Three days in Bournemouth - what should we do?

[hewlettsdaughter]

Hi, we are staying in a B&B in Bournemouth for four nights in August - so we will have three full days to look round, with a 9 year old boy, a 4 year old girl and no car. I was thinking the beach (would prefer a quieter one), the oceanarium, maybe Brownsea Island. Does anyone have any particular suggestions/recommendations?

[goingslowlymad]

What dates will you be here? The air show is here at the end of the month. It's a great day and free.

Not sure you will find a quiet beach here TBH. They will all be chocca.

[hewlettsdaughter]

We're travelling on the 10th, so I guess we'll miss the air show. Can you recommend a beach - are there any ones good for rock pools or fossil-hunting, that we could get to easily?

[WideWebWitch]

We went to the Oceanarium a couple of months back, I thought it was great. We also sat on the beach just in front of it and although it was hot it wasn't that busy. If we could have been bothered to walk further I'm sure we'd have found a quieter bit but even on a warm day it wasn't THAT crowded.

[littlerach]

Yes, Oceanarium very good and you can go back in during the same day.

The gardens going down to the beach are quite nice too, and last weekend they had children's activities on.

There is a tethered hot air balloon in the gardens which yuo could do.

Obviously shopping
And eating! lol.

I think there is firewok dipslay and music and stuff on a Friday night in August, usually with a huge display on the last weekend.

the BIC may have things on.

If you want to travel along the coast, Weymouth has lots to do, then there's Lyme Regis and swanage and Studland.

The other way is Hengisbury Head, then Christchurch and Mudeford. Also Southbourne beach.

[hewlettsdaughter]

Thanks for that, WWW. Anyone else?

[hewlettsdaughter]

Ooh, a hot air balloon? Have always wanted to try going up in one of those...

[littlerach]

Yes, it's in the gardens, and is tethered.
Probably quite pricey, but not as much as a real one LOL.

[hewlettsdaughter]

Thanks. Not quite sure whether we will stay in Bournemouth itself or venture further afield. I quite like the sound of Brownsea Island - is it basically walks and wildlife (plus the scouting connection)?

[psychomum5]

I live in bournemouth

you will need to drive a bit to go fossil hunting....kimmeridge bay or lulworth cove is great for that type of thing. less than an hour from bournemouth, heading towards weymouth way.

brounsea island you can get to from poole quay (which is a lovely place to visit), and is fab for rambling and peacocks!!

the best beach (IMHO), is alum chine as there is a fab swing park and little pool there. and the toilets are huge and, altho sandy, pretty clean (which is a massive plus).

moors valley is a great dey out.....you need to head back up the spur road towards ashley heath for that one. it is a 'free' day, you pay to park (which is pricy), but once there you have the 'play trail' thro the woods, tow huge play areas....one aimed at older children and one very sandy one for tinies (mainly under 5's). there is also a train, but that you need to pay for....altho it is not really pricy.

ooh, talking little trains.....poole park is great too. they too have a tiny 'noddy train' (as I call it), and there is a huge gus gorrila ball pit thingy, and a small ice rink which is fab to keep them amused. we took our when it first opened, just over a year ago, and they have these little penguin type things for little ones to hold onto to steady themselves. DS2 (then 4), LOVED it.

HTH

[BodenGroupie]

Bournemouth is only half an hour from the New Forest, lovely for picnics (but not near the ponies cos they get cross), Keyhaven area lovely for crabbing, walking, cycling, Moors Valley (near Verwood), chain ferry from Sandbanks to Studland Beach (National Trust, gorgeous, but £8 to park). Lots of the coastal towns have firework displays weekly throughout the summer so you should get lucky. Have a lovely time. Ooh, forgot Monkey World, not too far to drive I think.

[hewlettsdaughter]

psychomum5, I think I would need one of the little penguin type things if I were to go on the ice rink myself - haven't skated for years

I looked at mumsnet local for Bournemouth and had spotted there was a good park at Alum Chine. The beach there does sound worth a visit - is it far from the centre of town? We don't have a car so will be relying on walking and bussing/taking the train.

BodenGroupie - the New Forest would be nice but as we have only three days I suspect we won't get that far. How easy is to get to Sandbanks?

[psychomum5]

ok, so no car, and three days in bournemouth.

one day at the beach....

one day in poole/brownsea island

one day browsing around the town and gardens maybe??

beach......alum chine is a walk from bournemouth, but if you go from the pier it is about 1mile at most. head towards poole, and you will goes past several chines. stop when yu get to the one with the paddling pool fenced in ((in fact, you can get the land beach train from the pier to alum chine.....))

Poole is a trian ride or bus ride away. the train station in bournemouth is a bit of a walk from the centre, but not a nega walk, and then the train stops almost right by the highstreet in poole. (well, just thro the subway in fact). head towards the quay, and then you can get a boat from there to brownsea. makes for a long day if you do poole shops/quay *and the island, but it is lovely.

the next day you could pootle around the towncentre of b'mouth...there is the lovely gardens, and the tethered balloon...and of course the pier and tiny funfair.

sorted!

[whoops]

Psycho, do they still do the candle lighting thing in the gardens?

[psychomum5]

oooh....I am not sure.

if they do, it used to be weds evening.

I will go hunt down the kids free fun thingy that b'mouth do every summer (excpet this one no doubt)

[hewlettsdaughter]

That sounds excellent, thanks psychomum

(what is a chine?)

[psychomum5]

Bournemouth Kids Free Fun Festival,The Pagoda, Lower Gardens Daily entertainment during school summer holidays with clowns, magicians, puppet shows and wandering minstrels. On Wednesday nights the Candle Illuminations in the Lower Gardens feature 15,000 candles in coloured glass jars and at 10pm on a Friday, a firework display from Bournemouth pier.

((copied from the echo))

in fact.....here is the page it is from

a 'chine' is what each of the little valleys are that lead down to the beaches of bournemouth.

[hewlettsdaughter]

Awww, the candles sound lovely - and our last night will be a Wednesday so we will definitely have to go and have a look.

This is all really helpful.

[psychomum5]

if you do go, make sure you take some super long tapers with you.

they do hand out lighter things, but they get used up by the crowds very quickly, so always best to take stuff to light them with.

and get there early.....it starts right on 10pm, but it can get busy and you want to be able to light at least one first.

[hewlettsdaughter]

So the candle thing starts at 10, like the fireworks? I guess it wouldn't be much earlier, as it wouldn't be getting dark until around then.

[psychomum5]

ooh..ahh, not sure. read that from the fireworks one. having said that, I am sure it is 10 because of twighlight.

will go check

[psychomum5]

better site I feel

the candles start at dusk

[hewlettsdaughter]

Cheers

[BBBee]

sounds like a wonderful holiday - i hope you have a nice time.

[hewlettsdaughter]

Me too

[hewlettsdaughter]

Just returning to this thread to say thanks all for the advice! We didn't get to Brownsea Island (no sailings due to the weather) - nor did we go up in the Bournemouth eye (which remained on the ground because of the wind). We did, however, go to Alum Chine, the Oceanarium and the illuminations in the Lower Gardens on Wednesday night. We also walked to Boscombe along the promenade - walked along the pier, saw the artifical surf reef being constructed, played mini-golf and had a very nice lunch in a cafe in the Boscombe Chine Gardens.