Jane's Midlife Journey

Had enough of the beach? Weather not great? Love shopping? Then Castlepoint Shopping Park is well worth a visit. This shopping centre, branded as one of the UK’s largest shopping parks, contains 35 retailers, a selection of dining options, as well as other facilities, such as travel agents, a library, even a church.

How to get to Castlepoint

Castlepoint is situated 3 miles north of Bournemouth on Castle Lane West, just off the A338.

By Bus

The centre is well served by public transport, with multiple buses from Bournemouth, Poole and the surrounding areas stopping in front of the shopping centre (m1, 12, 14, 15, 20, 22, 24). Note: There are several bus stops around the centre (stops A-F), so it’s wise to ensure you know which stop your returning bus will depart from.

Parking

There is ample (2,500 spaces) car parking on site, which is free for up to 4 hours. If you wish to stay longer, you must visit the Management Suite, Nandos or M&S Café to input your vehicle registration number on a tablet. This will entitle you to an extended stay for the day.

Opening Times

Regular opening times are:

• Monday to Friday: 9 am – 8 pm
• Saturday: 9 am – 7 pm
• Sunday: 10.30 am – 4.30 pm

What’s at Castlepoint

As demonstrated on the map below, the centre is kind of triangular, with the car park in the middle. The main drag consists of Upper West and Upper East.

On the other side of Hamblin Way (on a lower level) are West Village and East Village, which are primarily food outlets. There is additional parking here or you can go down the stairs (there are also lifts and travelators) and across the car park – about a 3 minute walk.

The main part of the centre is L shaped, with a supermarket (Sainsbury’s) on one end, M&S in the middle and another supermarket (Asda) plus a DIY store B&Q on the other end.

Superstores

• Sainsburys (including Argos)
• Asda
• M&S
• B&Q

Shops

Upper West

• T K Maxx
• ProCook
• Rituals
• The Entertainer
• Three
• Waterstone’s
• Clarks
• Boots
• Mango
• Superdrug
• Next
• Nike
• H&M
• M&S

Upper East

• New Look
• Mountain Warehouse
• Monsoon/Accesorise
• TGJones
• River Island
• Holland & Barrett
• Foot Locker
• JD

West Village

• Cex
• TUI

East Village

• Easy Bathrooms

Other retail outlets are listed above. From clothes to books, homewares, chemists, toys. If you want something, you can probably find it somewhere at Castlepoint.

Food and Drink

Upper West

• Sainsbury’s Café (in Sainsbury’s)
• Caffè Nero (in Waterstones)
• Costa (in Next)
• M&S Café (In M&S)

Upper East

• McDonald’s (in Asda)

West Village

• KFC

East Village

• Nandos
• Five Guys
• Starbucks
• Hotel Chocolat

There are plenty of cafes and fast food outlets to choose from if you get hungry or thirsty on your visit. Oh, and of course chocolate…

Other Facilities

• Library
• Church of St Edmund Campion
• Free Wi-Fi
• Toilets

The centre has toilets and offers free Wi-Fi to customers. The other facilities listed are all in the East Village/West Village area.

Castlepoint for Children

The centre holds special events throughout the year, including seasonally themed events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Plus family entertainment during the school holidays, such as arts, crafts and games. For example, the May half term saw a visit from Paddington Bear, while for Father’s Day there was the opportunity to play a round of mini golf and Christmas saw the introduction of Candy Cane Lane leading to Santa’s Grotto.

Toy shop The Entertainer (as well as selling toys, of course) sometimes runs events in store. Castlepoint Library also runs a range of children’s activities.

• Updated December 2025

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

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.