Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the mid-year estimates for 2010 from the Office for National Statistics, the town has a population of 168,100, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth. With Poole and Christchurch, Bournemouth forms the South East Dorset conurbation, which has a total population of approximately 400,000.

Founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, Bournemouth's growth accelerated with the arrival of the railway, becoming a recognised town in 1870. Historically part of Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974. Since 1997, the town has been administered by a unitary authority, giving it autonomy from Dorset County Council. The local authority is Bournemouth Borough Council.

Bournemouth's location on the south coast of England has made it a popular destination for tourists. The town is a regional centre of business, home of the Bournemouth International Centre and financial companies that include Liverpool Victoria and PruHealth.

In a 2007 survey by First Direct, Bournemouth was found to be the happiest place in the UK, with 82% of people questioned saying they were happy with their lives.

In 2012, Bournemouth was unsuccessful in its bid for city status, losing out to Chelmsford in a competition with 26 other towns to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

History
In the twelfth century the region around the mouth of the River Bourne was part of the Hundred of Holdenhurst. The hundred later became the Liberty of Westover when it was also extended to include the settlements of North Ashley, Muscliff, Muccleshill, Throop, Iford and Tuckton, and incorporated into the Manor of Christchurch. The first record of Bournemouth as a place name was in the 1300s when a monk noted a stranded whale at "La Bournemowthe". The Christchurch cartulary of 1407 also uses this spelling. From the latter half of the 15th century "Bourne Mouth" seems to be preferred until the late 18th century when "Bournemouth" became predominant, although its two word form appears to have remained in use up until at least the early 20th century, turning up on a 1909 ordnance map. Although the Dorset and Hampshire region surrounding it had been the site of human settlement for thousands of years, Westover was largely a remote and barren heathland before 1800. A skull thought to be 5,500 years old was found at Longham in 1932, indicating that Neolithic man had at least visited the area; there have been Bronze Age burials near Moordown, and the discovery of Iron Age pottery on the East Cliff in 1969 suggests there may have been a settlement there, but no-one lived at the mouth of the Bourne River and the only regular visitors until the 19th century, were a few fishermen, turf cutters and gangs of smugglers. During the Tudor period part of the liberty was used as a hunting estate, 'Stourfield Chase', but by the late 18th century little evidence of it remained, save for a few fields around the Bourne Stream and a cottage known as Decoy Pond House, which stood near the site of the present Square. During the latter half of the 16th century, James Blount, 6th Baron Mountjoy began mining for alum in the area now known as Alum Chine but this venture failed and he died penniless in 1581. In 1574, the Earl of Southampton noted that the area was, "Devoid of all habitation" and, as late as 1795, the Duke of Rutland recorded that "...on this barren and uncultivated heath there was not a human to direct us".

Prior to the Christchurch Inclosures Act 1802, more than 70% of the Westover area was common land. The act together with the Inclosure Commissioners' Award of 1805 transferred five thousands acres into the hands of five private owners including James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury and Sir George Ivison Tapps. In 1809, the Tapps Arms public house appeared on the heath. A few years later, in 1812, the first official residents, retired army officer Lewis Tregonwell and his wife, moved into their new home built on land purchased from Tapps. The area would have been well known to Lewis who, during the Napoleonic wars, spent much of his time searching the heath and coastline for French invaders and smugglers. Anticipating that people would come to the area to indulge in the newly fashionable pastime of sea-bathing, an activity with perceived health benefits; Tregonwell built a series of villas on his land between 1816 and 1822, which he hoped to let out. The common belief that pine scented air was good for lung conditions, and in particular tuberculosis, prompted Tregonwell and Tapps to plant hundreds of pine trees. Although these early attempts to promote the town as a health resort were unsuccessful, by the time Tregonwell had died, in 1832, Bournemouth had grown into small community with a scattering of houses, villas and cottages. The town would ultimately grow up around the scattered pines and tree-lined walk to the beach, later to become known as the 'Invalids walk'.

