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Property Search - BournemouthYou can narrow down your property search to these prestige locations: Bournemouth is a large town and tourist resort situated on the south coast of England. With a population of 164 000 it is the largest settlement in the ceremonial county of Dorset though in the historic county of Hampshire. The town is a regional centre of education and business and part of the South East Dorset conurbation with the adjoining town of Poole. The town is most notable as the home of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra as well as Bournemouth University and the Bournemouth International Centre. The town is also home to several financial companies including JPMorgan Chase the Portman Building Society and Standard Life. Bournemouth is located about 105 miles southwest of London at 50.72° N 1.88° W. A roundabout at the end of the Wessex Way called "County Gates" (but commonly known as Frizzell roundabout after the insurance brokers based there now part of Liverpool Victoria friendly society) marks the historic border between Hampshire and Dorset and also marks the border between Bournemouth and Poole. Historically Bournemouth was part of Hampshire with Poole just to the west of the border between the two counties. 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 April 1 1997 Bournemouth became a unitary authority independent from the county council. For the purposes of the Lieutenancy it remains part of the ceremonial county of Dorset. The urban geography of Bournemouth is complex as the town merges with several other towns to form the South East Dorset conurbation which has a combined population of 383 713 [2] the whole area being sufficiently populous to be one of the major retail and commercial centres in the south of England. As such the town adjoins Poole in the west and Christchurch in the east. To the north west of Bournemouth is the small town of Wimborne and to the north east is the settlement of Ferndown. Bournemouth International Airport lies to the north east of the town centre towards Hurn. The town is intersected by the A338 dual carriageway known as the "Wessex Way". Although Bournemouth lies adjacent to the sea the centre of the town lies inland - the commercial and civil heart of the town being "The Square". From the Square the gardens descend down to the seafront and the pier. Areas within Bournemouth itself include Bear Cross Boscombe Kinson Pokesdown and Westbourne. Traditionally a large retirement town Bournemouth (mostly the Northbourne Southbourne and Tuckton areas of Bournemouth together with the Wallisdown and Talbot Village areas of Poole) have seen massive growth in recent years especially through the growth of students attending Bournemouth University (the administrative area and main campus of which is in fact located in Poole). Bournemouth Town HallBournemouth is located directly to the east of the "Jurassic Coast" a 95 mile section of beautiful and largely unspoilt coastline recently designated a World Heritage Site. Apart from the beauty of much of the coastline the Jurassic Coast provides a complete geological record of the Jurassic period and a rich fossil record. Bournemouth itself overlooks Poole Bay and the Isle of Wight which is visible from some vantage points. Bournemouth also has approximately 7 miles of sandy beaches that run from Christchurch in the east to Sandbanks in the west. The stretch of beach along Poole Bay does not all belong to Bournemouth however since its western part is in Poole. Because of the coastal processes that operate in Poole Bay the area is often used for surfing. An artificial reef (Europe\'s first) will be installed at Boscombe in Bournemouth between September and November 2007 using large sand-filled geotextile bags. The reef is being constructed as part of the larger Boscombe Spa Village development. Bournemouth also has several chines (e.g. Alum Chine) that lead down to the beaches and form a very attractive feature of the area. The beaches are themselves subdivided by groynes. Culture and recreation The town is an important venue for major conferences with the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) which stands on the cliff-tops near the middle of the town overlooking the sea and the pier often hosting the annual conferences of the main national political parties amongst its events. The BIC also hosts theatrical productions and concerts. 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 export. The town also has its own internationally recognised university - Bournemouth University which is actually in Poole. |
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