Westbourne History
Westbourne, located just outside of Bournemouth Town Centre has a well rooted history and is now a well established, thriving shopping area for local residence and tourists.
We have compiled a range of historical articles about Westbourne which you can view below, plus links to interesting books & media linking to the area.
If you would like to help expand this area please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your local history.
Literary links to Westbourne
Whilst Bournemouth’s association with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is well-known, local people and visitors may be interested in Westbourne’s literary connections.
Paul Verlaine, the French poet, lived and worked in Westbourne as a teacher for a few happy months at the Catholic School of St Aloysius, first at Westburn Terrace, then moving to Surrey Road. He composed two poems about Bournemouth.
Robert Louis Stevenson lived in the house called Skerryvore, Alum Chine Road - sadly destroyed during an air raid in 1940. The site was laid out as a garden to his memory. During his two and a half years here he wrote “Kidnapped”, “A Child’s Garden of Verse”, and “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”.
History of Westbourne
Westbourne is 10 minutes walk from the Triangle area of Bournemouth. In the 1870's Westbourne was described as a hamlet built around Seamoor Road, an important position on the old Bournemouth/Poole boundary.
In more recent times the area has become a fashionable and popular part of Bournemouth with a unique mix of clothing shops, cafes, restaurants and many other independent businesses.
Shops & Services
Log In
News to Your Email
More News
The Wessex Autistic Society and specialist fashion retailers Beach and Body and Fab Frocks, both based in Westbourne, are teaming...
There are lots of events coming up at The Riviera this summer. Check out:
Father’s Day Lunch Sunday 17th June only £14.50....
Local Mum Sharon May celebrated losing weight and regaining her pre-maternity size 12 figure by treating herself to a designer...