In 1835, after the death of Sir George Ivison Tapps, his son Sir George William Tapps-Gervis inherited his father's estate. He hired the young, local architect, Benjamin Ferrey to develop the coastal area on the east side of the stream. Bournemouth's first hotel, later to become part of the Royal bath Hotel, opened in 1838 and is one of the few buildings designed by Ferrey still standing. Bournemouth started to grow at a faster rate as George William started developing the seaside village into a resort similar to those that had already grown up along the south coast such as Weymouth and Brighton. Despite enormous investment, the town failed to take off and so in 1841, Sir George invited the physician and writer Augustus Granville to stay. Granville was the author of The Spas of England, which described health resorts around the country and as a result of his visit, Dr Granville included a chapter on Bournemouth in the second edition of his book. The publication of the book, as well as the growth of visitors to the seaside seeking the medicinal use of the seawater and the fresh air of the pines, helped the town to grow and establish itself as an early tourist destination.

In the 1840s Benjamin Ferrey was replaced by Decimus Burton, whose plans for Bournemouth included the construction of a garden alongside the bourne stream, an idea first mooted by Granville. The fields south of the road crossing (later Bournemouth Square) were drained and laid out with shrubberies and walks. Many of these paths including the 'Invalids walk' remain in the town today. A second suggestion of Granville's, a sanitorium, was completed in 1855 and greatly raised Bournemouth's profile as a place for recuperation.

At a time when the most convenient way to arrive in the town was by sea, a pier was considered to be a necessity. Holdenhurst parish council were reluctant to find the money however and an attempt to raise the money privately in 1847 had only succeeded in financing a small 100 ft jetty. The Bournemouth Improvement Act of 1856, granted greater financial autonomy to the town and a pier was approved that same year. A number of wooden structures were built before a 838 ft cast iron design by Eugenius Birch was completed in 1880. Under the Act, a board of 13 Commissioners was established to build and organise the expanding infrastructure of the town, such as paving, sewers, drainage, street lighting and street cleaning.

The arrival of the railways in 1870, allowed a massive growth in seaside and summer visitors to the town, especially from the Midlands and London. In 1880 the town had a population of 17,000 people but by 1900, when railway connections were at their most developed to Bournemouth, the town's population had risen to 60,000 and had become a favourite location for visiting artists and writers. The town was improved greatly during this period through the efforts of Sir Merton Russell-Cotes, the town's mayor and a local philanthropist, who helped establish the town's first library and museum. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum was housed in his mansion and after his death it was given to the town. Bournemouth became a municipal borough in 1890 and a county borough in 1900.

As Bournemouth's growth increased in the early 20th century, the town centre spawned theatres, cafés, two art deco cinemas and more hotels. Other new buildings included the war memorial in 1921 and the Bournemouth Pavilion, the town's concert hall and grand theatre, finished in 1925. The town escaped heavy bombing during the Second World War but the sea front incurred great damage when it was fortified against invasion. The cast iron lamposts and benches along the front were removed and melted down for munitions as was much of the superstructure from both Bournemouth and Boscombe piers before they were breached to prevent their use by enemy ships. The large amounts of barbed wire and anti tank obstacles along the beach, and the mines at the foot of the chines, took two years to remove when peace was finally achieved.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution stationed an inshore lifeboat at Bournemouth in 1965 but it was withdrawn in 1972. Coverage for the area has otherwise been provided from Poole Lifeboat Station A large conference and exhibition centre, the Bournemouth International Centre, was constructed near the seafront in 1984 and in 1985 Bournemouth became the first town in the United Kingdom to introduce and use CCTV cameras for public street-based surveillance.

Governance
Historically Bournemouth was part of Hampshire, with Poole just to the west of the border. At the time of the 1974 local government re-organisation, it was considered desirable that the whole of the Poole/Bournemouth urban area should be part of the same county. Bournemouth therefore became part of the non-metropolitan county of Dorset on 1 April 1974. On 1 April 1997, Bournemouth became a unitary authority, independent from Dorset County Council. For the purposes of the Lieutenancy it remains part of the ceremonial county of Dorset.

