Bournemouth – Sun, Sand & Surprises

Above: sunset over Bournemouth pier

Dan Howard paid a first time visit to one of England’s favourite seaside resorts.

Our first sighting of the seafront at Bournemouth was pretty spectacular. It was late March and unseasonably hot. A beautiful sandy beach stretched as far as I could see, gently curving off into the golden hazy distance. A thoroughly un-English rich blue sky, elegantly faded art deco gems and a backdrop of palm trees further added to the slightly dream-like feel of the scene. The picture was perfectly completed by a 40-foot high deckchair sitting serenely in the middle of the beach – a witty and surreal piece of public art that instantly makes you smile.

Even though the unseasonal weather had taken everyone by surprise there were a lot of people on the beach. I can only imagine how busy it gets in the summer, but I’m sure the beach here can take it. It’s huge – really, surprisingly big. I had no idea that I could reach an uninterrupted seven miles of golden sandy beach just two hours’ drive from Surrey.

A town of many faces

Founded in its modern form in 1810, Bournemouth grew steadily through the 1800s, and became a popular late Victorian destination thanks to the development of the railways. The town boomed in the early 20th century – as is evident in the grand and elegant architecture still visible all over town. Ignore the handful of modern high-rise blemishes and you really get a feel for the history of the place.

Bournemouth has something of a split personality. It caters for a huge range of visitors and uses, from family holidays to political conferences, surfers to stag parties. Sometimes this diversity seems incongruous, but mostly the varied groups seem to coexist peacefully as all ages and cultures enjoy the sun, sand and sea together in one space.

One such space is the famous Lower Garden, part of the extensive Victorian pleasure gardens built in the heart of the town between 1840 and 1875. We found a bustling park with shady pine tree lined paths, formal flower displays, mini golf and buskers – all over-shadowed by an enormous tethered hot air balloon. The balloon serenely rises and sinks every few minutes, giving passengers an incredible, unique view over the town, far out to sea and the Isle of Wight.

We had lunch at a busy little bistro called Beau Monde, occupying its own terrace overlooking the Lower Gardens at the back of the Lampeter Hotel; a perfect venue for people watching. I had excellent fresh crispy whitebait, and my companion had lovely meaty prawns in a light batter with a chilli dip. The manager, Roger Turner, was friendly and helpful, and keen to let us know that the ingredients were local and seasonal – always encouraging to hear.

Our next stop was the Oceanarium, based in what looks like a 1930s cinema building right on the beach front next to the pier. It’s a fun, well thought-out attraction with enough to keep kids and adults happy throughout. The highlight of the experience for us was seeing the two beautiful giant sea turtles getting fed. Apparently, giant sea turtles like to eat carrots! These majestic, wonderful creatures have a huge area to swim in, which you can view from above and then walk through in a clear tunnel. The Oceanarium places big emphasis on conservation and environmental education, which seems only right given its incredible location on the beach.

Boscombe

Our accommodation for the weekend was actually just down the coast in Boscombe. Boscombe , regarded as a suburb of Bournemouth, is only a few minutes’ drive from the centre of the main town. It has very much its own character however, and seems proud to be its own place.

The seafront has been rescued from a slow and sad decay by some exciting and vital regeneration. A striking, elegant 1950s modernist pier provides a cool focal point for the front, and a handful of surf shops go perfectly with the relaxed, hip, retro feel. Even the lifeguard huts wouldn’t look out of place in Southern California.

We were staying at the Urban Beach hotel in Boscombe, which is just a couple of minutes’ walk back from the front, and were booked for dinner at the Urban Reef, situated right on the front at Boscombe beach.

Click here to read our full review of Urban Reef.

Deck-o heaven

After the necessary morning cappuccino at the hotel (served with amazing little homemade chocolate-coated honeycomb crunchy bits on the side), we decided to walk along the couple of miles from Boscombe to Bournemouth along the beach.

We also got to see the remarkable 40-foot high deckchair from close quarters – what a sight. Pimms commissioned artist Stuart Murdoch to create the deckchair – the world’s largest apparently – to celebrate the start of British Summer Time. It’s a pretty wonderful sight, even with the security guards stationed around it.

We are huge fans of art deco. We love the proportions, the glamour, and the excitement of that brief but beautiful era of architecture and design. We hit the mother-lode in Bournemouth. Street after street, building after building – even in the very town centre itself the high street shops are contained in some of the most breathtaking art deco buildings I’ve seen in this country. Every corner we turned we found more and more.

Seafood at its simple best

Our evening meal was in one such deco delight. West Beach Bar & Restaurant occupies an enviable position on the beach front next to the Oceanarium, looking straight out to sea.

West Beach has a good reputation – it was recently voted Bournemouth’s best seafood restaurant – and is known for its daily local fish choices. Our smiley, helpful waitress recommended the sea bass that had been caught earlier that day. The sea bass was served simply cooked in an incredible Beurre Noisette sauce (click here for the recipe), with seasonal vegetables on the side. We ate fresh and perfectly cooked fish watching the sun go down over the sea.

Sandbanks and beyond

We started our last day with an indulgent foody blow-out: a full cooked breakfast with fantastic free-range, local ingredients: the Dorset Pork & Leek sausages were a particular treat.

We had heard people talking about Sandbanks – an area just along the coast from Bournemouth, out towards Poole Harbour. And wow, what a place. A gorgeous sandy spit of land, with breaking rollers on one side and a sheltered, crystal clear turquoise bay on the other. Jaw-dropping original 1930s mansions dotted amongst pine trees. I subsequently found out that it’s one of the most expensive places to live in the whole of the UK.

If conspicuous displays of wealth aren’t your thing however, do as we did and head across to Studland Beach via the lovely little ferry from Sandbanks. The whole area is owned by the National Trust and is a stunning haven of sand dunes, spectacular beaches and diverse wildlife. The moment you step off the ferry you feel like you’re entering a different world. There is a little café (closed out of season), or pack a picnic and head off into the dunes for a blissful time-out from the rat race.

A traditional seaside experience – arcades and all; a funky surfer’s fix; an art deco dream; or a nature lover’s haven; we found it all at Bournemouth.