Bournemouth

Bournemouth
Town
Top to bottom, left to right: The seafront, the town hall, St. Peter's Church, Bournemouth Pier, the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth Gardens
Bournemouth Coat of Arms
Bournemouth Location within Dorset
Area	15.54 sq mi (40.2 km2)
Population	196,455 (Built up area, 2021)[1]
Unitary authority	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Ceremonial county	Dorset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BOURNEMOUTH
Postcode district	BH1-11
Dialling code	01202
Police	Dorset
Fire	Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	Bournemouth West, Bournemouth East
List of places UK England Dorset 50°43′12″N 1°52′48″W / 50.72001°N 1.87995°W / 50.72001; -1.87995

Bournemouth (/ˈbɔːrnməθ/ ^ⓘ BORN-məth) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area of Dorset's ceremonial county, on England's south coast. The 2021 census built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest town in Dorset.

Previously a rarely-visited (except by occasional fishermen and smugglers) uninhabited heathland, a health resort was founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell in the area.^[2] After the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway opened in 1870, it grew into an important resort town which attracts over five million visitors annually with the town's beaches and popular nightlife. A financial sector that is worth more than £1 billion in gross value added.

Part of Hampshire since before the Domesday Book, it was assigned to Dorset under the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. Bournemouth Borough Council became a unitary authority in 1997 and was replaced in 2019 by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council: the current unitary authority also covers Poole, Christchurch and adjoining land.

The town centre has notable Victorian architecture. St Peter's Church has a 202-foot (62 m) spire and is one of three Grade I listed churches in the borough. The town also has both an events venue and a concert hall, respectively the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Pavilion Theatre.