For local elections the district is divided into 18 wards, and the Bournemouth Borough Council is elected every four years. The Council elects the Mayor and Deputy Mayor annually. For 2012-13 the mayor is Councillor Philip Stanley-Watts.

Geography
Bournemouth is located 105 mi southwest of London at 50.72°N, -1.88°W. The borough borders the neighbouring boroughs of Poole and Christchurch to the west and east respectively and the East Dorset District to the north. Poole Bay lies to the South. The River Stour forms a natural boundary to the north and east, terminating at Christchurch Harbour; while the River Bourne, rises in Poole and flows into the English Channel at Bournemouth where it bisects the town centre. The towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch form the South East Dorset conurbation with a combined population of over 400,000. Bournemouth is both a retail and commercial centre.

The area’s geology is monotonous comprising almost entirely of Eocene clays which, prior to urbanisation, supported a heathland environment. Patches of the original heath still remain, notably Turbary Common, a 36 Hectare site most of which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This heathland habitat is home to all six species of native reptile, the Dartford Warbler and some important flora such as Sundew and Bog Asphodel. Small populations of Exmoor pony and Highland cattle help to maintain the area. Bournemouth is located directly to the east of the Jurassic Coast, a 95 mi section of coastline recently designated a World Heritage Site. Bournemouth’s coastline stretches from Sandbanks to Christchurch Harbour and comprises mainly sandy beaches backed by gravel and sandy clay cliffs. These cliffs are cut by a number of chines which provide natural access to the shore. At the easternmost point lies Hengistbury Head, a narrow peninsula that forms the southern shore of Christchurch Harbour. It is a local nature reserve and the site of a Bronze Age settlement.

Areas within Bournemouth include Bear Cross, Boscombe, Kinson, Pokesdown, Westbourne and Winton. Traditionally a large retirement town, Bournemouth (mostly the Northbourne, Southbourne, Wallisdown, Talbot village and Tuckton areas of Bournemouth) have seen massive growth in recent years, especially through the growth of students attending Bournemouth University and the large number of language schools teaching English as a foreign language.

Climate
Due to its location on the south coast, Bournemouth has a temperate climate with moderate variation in annual and daily temperatures: from 1971 to 2000 the annual mean temperature was 10.2 to 12 C. The warmest months are July and August, which have an average temperature range of 12 to 22 C, while the coolest months are January and February, which have an average temperature range of 1 to 8 C. Average rainfall in Bournemouth is around 800 mm annually, well below the national average of 1,126 millimetres. Since 1960, temperature extremes as measured at Bournemouth Hurn Airport have ranged from 34.1 C in August 1990, down to -13.4 C in January 1963. The lowest temperatures to be recorded in recent years were -10.4 C during December 2010 and -10.8 C on 4 February 2012.

Economy


Similarly to the rest of Dorset, Bournemouth's economy is primarily in the service sector, which employed 93% of the workforce in 2007. This is 10% higher than the average employment in the service sector for Great Britain and the South West. The importance of the manufacturing sector has declined, and is predominantly based in neighbouring Poole, but still employs 3% of the workforce. Tourism is crucial to the economy of Bournemouth, generating £440 million a year and employing thousands of workers. Business tourism alone contributed £127 million in 2007, through delegates and business visitors attending venues such as the Bournemouth International Centre and exhibitions in the town.

The following is a non-exhaustive list:
 * Palmair - Its head office is in the Space House in Bournemouth
 * JPMorgan - Employs around 4,600 people
 * Portman Building Society - now part of Nationwide Building Society
 * Unisys group, the office for UISL
 * Parvalux - the UK's largest fractional horsepower motor manufacturer has its headquarters in Wallisdown
 * Fitness First was started in Bournemouth and its headquarters are in the neighbouring town of Poole
 * McCarthy & Stone
 * Liverpool Victoria formerly Frizzell Insurance
 * RIAS Insurance company has its headquarters in Bournemouth
 * Bournemouth Borough Council is one of the largest employers in the area.
 * PruHealth has a large office in Bournemouth
 * Lloyds TSB Insurance has its call centre in Bournemouth, formerly Abbey Life
 * Imagine Publishing a modern consumer specialist magazine company is based on Richmond Hill

