Bed and breakfast availability
Bournemouth b&b, guest house and hotel accommodation

Visit Bournemouth and the surrounding villages and stay in bed & breakfast accommodation:

Bournemouth, Dorset. Although a late starter compared with Brighton, Bournemouth is a queen of resorts. Until the early 19^th century, the land hereabouts was still wild moorland. In 1810 Lewis Tregonwell built a holiday house here part of which is still incorporated into the Royal Exeter Hotel. By 1840 a marine village had been laid out, and the first pines - now so prolific were planted. By 1800 the population was 37,000: now it is the centre of a vast ‘conurbation’ stretching far inland.

The situation has enormous natural advantages. The town faces south, the climate is mild and the beach has 6 miles of golden sand. Pines still scatter the landscape and even line some streets, and the steeply rising cliffs provide a magnificent background to the Esplanade. From the road above there are spectacular views over to the Isle of Wight.

As the years went by parks and gardens were added. Meyrick Park covers some 194 acres of heathland, half of which is a golf course. It lies on the west end of Bournemouth, near Talbot village, which consists of farms, cottages, almshouses, a church and a school, all founded by Miss Georgina Charlotte Talbot. East of Meyrick Park is Queens Park, covering some 175 acres, and from here there are good views over the New Forest. In the centre of town the River Bourne runs through the Lower, Centre, and Upper Gardens, near the Pavilion.

Bournemouth has wide streets, a pier, a pavilion, a theatre and its own symphony orchestra, but it has few buildings dating back a century, and today new luxury blocks are springing up.

Of the churches, St Stephen's, built by J. L. Pearson between 1881 and 1908, is the most beautiful. Built in Early English style, with an impressive, spacious nave, it has good screens and reredos, and stained glass by Clayton and Bell. At the Church of St Peter the heart of the poet Shelley lies buried.

Suburbs of Bournemouth: Bear Cross, Boscombe, Kinson, Northbourne, Pokesdown, Southbourne, Talbot Village, Tuckton, Wallisdown and Westbourne.

Nearby towns: Christchurch, Dorchester, Lymington, Poole, Swanage, Wimborn Mister

Nearby villages: Ashington, Ferndown, Longham, Milford on Sea, Stapehill

Have you decided to visit Bournemouth or the surrounding villages? Please look above for somewhere to stay in:

• a Bournemouth bed and breakfast (a Bournemouth B&B or Bournemouth b and b)
• a Bournemouth guest house (also spelt guesthouse)
• a Bournemouth hotel (or motel)
• a Bournemouth self-catering establishment, or
• other Bournemouth accommodation