Road, designer labels, art and jewllery. 

Castlepoint, the Uk’s largest shopping park, is located just over 3 miles outside of the main town and hosts all the main retailers. Boscombe is home to Bournemouths Vintage Quarter, containing many retro boutiques, cafés and book shops.

Westbourne, also known as “the village” is home to a spectacular Victorian Arcade lined with high end independent boutiques, pubs, bars and restaurants.

Gardens of Bournemouth

There are 3 areas of Gardens in Bournemouth, the Lower, the Central and the Upper, all of which are Listed Grade II in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens and have all been Green flag winners since 1999.

The smallest of the gardens is the Lower Gardens that run from Bournemouth Pier to the town centre, however this is where the majority of activities in the gardens takes place. There are many all year round activities in the gardens including mini golf, a bandstand, an aviary, an art exhibition and of course the refreshment kiosks and Street food Corner. Through out the year there are many events but the most notable is the Christmas Tree Wonderland – an amazing trail of Trees all decorated for Christmas as well as a number of festive activities.

The Central and Upper parts of the gardens are a much more relaxed atmosphere. The Central Gardens are home to a beautiful pergola, the War Memorial, tennis courts and a cafe. This part of the gardens are formally planted and contains a bike path through the Bourne Valley Greenway. You will also find a play park with a zip line and a number of swings and slides for the little one. The Upper Gardens are more natural looking and contain a number of small red bridges allowing you to cross the small stream.