In April 2008, Bournemouth was announced to be the first 'Fibrecity' in the United Kingdom, with work starting in September to bring 100 Mbit Broadband internet access into homes and businesses within the town; running fibre optic cables through the sewers reducing the cost and disruption to road networks during cable laying. This is in line with the Conservative Party's plans for most of the UK to have access to 100 Mbit Broadband. In early October 2010 work ground to a halt, and it later emerged in April 2011 that Fibrecity Holdings had stopped services since February 2011 due to legal problems involving its financiers. CityFibre Holdings acquired the network shortly afterwards and are continuing the service and expansion of the network into the BH10 and BH11 areas through 2012.

The main shopping streets in the centre of town are just behind the seafront on either side of the River Bourne (also known as the Bourne Stream); footpaths lead down to the sea from the Square through the lower section of Bournemouth Central Gardens.

The shopping streets are mostly pedestrianised and lined with a wide range of boutiques, stores, jewellers and accessory shops. There are modern shopping malls, Victorian arcades (including the Victorian Arcade between Westover Road and Old Christchurch Road), and a large selection of bars, clubs and cafés. About a mile to the west of the town centre, in the district of Westbourne, there is a selection of designer clothing and interior design shops. About a mile to the east, in the district of Boscombe, there is another major shopping area including many antiques shops and a street market. North of the centre there is an out-of-town shopping complex called Castlepoint Shopping Centre with supermarkets, DIY stores and larger versions of high street shops. A new extension to Castlepoint, called Castlemore, is set just south west of the main complex, which features more large retail stores. Other supermarkets are located in the town centre (Asda and Co-op), Boscombe (Sainsbury's) and between Westbourne and Upper Parkstone. A large Tesco Extra store is located in Castle Lane East.

Culture


Bournemouth is a tourist and regional centre for leisure, entertainment, culture and recreation. It has a thriving youth culture, including a large university population and many language school students. In recent years, Bournemouth has become a popular nightlife destination with UK visitors and many clubs, bars and restaurants are located within the town centre.

Major venues for concerts include BIC, Pavilion Theatre and O2 Academy. Built in 1984, the BIC is also a popular place for the conferences and has been used by all three major political parties. Its four auditoria make it the largest venue on the south coast. The O2 and Pavilion are less modern, opening in 1895 and 1929 respectively. They are both grade II listed buildings. Bournemouth has more than 200 listed buildings, mainly from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, including three grade I churches; St Peter's, St Clement's and St Stephen's.

The Russell-Cotes Museum is a grade II* listed, villa completed in 1901. It houses artefacts and paintings collected by the Victorian philanthropist Merton Russell-Cotes and his wife during their extensive travels around the world. The four art galleries display paintings by William Powell Frith, Edwin Landseer, Edwin Long, William Orchardson, Arthur Hughes, Albert Moore, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. It was Russell-Cotes who successfully campaigned to have a promenade built; it runs continuously along the Bournemouth and Poole shoreline.

The Lower, Central and Upper Gardens are a grade II* public park, leading for several miles down the valley of the River Bourne through the centre of the town to the sea. Bournemouth has a further 425 acres of parkland. Initially serving to compensate for the loss of common rights after communable land was inclosed in 1802, it was held in trust until 1889 when ownership passed to Bournemouth corporation and the land became five public parks; King's Park, Queen's Park, Meyrick Park, Seafield Gardens and Redhill Common.

