Jane's Midlife Journey

The suburb of Boscombe, a mile to the east of its more illustrious neighbour Bournemouth, doesn’t always get a good press – in the past it’s been voted one of the ten worst places to live in Britain. Most visitors head straight for the beach and don’t get to see what else Boscombe has to offer. So, what is there to see here, if you can be prise yourself away from your beach towel?

Visit the Beach

Obviously, Boscombe Beach is the town’s top attraction. In the middle of a ten mile stretch of golden sand which runs from Sandbanks to Hengistbury Head, it is the perfect location to enjoy the sea and sand. If you want to get more active, there is also surfing, bouldering and beach volleyball available.

Take a Wander along the Pier

The renovated Victorian Boscombe Pier is a lovely place to take a walk and admire the view across the bay; on a good day you can see the Isle of Wight and Old Harry in the Purbecks. In addition, there is a series of music themed activities along the pier – anyone for a verse of ‘I do like to be beside the seaside?

You can read my blog about Boscombe Pier here.

Take a Walk in the Park

Boscombe Chine Gardens

Boscombe boasts some beautiful parks and gardens; accessed just behind the pier are Boscombe Chine Gardens. Here, you can enjoy the floral displays, play a round of crazy golf or purchase drinks and snacks at the café. For children, there’s a great water themed play area.

You can read my blog about Boscombe Chine Gardens here.

Boscombe Cliff Gardens

To the east of the pier are Boscombe Cliff Gardens. In addition to the pretty Italianate gardens, you may also spot goats grazing on the cliffs below.

King’s Park

Kings Park is the home of AFC Bournemouth and Bournemouth athletics stadium and also the location for the weekly Bournemouth parkrun event. If you don’t fancy any sporting pursuits, just take a walk around the park. Unlike the more formal gardens in the town, areas have been planted with wildflowers which look spectacular in spring/summer. For children there are two children’s play areas and a skate park.

During the summer, events are held here regularly, such as Reggae Weekender, World of Love and Bournemouth Bus Rally.

Shelley Park

Shelley Park is small and has less going on than some of Bournemouth’s more popular parks. But it has tennis courts and a children’s play area. During summer, free park yoga sessions are held on Sunday mornings.

Admire some Street Art

Boscombe has its fair share of Street Art. Take a wander around, see what you can spot, or follow my Street Art Trail which covers all the works I’ve come across.

Follow the Arts Trail

Commissioned to tempt beach goers into town is the Boscombe Arts Trail. Walk up Sea Road from the pier to the pedestrian precinct and you will spot seven sculptures by Dorset artist Andy Kirkby.

You can read my blog about Boscombe Arts Trail here.

Go Shopping

If you want bougie boutique shops with prices to match, try Southbourne. Boscombe’s shopping facilities are more functional. It has a pedestrian precinct with the usual collection of high street chains, such as Sainsburys and Boots. But I love shopping Boscombe for the lower end shopping options; Primark, Poundland, Poundstrectcher, Lidl and Aldi are just a few of the options for the cost conscious shopper. In addition to the pedestrian precinct, there are two indoor shopping areas.

The Sovereign Centre

The modern Sovereign Centre mostly contains chain stores, including Lidl, Sports Direct, Poundland and The Works.

The Royal Arcade

In the Royal Arcade, you can find more quirky independent shops. Unlike the bustling Victorian arcade in Westbourne, is a bit quiet and I usually only walk through here if it’s raining. My favourites are Claire’s Collectables, which specialises in vintage china and Rose Red Records, selling vinyl and band merchandise. Note: Shops here tend to have quite short opening times.

Boscombe Market

Boscombe Market takes place in the pedestrian precinct on Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 am until 5 pm.

International Supermarkets

Boscombe’s immigrant population includes a large Polish community, thus there are some great Polish and Eastern European supermarkets here. My favourite is Malinka; selling a wide range of Polish gods, including fresh produce and baked goods and awesome chili mustard. Below are some of Boscombe’s international supermarkets.

• Malinka (4.5)
• Lira International Food Centre (4.2)
• Food Plus (4.6)
• Euro Supermarket (4.9) – very well stocked, including merchandise piled up in the aisles. I don’t recommend coming in here with a pushchair.
• Romanian Food Shop (4.6)
• Polish Market (4.5)
• D&A Minimarket (4.4)

Food Shops

Together with the above, there are the usual chain supermarkets; Aldi, Lidl and Sainsburys. Other places to purchase food include the very popular M’s Bakery, where you can expect to queue to get your hands on some of their award winning sourdough bread and croissants. Bread is baked according to a daily rota, so if you want something specific, check the website. For example, delicious cheese & jalapeño on Saturdays.

