History of Bournemouth

The discovery of Bournemouths seafront pleasures could be attributed to young Grosvenor Tregonwell, who did not survive childhood. His distressed parents, Lewis and Henrietta, came to the area to ease their grief. Henrietta took a liking to the peaceful Bourne Chine, where Lewis built her a house.

High society moves in

At the time, Bournemouth was an isolated place of seclusion. Mary Eleanor Bowes, an ancestor of the Queen and then Englands wealthiest heiress, lived at Pokesdown in the 1790s to get away from her second husbands clutches. This was what started the development of Bournemouth into a select retreat, where societys richest came to get away from it all. Landlords who were not quite sure of what to do with their domains planted pine trees and Bournemouth became known as the pine city by the sea.

Town planning

The working classes were housed in remote quarters at Winton and Springbourne. In early Bournemouth, shops were banned. Tradesmen visited from Poole or Christchurch. When the first residents finally relented and the railway was allowed to advance, it was only allowed to do so in a deep cutting to keep it out of sight. Such isolation could, of course, not last.

The early builders had not supplied adequate infrastructure, roads were bad and the sewers ineffective. Christopher Crabbe Creeke, surveyor of nuisances for the Bournemouth commissioners, came to the towns rescue. He planned elegantly curving roads, lined with majestic villas around the chines and improved the drains. Many of the original villas were replaced by enterprising developments with shops and apartments. Traders brought all kinds of fancy merchandise into the town and the railways enabled the lower classes to enjoy an inexpensive day at the seaside.

Queen Victoria had recognised Bournemouth by 1890, granting it the rank of a borough and its own mayor. The town residents were now able to take more control of their own future. Undercliff Drive was laid out along the beach, a pavilion was constructed and Bournemouths parks were planned with golf courses and drives. A community orchestra was founded at the Winter Gardens. Local efforts also provided hospitals, schools, libraries and houses.

Growth

Bournemouth expanded at an astounding pace, swallowing up the former rival resorts of Westbourne, Boscombe Spa and Southbourne-on-Sea. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, many of the towns middle-class suburbs developed at Talbot Woods, Ensbury Park and Richmond Park. A string of transport systems including trams, trolley buses and diesel buses were established.

By the mid-20th century, Bournemouth was one of Englands main towns, and when a local government re-organisation in 1974 gave much of its authority and duties to Dorset County Council; it was something of a shock. However, in 1997, the situation was largely reversed when Bournemouth became a unitary authority.

As part of its expansion, Bournemouth incorporated the early settlements at Kinson, Ensbury, Muscliff, Muccleshell, Holdenhurst and Wick as well as the Iron Age port at Hengistbury Head. The town is now faced with the challenge of maintaining the finest of its architectural heritage, looking after its natural assets which remain the key factor in attracting tourists and providing the necessary facilities to give visitors a holiday to remember while maintaining a desirable environment for residents.