One of Bournemouth's most noted cultural institutions is the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra which was formed in 1893 under Dan Godfrey. It became the first municipal orchestra in the country when in 1896, Bournemouth Borough Council took control and Godfrey was appointed musical director and head of the town’s entertainments. Originally playing three concerts a day during the summer season, in the great glass palm house known as the Winter Gardens; the orchestra is now based in Poole and performs around 130 concerts a year across Southern England. Bournemouth is currently host to a number of festivals. The Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival is a three-day event which combines a market with live cookery demonstrations. The Arts by the Sea Festival is a mix of dance, film, theatre, literature, and music; which was launched in 2012 by the local university, The Arts University Bournemouth, and is set to become an annual event. Bourne Free is held in the town each year during the summer. Initially a gay pride festival, it has become a celebration of diversity and inclusion. Since 2008 Bournemouth has held its own air festival over four days in August. This has featured displays from the Red Arrows as well as appearances from the Yakovlevs, Blades, Team Guinot Wing-Walkers, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight including Lancaster, Hurricane, Spitfire and also the last flying Vulcan. The festival has also seen appearances from modern aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. The air festival attracts up to a million people over the four-day event.

The town was especially rich in literary associations during the late 19th century and earlier years of the 20th century. P. C. Wren author of Beau Geste, Frederick E. Smith, writer of the 633 Squadron books, and Beatrice Webb, later Potter, all lived in the town. Paul Verlaine taught at Bournemouth a preparatory school and the writer J. R. R. Tolkien, spent 30 years taking holidays in Bournemouth, staying in the same room at the Hotel Miramar. He eventually retired to the area in the 1960s with his wife Edith, where they lived close to Branksome Chine. Tolkien died in September 1973 at his home in Bournemouth but was buried in Oxfordshire.

Percy Florence Shelley lived at Boscombe Manor; a house he had built for his mother, Mary Shelley, the writer and author of the gothic horror novel, Frankenstein. Mary died before the house was completed but she was buried in Bournemouth, in accordance with her wishes. The family plot in St Peter’s churchyard also contains her parents William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, and the heart of her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and most of his novel Kidnapped from his house "Skerryvore" on the west cliff, Westbourne. Count Vladimir Chertkov established a Tolstoyan publishing house with other Russian exiles in Iford Waterworks at Southbourne, and under the 'Free Age Press' imprint, published the first edition of several works by Leo Tolstoy.

Landmarks
The Bournemouth Eye is a helium-filled balloon attached to a steel cable. The spherical balloon is attached to an enclosed gondola that carries up to 30 passengers. Tethered by a high tensile steel cable, the passenger gondola rises to a height of 390 ft, the maximum height allowed by the Civil Aviation Authority. This provides a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

Built in the Art Deco style in 1929, situated close to the seafront, the Pavilion Theatre was at the time considered to be the greatest ever municipal enterprise for the benefit of entertainment. Still a popular venue, it is today a grade II listed building. St Peter's church in the town centre is one of three grade I listed churches which include St Stephen's and St Clemment's. St Peter's was the town's first church, completed in 1879 and designed by George Edmund Street. Its chancel has been described as 'one of the richest Gothic Revival interiors in England'. The author Mary Shelley is buried in the churchyard. When the architect, John Loughborough Pearson, designed St Stephen's his aim was to,"bring people to their knees". It has a high stone groined roof, twin aisles and a triforium gallery. The unusual tower lacks a spire.

Bournemouth Pier is one of the town's most distinctive landmarks. The first pier was a simple, wooden jetty that was constructed in 1856. Due to its popularity, the jetty was replaced by a longer, wooden pier five year later. Cast iron then replaced the wood soon afterwards. An improved version was built in 1880, costing almost £22,000. In 1909, Bournemouth Pier was extended to 305 metres (1000 feet). Due to precautionary concerns over a possible German invasion during World War II, much of the structure was demolished in 1940. Repairs began soon after, however, and the structure was strengthened to allow for the addition of the Pier Theatre. In 1979, a redevelopment programme, costing over £1.7 million, saw a great deal of reconstruction work, and more recently, the Pier has seen the addition of a restaurant. Bournemouth Pier remains one of the most historic landmarks in the area and the town has grown up around this traditional seaside structure.

