The Square, Bournemouth

Bournemouth ( BORN-məth) is a coastal resort town on the south coast in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. The town's urban subdivision had a population of 187,503 at the 2011 census making it the largest town in the county; the town is part of the South East Dorset conurbation, which has a population of 465,000. Founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, in an area of deserted heathland occasionally visited by fishermen and smugglers, as a health resort, Bournemouth became a town in 1870, with growth from the arrival of the railway. Bournemouth lies in the historic county of Hampshire. Following the local government reorganisation in 1974 the town was transferred to the county of Dorset, governed by Dorset County Council. Although the borough gained unitary authority in 1997, it retained Dorset's ceremonial county functions and emergency services. In April 2019, the borough was replaced by the current borough, also with unitary authority status, governing the town, Poole, Christchurch and surrounding areas. Victorian architecture is notable in town centre. The 202-foot (62 m) spire of St Peter's Church, one of three Grade I listed churches in the borough, is a local landmark. The town's location has made it a popular destination for tourists, attracting over five million visitors annually with its beaches and popular nightlife. It is also a regional centre of business, home of the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and a financial sector that is worth more than £1 billion in gross value added.

Bournemouth Town Centre is an area of Bournemouth, Dorset. The town centre is the central business district and is located near the coast between West Cliff and East Cliff.

The Bournemouth Air Festival is an annual air show held along the coast at Bournemouth, in Dorset, England. It has featured aircraft from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as civil aviation displays. Since its formation in 2008, the festival claims to have entertained over ten million people. The festival usually takes place in late August, over four days including dusk and night air displays with live music. It is organised by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council), and is estimated to generate about £30 million of trade annually for local businesses.Whilst dates for the 2024 Air Festival have been announced, these have not yet been confirmed. The new BCP Council administration is assessing the financial viability of the event.

St. Andrew's Church, Exeter Road was a United Reformed Church in Bournemouth Town Centre. Since May 2013, the building has been occupied by the Halo nightclub.

The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, or Sacred Heart Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the seaside resort of Bournemouth, England. Located on Albert Road close to the town centre, it was the first Roman Catholic church built in Bournemouth and is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth. It has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage. The church stands next door to the Bournemouth Daily Echo building and opposite the Norfolk Royale Hotel.

St. Andrew's Church is a Grade II listed Gothic Victorian church in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, England. A United Reformed church, it is noted for being the largest church in the town.The church stands behind the Norfolk Royale Hotel, next to Bournemouth Town Hall and opposite the Bournemouth War Memorial.

The Bournemouth Daily Echo building is a historic landmark and Grade II listed building in Bournemouth, England. The office building is located on Richmond Hill next door to the Sacred Heart Church.

Westover, Hampshire, is the ancient manor, now in Dorset, over which much of modern Bournemouth has developed. This area of land marked a historic boundary between Celtic and Saxon civilisations, which found expression as the county boundary between Hampshire to the east and Dorset to the west. Geographically detached parts of the manor (for example the tithings of Longham and North Ashley) may have resulted from the post-Civil War breakup of estates formerly belonging to the Lords Arundell of Wardour. The name probably derives from that of the Dorset Stour, which flows through the manor. At Christchurch, the Stour is joined by the Avon, and at one time the river upstream (west) of this point was known as the "West Stour", while downstream it was known as either the "East Stour" or "Stour & Avon". The area bordering the West Stour (referred to as 'Westesture' or "Westur') became known as the Liberty of Westover. Westover is a 'liberty' which meant that whoever owned it gained certain extra rights by dint of their possession. The name was used in an Act of Parliament in 1802 when the heathland of Westover was enclosed. Just over 30 years later, the name was used for one of the proposed new roads as holiday villas were built. Westover Road remains one of the principal commercial streets of modern Bournemouth. It has always been co-owned with the manor of Christchurch.

Bournemouth was a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. The seat was created in 1918 and existed until it was abolished and split into two new seats in 1950. During the constituency's existence it was the most south-westerly seat in Hampshire (although the county boundary between Dorset and Hampshire was redrawn in 1974 so the town was transferred to Dorset).

Bournemouth War Memorial is a First World War memorial built in 1921, located in the central gardens in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. The memorial is guarded by two stone lions made by WA Hoare. It was designed by Bournemouth's deputy architect Albert Edward Shervey, who copied the two lions (one sleeping, the other awake and roaring) from Antonio Canova's lions which guarded the tomb of Pope Clement XIII. The war memorial stands near Bournemouth Town Hall and St. Andrew's Church, Richmond Hill.

Bournemouth Winter Gardens was a theatre located in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It was first constructed in 1875 as an exhibition centre, but reopened in 1893 as a popular classical music venue. It was demolished and replaced just prior to World War II and became a popular rock music venue in the 1960s. The building was closed in 2002 and demolished in 2006. The site is currently awaiting redevelopment.

The Norfolk Royale Hotel is a Grade II listed building and 4 star Victorian hotel in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset in England. The hotel is one of Bournemouth's most historic buildings and stands behind St. Andrew's Church, Richmond Hill and opposite the Sacred Heart Church.