Jane's Midlife Journey

Just over a mile from Bournemouth Pier with its amusements, fun fair and restaurants is Boscombe Pier. Here, there are no such attractions, but the iconic 19th Century structure makes for a pleasant stroll. You can walk along the pier, following the heritage trail and playing a musical instrument or two along the way. At the end is a viewing point where you can look across the bay to Bournemouth and, on a good day, further afield to the Purbecks and the Isle of Wight.

How to get to Boscombe Pier

Boscombe Pier is 1.5 mile east of Bournemouth along the Prom by foot or bike. Or a 2 mile drive by road along the A35.

By Bus

By bus from Bournemouth, buses number 1/1a/1b/1c and m2 stop at Boscombe Gardens. From here, it is a 10 minute walk through the chine gardens to the beach. In the summer, the No 70 Beach Breezer bus follows the coast, linking Boscombe with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The bus stop is right in front of the pier. (Note: Although the 70 operates in winter, it doesn’t go as far as Boscombe). Another option in summer is the 99 beach bus, which runs between Boscombe, Pokesdown Station and Southbourne. This also stops at the Pier.

The Land Train operates along the prom from 10 am between Easter and October. An adult single ticket costs £4.50 (£8.50 all day).

Access

Boscombe Pier is just down the road (literally – it’s quite a steep road) from the centre of Boscombe. It’s a pleasant, flat stroll/cycle along the Prom from Bournemouth or Southbourne. Access from the prom onto the pier is flat.

Parking

There is a beachside Pay & Display car park; Boscombe Undercliff Car Park running towards Bournemouth. Fees are seasonal, costing from £2.40 for two hours in winter and £3 for an hour at other times. During July and August, daily charges apply with a flat fee of £18 for arrival before 2 pm. Further details can be found here.

There is another Pay & Display; Overstrand Car Park just above the pier. Fees are from £2.50 for two hours in winter and £3 for an hour at other times. Details can be found here.

The road behind Overstrand Car Park; The Marina has metered parking between March and October. Charges start from £2.60 for an hour, details here. A bit further from the beach, there is some free roadside parking.

Opening Times

The pier is open from 9 am until 11 pm daily.

Price

It is free to visit Boscombe Pier.

History of Boscombe Pier

I love Boscombe pier and go there regularly, so here is its story from the beginning:

The Victorian pier has had an interesting, if somewhat turbulent history. The Grade II listed structure was built in 1888 and opened the following year, with a pierhead added later to act as a landing stage for boats.

In 1897, a whale washed up on Boscombe Beach and was auctioned by the coastguard for £27. However, the new owner wasn’t quite sure what to do with the remains, so after a failed attempt to sell the blubber, the skeleton was put on display on Boscombe Pier.

In 1940, the pier was partially destroyed for defence reasons and it remained derelict until 1962, when the new entrance was built in a modernist style. It was designed by Borough architect John Burton, with a cantilevered roof designed to mimic the wings of a jet plane. A building was added at the end of the pier, which served as a theatre, roller skating rink and arcade before it fell into disrepair and the pier closed once more.

In 2008, the area around Boscombe Beach underwent extensive renovation, part of which entailed restoring the pier, which led to it being crowned Pier of the Year in 2010!

In 2016, the country’s first eco friendly mini golf course was introduced, with golf balls made of fish food, which drop through a bottomless hole 18 into the sea. Unfortunately, the course closed during the Covid pandemic and the council decided it would not reopen.

UFO Spotting

Also during the pandemic (and presumably unrelated), a local man allegedly spotted UFOs flying above the pier.

Facilities on Boscombe Pier

Heritage Trail

Boards along the pier form a Heritage Trail telling the pier’s history, like an incident in 1910, when charms were thrown off the pier in an attempt to cure a sick Egyptian Princess. Or the 1920 addition of a concert hall with external trumpet amplifiers.

Musical play trail

There are six sets of percussion instruments dotted along the pier, including drums, tubular bells and chimes, which form a Musical Play Trail to keep visitors entertained.

Food and Drink

During busier periods, there are takeaway food and ice cream kiosks, plus a store selling beach goods, such as buckets and spades, at the entrance to the pier.

Events

Bournemouth Air festival

Every autumn, the pier becomes the focal point of more identifiable flying objects during the annual Bournemouth Air Festival. It is a spectacular sight watch the Red Arrows dive and spin above pier.

Pier to Pier Swim

Another popular sporting activity is to swim the 1.4 miles from Boscombe pier to Bournemouth pier, either as an organised event in the Pier to Pier Swim charity event, or just for the sake of it.

Running

The pier features in the annual Run Bournemouth Half Marathon and 10k races and is a popular addition to training runs, with the Strava segments being highly contested, with around 50,000 runs recorded. At 140 metres long, Holly Danbury’s course record of 3 sounds a little far fetched – maybe she was towed by a UFO?

Fishing

Fishing is permitted on the pier. Permits can be purchased from the car park attendant. It costs £9.50 per day for adults, £7 for seniors/children or £65 for a season ticket. Make sure you don’t do like one plonker and show off your catch by holding it above your mouth, dropping it and choking to death. Luckily, paramedics managed to revive aforementioned plonker – it’s a shame the same can’t be said for the fish!

Boscombe Pier for Children

The Musical Play Trail is popular with children. Our favourite is the rack of 88 chimes pictured below, which plays the song ‘Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!‘ if you hit the tubes in sequence.

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

• Updated: January 2025