Sport
The town has a professional football club, AFC Bournemouth, known as the Cherries, who play in League One, and Bournemouth F.C., the older club, known as the Poppies, who play in the Wessex League Premier Division. AFC Bournemouth plays at the Goldsands Stadium near Boscombe in Kings' Park, 2 mi east of the town centre. The Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club is the town's coastal rowing club situated on the West Beach next to the Oceanarium. The oldest sporting club in Bournemouth, it competes in regattas organised by the Hants and Dorset Amateur Rowing Association that take place on the South Coast of England between May and September. Bournemouth Rugby Club, which competes in the South West Division One, has its home at the Bournemouth Sports Club which hosts an annual internationally acclaimed sevens tournament and festival located next to Bournemouth Airport. Hampshire County Cricket Club regularly played first-class cricket at Bournemouth's Dean Park until 1992. This became the home ground of Dorset County Cricket Club, a minor county. Bournemouth Cricket Club, also situated next to the airport, is one of Dorset's largest cricket clubs. its first team plays in the Southern Premier League.

Recently, the Bournemouth International Centre has become a venue for a round of the Premier League Darts Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was rated as one of the favourites to become the new host for the PDC World Championships as the last site, Circus Tavern, could not hold the growing numbers of fans.

Bournemouth also has a thriving watersports community with its beaches having suitable conditions for windsurfing and kitesurfing. On a windy day one can see many kitesurfers and windsurfers out enjoying the waves all the way along the beach from Hengistbury Head to Sandbanks, and there are quite a few local schools for the beginner to learn either sport. There is a local kiteboarding club, Bournemouth Boarding, which is recognised by the BKSA.

Road
Bournemouth's road network is focused on a few main roads in and out of the town centre. The principal route into the town centre is the A338 dual carriageway, which joins the A31, itself the major trunk road in central Southern England, connecting to the M27 at Southampton. From here the M3 leads to London, and fast access may also be gained via the A34 to the M4 north of Newbury, Berkshire. National Express coaches serve Bournemouth Travel Interchange & Bournemouth University. There are frequent departures to London Victoria Coach Station. There are also direct services to the West Country, Sussex coast (Brighton and Eastbourne), Bristol, Birmingham and the Midlands, the North West, and to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Flightlink serves Heathrow Airport with connections to Gatwick and Stansted Airports.

Local buses are provided mainly by two companies, More Bus, the former National Bus Company subsidiary and now owned by the Go-Ahead group, and Yellow Buses, the former Bournemouth Council-owned company and successors to Bournemouth Corporation Transport, which began operating trams in 1902. In 1969 the town became one of the last in England to discontinue its trolleybus system and replace the trolleybuses with diesel buses. Other operators serving the town include Damory Coaches, Shaftesbury & District, Thompson's Travel and Verwood Buses.

Rail
Bournemouth is well served by the rail network with two stations in the town, Bournemouth railway station and Pokesdown railway station to the east. Parts of western Bournemouth can also be reached from Branksome station. Bournemouth railway station is located some way from the town centre, due to the town's early leaders not wishing to have a railway station within the town boundary, which extended 1 mi from the pier. However, the station is now well within the town, as the town has grown significantly since its founding. The station was originally called Bournemouth East with a second station, Bournemouth West serving the west of the town in Queen's Road. South West Trains operates a comprehensive service to London Waterloo with a journey time of 1 hour 50 minutes. This line also serves Southampton, Winchester and Basingstoke to the east, and Poole, Wareham, Dorchester and Weymouth to the west. CrossCountry trains serve destinations to the north with direct trains to Reading, Oxford, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Manchester. The North West, Yorkshire, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow can be reached by changing at Reading or Birmingham. West Coastway Line services are available by changing at Southampton Central. The Sussex coastal towns of Chichester, Worthing, Hove and Brighton are served and trains continue to Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.

Besides its main line railway connections, Bournemouth is also the site of three funicular railways, the East Cliff Railway, West Cliff Railway and Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway. These are all owned and operated by Bournemouth Borough Council, and each serves to link the seaside promenade with the cliff top, at various points along the seafront.

Air
Bournemouth Airport, in Hurn on the periphery of Bournemouth is a short journey from the town centre enabling passengers and freight to be flown directly to destinations in the UK and Europe. Taxis going to Bournemouth are available at the taxi stand on the airport and can transport one to the town centre in about 20–30 minutes. An hourly bus service also connects the airport with the town centre, travel interchange and also operates along the major hotel routes. Aer Lingus Regional, Ryanair, EasyJet, Blue Islands and Thomson Airways provide scheduled services to destinations throughout Europe.

