Jane's Midlife Journey

Today I have a tour guide; a friend has offered to show me round the suburb of Westbourne. So far I’ve only been to Westbourne to eat or drink. And to weigh myself – but that’s another story. Westbourne has a reputation for being rather genteel. The main (Poole) road is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. And lots of floral decorations.

How to get to Westbourne

So, Westbourne is a suburb (drumroll) to the west of Bournemouth (around two miles to the west to be more precise) reached via the A338/Poole Road. Buses that pass through Westbourne include the Nos m1, m2 and the 50 Breezer. During the summer, the 80 Breezer stops at St Ambrose Church, a 10 minute walk away.

Parking

The parking gets more controlled the closer you get to the main shopping area. There is paid parking at Alumhurst Road, Landseer Road and Milburn Road (£1.80 for one hour). Alternatively, you can park at M&S (£1 for one hour, which can be refunded if you spend £5 in-store).

There is free roadside parking, but some of it has time restrictions. The roads closest to the centre (eg Seamoor Road and Poole Road) are restricted to one hour. Slightly further out (eg Grosvenor Road and Marlborough Road) the restriction is two hours. A little further still (eg West Cliff Road) there are areas with no parking restrictions.

Westbourne Library

First stop on today’s tour is the library, which would win the award for the best library floral decorations, if that was a thing. Westbourne Library actually opened in 1916, in the midst of World War I. It was supposed to give people ‘a sense of purpose against the futility of war’. I think it would take more than a good book to take my mind off a global conflict.

Skerryvore

Next, to Skerryvore; location of the former home of writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson spent three years in Bournemouth from 1884-87, whilst he was recovering from tuberculosis. It was here that he wrote his most famous works (Treasure Island, Kidnapped and Jekyll & Hyde). The house was destroyed during World War II, but the grounds remain. There is a lighthouse shape monument to commemorate Stevenson’s residence here, but otherwise it’s rather unkempt and very un-Bournemouth-like. The town usually prides itself on its horticultural excellence.

St Ambrose Church

Head from the centre of Westbourne towards the coast and you reach Grade II Listed St Ambrose Church. Ordained in 1900, it maintains ‘an Anglican ethos in a gently Catholic atmosphere’. No idea what this means or how it differs from rough Catholicism…

Food and Drink

Westbourne is a mecca for foodies. According to the council website, there are over 50 places where you can eat/drink in Westbourne. I haven’t counted and I certainly haven’t tried them all – like I mentioned, I go here to weigh myself. But here are some of my favourites:

Renoufs

Local cheese and wine restaurant chain Renoufs has a restaurant in Westbourne, plus a shop selling, well cheese and wine. If you love cheese and wine (and frankly who doesn’t?) then Renoufs is the dream.

Chez Fred

Former Fish & Chip Shop of the Year winner, Chez Fred is THE place (tempted to say plaice) to buy Fish & Chips in Bournemouth. You can dine in or take away. Expect a queue.

The Duck

The Duck is a trendy, if a little pretentious burger bar. You know the sort of place; sells chips in the mug, calls them fries and adds a side of truffle mayo. I’ve only eaten here once. I had the Bang Bang Cauliflower and it was very good.

The Westbourne

The Westbourne is part of the Greene King chain, selling typical pub grub with some outdoor seating if you want to sit and watch the world go by.

Shopping

There are some high street chains in Westbourne (M&S, Tesco, Iceland), but the area is mainly renowned for its independent shops and boutiques.

Westbourne Arcade

A focal point in Westbourne is the arcade. This looks very familiar to the arcade where I live in Boscombe, but this one is much more popular and a thriving thoroughfare of shoppers perusing the goods on display. Westbourne Arcade was built in 1884 and designed to have a cathedral style appearance. It contains a range of shops and even the UK’s smallest cinema – the 30 seat Bournemouth Colosseum.

Westbourne Farmers’ & Makers Market

Westbourne Farmers’ & Makers Market is a monthly outdoor market which takes place on the first Saturday of the month in Landseer Road. The market is held from 9 am until 2 pm. On sale you will find artisan breads, vegetables, cheese, meats, plants, handicrafts and much more.

Alum Chine

Linking Westbourne to the coast is Alum Chine. Claim to fame; believed to be the place where Winston Churchill jumped off a bridge and broke both his legs. You can follow in Churchill’s footsteps along the path through the chine to reach Alum Chine Beach.

Alum Chine Beach

All good suburbs should have a beach and Westbourne has Alum Chine Beach.

Westbourne for Children

Lollipops Café is a café with a three storey soft play area. It is open Monday to Friday from 9 am until 2.30 pm. Parents can partake of a coffee and a selection of sandwiches, cream tea and cakes while their little ones play. It is suitable for children up to the age of 6. Children’s activities such as Wriggle & Rhyme take place at Westbourne Library. There are playgrounds in Westbourne Close and Princess Gardens. And, of course, there’s the beach.

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: September 2023