Hengistbury Head
Nature · A nature-reserve headland with sandy beaches, Iron Age earthworks and a beach-hut spit at the end of the land-train line.
Bournemouth
A golden-sanded resort town where Victorian piers meet seven miles of sun-warmed coastline in Dorset.
From King's Cross St Pancras: 2 h 30 min by train · 2 h 58 min by car
Travel times by TravelTime
Time there: 6.5–13.5 h to see all 7 places
Get directionsTownBy the seaBeachesGardens & parksStately homesCathedrals & abbeysGalleries
Must-see places
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery
Gallery · A clifftop Art Nouveau seaside villa filled with Pre-Raphaelite paintings and objects from its owners' travels.
Christchurch Priory
Church · A vast Norman and medieval priory church beside Christchurch's quay, one of the longest parish churches in the country.
Bournemouth Beach
Beach · A sweeping golden shoreline backed by colourful beach huts, drawing millions to England's sunniest stretch of coast.
Bournemouth Pier
Waterfront · A Victorian seaside pier reaching out from the middle of the beach, beside the Oceanarium.
Lower Gardens Bournemouth
Garden · A Grade II* listed park following the little River Bourne from the town centre down to the sea.
Oceanarium Bournemouth
Attraction · An aquarium on the seafront beside Bournemouth Pier.
Quick facts
Seven miles of golden sand run along the seafront, with a Victorian pier and an aquarium at its centre.
The Lower Gardens, a Grade II* listed park, follow the little River Bourne from the town centre down to the sea.
A short trip east, Christchurch Priory is one of the longest parish churches in England, and Hengistbury Head has a nature reserve, a beach-hut spit and a land train.
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