Bournemouth

Bournemouth
Town
Top to bottom, left to right: The seafront, the town hall, St. Peter's Church, Bournemouth Pier, the Pavilion Theatre and 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]
• Density	12,642/sq mi (4,881/km2)
OS grid reference	SZ086912
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 / 50.720°N 1.880°W / 50.720; -1.880

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

Previously an uninhabited and rarely-visited heathland, other than by occasional fishermen and smugglers, a health resort was founded in the area by Lewis Tregonwell in 1810.^[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. It now has 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 by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in 2019; 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, the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Pavilion Theatre respectively.