5 things we bet you didn’t know about Bournemouth

You probably already know that Bournemouth has some spectacular beaches, peaceful gardens and a mild climate, but did you know that it also has one of the best piers in the UK and some famous (former) inhabitants? I’ve put together five facts that are sure to blow your mind and make you want to head to beautiful Bournemouth first thing tomorrow morning.

Seriously, what are you waiting for?

1. The weather’s actually pretty awesome

Sure, everyone says that the climate in Bournemouth is sunny, mild and perfect for a vacation. But here are some impressive numbers to back it up: in Bournemouth, you can enjoy an average of 7.7 hours of sunshine a day, while strolling along the 7 miles of Bournemouth’s sandy seafront. That’s 7.7 hours a day, 7 days of the week. (Good things do come in sevens.)

2. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

This could be the official chant for Bournemouth. To complement all that sunshine, Bournemouth is awash with yummy ice cream: 2,000 ice creams a day are served in the city, adding up to 750,000 ice creams sold each year. I don’t know how many pounds or miles of frozen deliciousness that is, but I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy a sunny day on the beach.

3. The Piers are the UK’s finest

Bournemouth may be famous for it’s long and beautiful beach, but did you know that the Bournemouth Piers are just as famous? There are two of them but we’ll focus on the Boscombe Pier. It was built in 1889 and just after its renovation in 2009, was declared Britain’s Coolest Pier.  In 2010, it claimed even more fame when the National Piers Society voted it Pier of the Year. (Yes, there really is a National Piers Society.)

4. The Hobbits were born here. Sort of.

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, frequently traveled to Bournemouth and eventually moved there. When he visited, he always stayed at Hotel Miramar in what is now room 205. Dr. Jane Goodall, the British primatologist, grew up in Bournemouth before she started studying chimpanzees in Africa. If you need something to do while eating ice cream on the beach, why not pick up Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which was written in Bournemouth.

5. Dinosaurs used to roam the land

Last but not least, let’s go back to the beginning. The coastline just west of Bournemouth, called the Jurassic Coast, is not quite like Jurassic Park (there are no live dinosaurs, sadly), but it’s monumental nonetheless. It’s England’s first and only natural World Heritage Site and it’s the only place on Earth where you can experience a “walk through time” and explore 185 million years of our history while strolling along the stunning coast.

Image by Jeremy Tarling, Flickr / Creative Commons