Education
The Bournemouth local education authority was first set up in 1903 and remained in existence until local government was reorganised in 1974 when Bournemouth lost its County Borough status and became part of the county of Dorset. Under the later reforms of 1997, Bournemouth became a unitary authority and the Bournemouth local education authority was re-established.

The local authority operates a two-tier comprehensive system whereby pupils attend one of the 26 primary schools in the borough before completing their education at secondary school. Bournemouth is one of the minority of local authorities in England still to maintain selective education, with two grammar schools (one for boys, one for girls) and ten secondary modern/comprehensive schools. There are also a small number of independent schools in the town, and a further education college.

67.4% of the borough's pupils attained A-C grades in their GCSEs in 2009. This was below the average for the South-West (67.9%) and the country (70%). In the same year however, more than 84% of year 11 school children elected to stay in full-time education, attending a college or one of the four sixth forms.

Bournemouth has two universities: Bournemouth University and The Arts University Bournemouth both of which are located across the boundary in neighbouring Poole. Bournemouth University is one of the largest universities in the South of England. Known as Bournemouth Polytechnic between 1990 and 1992, it has its roots in the former Dorset Institute of Higher Education. It is one of the better-performing ex-polytechnics in England. The Arts University Bournemouth specialises in arts, design, media and performance degree courses. Bournemouth is also a major centre for the teaching of English and has numerous English language schools. Many thousands of foreign students are attracted to the town every year, an important form of invisible trade. AECC Chiropractic College is also located in the Bournemouth area, which is the only chiropractic college in England. It is located in Boscombe, three miles from the town centre.

Religion
Bournemouth contains places of worship for many Christian denominations and some other faiths.

The town has several notable examples of Victorian church architecture. These include St. Peter's Church, which was the first to be built in the town in 1855 (later being rebuilt by George Edmund Street in 1879), and St Stephen's Church, which was designed for services under the influence of the Oxford Movement and was finished in 1898. St Stephen's Church was the place of the marriage between Ebba Munck af Fulkila and Prince Oscar of Sweden in 1888. Another is St Augustin's church, Wimborne Road, which Henry Twells commissioned; he was 'priest-in-charge' there until 1900. Also included is the Richmond Hill St Andrew's Church, part of the United Reformed Church. The church was built in 1865 and enlarged in 1891. Another town centre church, St. Andrew's on Exeter Road, has now become a popular entertainment venue. There are many Evangelical churches, both established and free churches, some with large congregations, and they have a long tradition of mutual co-operation in Christian activities. The town is also home to a large Jewish community with three synagogues. Chabad-Lubavitch of Bournemouth is a branch of the worldwide movement. The Bournemouth Reform Synagogue, formerly known as Bournemouth New Synagogue, is a Reform Jewish synagogue with over 700 members. There is also the architecturally notable Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation.
 * Churches
 * Judaism and Islam

The Islamic community in the town is served by Bournemouth Islamic Centre in St Stephen's Road, also a mosque and the Winton Mosque.

Humanists and atheists in Bournemouth are supported by the Dorset Humanists, affiliated to the British Humanist Association, who meet at the Moordown Community Centre.
 * Humanists

Naming conventions
The word 'Bournemouth' is often used loosely to describe the South East Dorset conurbation, which also contains the neighbouring towns of Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne Minster, Verwood, Ringwood and New Milton. As a result, "Bournemouth" is used in the following terms:
 * Although it has a significant presence in Bournemouth town centre, Bournemouth University's main campus is located in Poole, on the boundary with Bournemouth
 * Bournemouth Airport is located near Hurn in the borough of Christchurch, and was originally named RAF Hurn
 * "Bournemouth Bay" is sometimes used for Poole Bay
 * The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is now based in Poole

Twin towns

 * 🇮🇱 Netanya, Israel
 * Lucerne, Switzerland