Maps & Background Information : Bournemouth

• Dorset
• Bournemouth
• Corfe Castle
• Isle of Purbeck
• Jurassic Coast

• Neolithic England
• Round & Long Barrows
• Salisbury
• Stonehenge
• The New Forest

Who could have expected that when, in 1810, Captain Lewis Tregonwell bowed to his wife’s wishes and built their home at the mouth of the Bourne Stream, that nearly two centuries later the bustling town of Bournemouth would be the result? It is difficult to conceive that when it was first completed it was the only private home within a distance of 3 miles (5 kilometers). The town’s population is now approaching 170,000, with the recent opening and expansion of Bournemouth University providing an increasingly youthful and international element.

Now one of the busiest resorts on the south coast of England, it is popular with young and old alike. If you wish to relax on the resorts 5 miles of beach, enjoy the manicured beauty of the Gardens, treat yourself to some retail therapy, wine and dine in the towns many bars and restaurants or dance the night away in any of its clubs, Bournemouth has much to offer everyone.

Originally founded in the county of Hampshire, the 1974 local government reforms brought the town into the county of Dorset, for which it now provides vital tourist infrastructure and transport links. Bournemouth has good road and rail links with London and Bournemouth International Airport provides low cost air travel to and from Europe.

From Bournemouth it is possible to travel by car, bus or train and explore the delights of rural Dorset. Across Poole Harbour to the unspoilt beauty of the Isle of Purbeck. Travel west to Dorchester and you find yourself in Hardy Country, whose rolling hills and hidden villages were immortalised by Dorset’s most famous literary figure, Thomas Hardy. A little further and you find yourself in Weymouth, soon to be host to yachting events of the London Olympics in 2012.