- Southbourne, Dorset
Infobox UK place
official_name= Southbourne
unitary_england= Bournemouth
lieutenancy_england=Dorset
region= South West England
country= England
latitude= 50.722
longitude= -1.798
map_type= Dorset
population=
constituency_westminster= Bournemouth East
post_town= BOURNEMOUTH
postcode_area= BH
postcode_district= BH6
dial_code= 01202
os_grid_reference= SZ142913Southbourne is a suburb of
Bournemouth . It is the most easterly part of the borough, betweenBoscombe andChristchurch, Dorset . The area was previously known as Stourfield.Strictly Southbourne refers to the area near to the coast; areas further inland are West Southbourne, Tuckton and Wick.
In
1766 , Edmund Bott had a Georgian mansion built to the east ofPokesdown village, commanding fine views ofChristchurch Harbour and he named it Stourfield House. One of the most celebrated inhabitants of Stourfield House wasMary Eleanor Bowes , Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Stourfield House later became a care home, looking after servicemen who had been injured in theGreat War . Today only the front steps survive, leading to a block of flats in Douglas Mews, and marked by aBlue Plaque .The focal point of the
community is Southbourne Crossroads. At this crossroads are apublic house , used car dealershipwww.southbournecliffmotors.co.uk , a surf shopwww.bournemouthsurfing.com , acafé , hardressers and newsagent. For activity in the local area Seafield Gardens offersbowls ,tennis and a features awatertower . One tourist feature of Southbourne is theCliff railway between the clifftop coastal road and the promenade and beach. This provides very easy access to Southbourne'sBlue Flag beach , from which it is possible to reach the beaches atBoscombe andBournemouth .Southbourne is still a busy area for tourists, keen to escape the busier areas of
Bournemouth Town Centre. However, the number of Guest Houses in the area has declinded in recent years.The easternmost part of the area is called
Hengistbury Head .
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