Charity Shops

I love a browse round a charity shop and Boscombe has plenty to choose from. There are a few in the town centre, but my favourite is The Dorset Children’s Foundation on Christchurch Road. Here are some of the charity shops on offer.

• Dorset Children’s Foundation (4.6)
• Prama (3.7)
• Salvation Army (4.3)
• Naomi House & Jacksplace (3.7)
• The Mayor of Bournemouth’s Charity Shop (4.7)

Take in some Live Music

O2 Academy

The O2 Academy Bournemouth is actually in Boscombe. This Victorian venue has been entertaining people since 1895. It has hosted many top name artists – past performers include the likes of David Bowie and Led Zeppelin. A current What’s On list can be found here.

You can read my Blog about the O2 Academy Bournemouth here.

Chaplin’s

There is also plenty of live local music on offer at the more intimate Chaplin’s Cellar Bar. This underground bar hosts maily local bands. A list of forthconing acts can be found here.

You can read my blog about Chaplin’s here.

Go to the Theatre

Shelley Theatre

Sir Percy Shelley used to live in Boscombe and had a theatre built adjacent to his home to entertain himself and his guests. This has been refurbished and opened as the Shelley Theatre, hosting live performances, films and other events. It hasn’t yet reopened post-Covid, but hopefully, will be able to do so soon.

Watch Premiership Football

Boscombe is the home to AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, who returned to the Premiership in 2022. If you can get hold of tickets, you can watch the stars of the English Premier League in action here.

You can read my blog about the Vitality Stadium here.

Eat some Great Food

There are plenty of great cafes and restaurants. If you’re at beach, try Urban Reef. In town, there are lots of options, like Chaplin’s, which has a formal restaurant (Modern Times). Alternatively, order from the bar menu or eat in the beer garden which has its own smokehouse and steampunk inspired bar and also boasts an unusual mural; a man with a living beard. Further along Christchurch Road is my son-in-law’s favourite; Mokobo Burger.

Restaurants and Cafes

Here are some of the restaurants and cafes in Boscombe. As I haven’t eaten at them all, I have included their Google rating, so you can see which is most popular.

Town Centre

• Bon Dabang (5.0) – Korean
• Modern Times (4.9) – part of Chaplins with an adventurous menu and unique decor
• English Rose Café (4.8)
• Pizzeria Via Roma (4.7)
• Cafe Boscanova (4.7)
• Street Corner (4.7) – burgers, pizza etc, offers a daily deal
• Marco Polo (4.6) – Italian
• Jerk Hut (4.6) – Jamaican

Christchurch Road

• Brew Cafe (4.7) – Cafe with a weekly menu serving excellent lunches
• Marco Polo – Italian (4.6)
• Mokobo (4.4) – burgers
• Queen Mumtaz (4.8) – Indian, with popular £14.99 Sunday buffet
• Tuga Copos (4.5) – Portuguese
• Thai Smile (4.4) – Thai

Beachside

• The Prom Diner (4.3) – American
• Urban Reef (4.2)
• The Wood Oven (3.9) – pizza
• Deus Ex Machina (4.6)
• Flamingo (4.6)

Takeaways

There are the usual chains; McDonalds, Greggs, Subway, Pizza Hut etc. In addition, here are some of the more highly rated takeaways.

Town Centre

• The BaoBao House (4.9) – oriental
• Sunny’s (4.5) – fish & chips
• Efes (4.2)- kebabs
• Magic Kitchen – Chinese (4.1)

Christchurch Road

• Fishtales (4.7) – excellent fish & chips
• Pizza Go Go (4.3)
• China Dragon (4.3)

Take a drink (or two)

Pubs and Bars

Boscombe used to have plenty of pubs and bars, however several have closed down recently leaving just the following.

Town Centre

• Chaplin’s (4.6)

Christchurch Road

• Marroys (4.8)
• Mello Mello (3.9)

Beachside

• Harvester Neptune (4.0)

Boscombe for Children

There is plenty for children to do in Boscombe. What child doesn’t love the beach? Apart from the sea and sand, there is rock climbing, volleyball and table tennis to keep kids occupied. In Boscombe’s parks, there are play areas, crazy golf, a skate park and tennis courts.

Other activities include children’s activities at Boscombe Library, an escape room and a Science Zone with dinosaur models.

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: December 2024