When I tell people who are from the greater Bournemouth area that I live in Boscombe, I tend to be greeted with the same response. A look of disgust and pity followed by asking me how The Crescent is doing and how many dealers I have crossed paths with today. Back in the day it probably was an upmarket location with the large houses, numerous parks and gardens and its proximity to the sea. I suspect the decline happened when the houses were broken down into individual flats and cheap house shares, one of which I occupy. Scratch beneath the surface of chewing gum, cigarette ends and discarded furniture and there are some gems worth a visit.
Getting There
There are several options available depending on what you have available to you.
By train you can either get off at Pokesdown or Bournemouth Station. Both will be roughly a 20/25 minute walk or a few minutes in a taxi being roughly £7.
Driving will take roughly 1 hour 45 minutes from London.
Local buses that go through Boscombe are the 1, 1B, 2, 12 and 33. The X3 can get you there from Salisbury and Ringwood.
Getting Around
Boscombe is a neighbourhood of the greater Bournemouth area and will only take about 10 minutes to walk between the furthest points worth visiting. If you don’t want to walk there is another option available to you.
Beryl Bikes – Public bikes you can unlock with an app. Costs £1 to unlock and then £0.05 per minute after its been unlocked. There are Minute Bundles available which costs the same per minute, but they remove the Unlocking fee or a Day Pass for unlimited minutes. Unlike the Santander Bikes you find in London, you can’t just park the Beryl Bikes anywhere you fancy. There are set parking spots across the Bournemouth and Christchurch area and to park outside of these areas could result in an extra charge.
Attractions
Boscombe Pier and Beach – Regularly voted one of the best beaches in the UK stretching 7 miles from Hengistbury Head in Christchurch to Sandbanks in Poole. It has a land train, ice cream kiosks, public loos and fitness stations at regular intervals. The pier has crazy golf, musical instruments and historical pier information along it.
Bournemouth O2 Academy – Entertainment venue that hosts acts like Travis, Funeral for a Friend and Dappy.
Boscombe Chime Gardens – Offering an eclectic range of plants, a café, mini water playground, basketball court and more crazy golf.
Where to Eat
Joy Café – Set in the corner of Churchill Park, they have a table tennis table, a few board games, occasional chess or art clubs and the best sausage sandwich I have ever had.
Baked Boscombe – Named appropriately for the state of most of the residents and providing tasty treats that individuals in that condition would crave. Serving a selection of handmade pies, sandwiches and cakes slices big enough to concuss a seal.
James & White – Still sets the bar for the best breakfast I have ever had.
Café Boscanova – The pinnacle of 21st century hipster café and vegan food. They do have non-vegan options and the first Tuesday of every month it turns into Café Scientifique where a specialist from Bournemouth University will present what they are working on for anyone interested in listening to them.
Chicken ‘n’ Blues – Award winning wraps with a sauce selection that puts Nando’s to shame.
Where to Drink
Social Grill – Fancy a quiet little hipster place with a fish tank, occasional live music and a Nintendo in the corner? Look no further.
Chaplin’s – A Charlie Chaplin themed bar that looks like a Victorian library. Also features a large outside area and live music downstairs.
Urban Reef – Set on the Boscombe Beach promenade, less than a minute from the Pier is a bar and restaurant overlooking the beach. They also do takeaway wood fire pizzas and drinks.
Hotels
There are more B&Bs in Boscombe and Bournemouth than you can shake a stick at, but a few honourable mentions are:
Urban Beach – Part of the same group as the Urban Reef, there is a bar and restaurant with booth seats in the conservatory area with inbuilt heaters and USB chargers for when the temperature drops.
Bournemouth Beach Lodges – Large beach huts set just off the promenade along the beach.
Other Bits
The Crescent – An infamous local area that consists of a small crescent shaped park where you can acquire various substances if that is your scene. There is a police community site on the corner.
Sorted Surf Shop – Offering SUP and surfboard rentals and lessons on the prom next to the Urban Reef and clothes and electric bikes just up the hill next to James & White.
Hengistbury Head – Decent views and some local history roughly an hours walk right on the eastern end of the beach
Bournemouth Pier and Gardens – A 35 minute walk in the other direction will get you to Bournemouth Pier and the base of the gardens that evolve and change as you follow the river through them.
