Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town on the south coast of England directly to the east of the Jurassic Coast, a 95-mile World Heritage Site. Poole is to the west and Christchurch in the east, together these three form the South East Dorset conurbation.
The main attractions within Bournemouth are the beach and the buzzing nightlife, which attract over 5 million visitors each year. The surrounding area is also an incredibly popular area to visit, and includes attractions such as:
Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove – a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coastline with a shingle beach.
Corfe Castle – one of Britain’s most iconic survivors of the English Civil War, this castle was partly demolished in 1646 by the Parliamentarians.
Tynham Village – evacuated in December 1943 for military training for World War II, the village has been deserted ever since. Many of the buildings survive, including the church and the school.
New Forest - one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the south of the UK. Cattle, ponies and donkeys roam throughout.
Bournemouth itself hosts several festivals throughout the year. The annual airshow is an example, which features a spectacular display by the Red Arrows as well as appearances from Hurricane, Spitfires and Lancasters.
Transport
The principal route to the town centre is the A338 spur road, a dual carriageway that connects to the A31 close to the Hampshire border. The A31 joins the M27 at Southampton and from there the M3 to London and the A34 to the Midlands and the North can be accessed.
National Express coaches serve Bournemouth Travel Interchange & Bournemouth University. There are frequent departures to London Victoria Coach Station and Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airports.
Two rail stations serve the area, Bournemouth and Pokesdown, both of which lie on the South Western Main Line from Weymouth to London Waterloo.
