Travel information
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, bath in the pure sea water and unwind at leisure. In Tess of the D’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy affectionately described Bournemouth 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 as well as 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 is famous for its 7 miles of golden sandy beaches [3] and clean seas. The Pier is almost in the middle of the beach and offers a small fair, boat trips, an arcade and some other shops.
Museums and galleries
- Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum - located on the Eastcliff. [4] This museum and gallery has some wonderful collections of 19th century art and Japanese artifacts. The interior of the museum alone 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.
- The Atrium Gallery at Bournemouth University.
Landmarks
- St.Peter's Church. 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.
By Train
SouthWest Trains from London and other locations on the South coast.
By Bus
MegaBus from London via Winchester.
By Airplane
Several airlines fly directly into Bournemouth Airport [2] from various destinations throughout Europe.
Bournemouth is small enough to walk around, but local bus services operate frequently within the city center.
Taxi services in Bournemouth are cheap for short journeys, with an initial charge of approximately £2. It is best to call for a cab rather than to queue at a rank near Holdenhurst for the best fare.
- Hunts Clothing, 780 Christchurch Road, Boscombe (Pokesdown end of Boscombe), ☎ 01202394033, [8]. 9-5 Monday to Friday, 10-4 Saturdays. Outsized menswear shop. edit
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 excellent and beautifully laid out, http://www.castlepointshopping.com
- Jimmy's - Provides stylish Brasserie surroundings with an excellent menu.
- 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!
- Aruba - On Bournemouth Pier has a fantastic menu based on the carribean with outstanding decor a must see when in Bournemouth.
- Jumbo - All you can eat chinese, you'll eat plenty as the food is fantastic!
At night the town comes alive with a vibrant pub 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 40 nightclub venues which are open every day of the week. On busy clubnights, roughly 30,000 people are out in Bournemouth. The Triangle area in Bournemouth is where the gay community is concentrated with several gay friendly clubs and pubs. Most night clubs are located in and around town centre, with the exception of the Opera House in Boscombe.
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