Westbourne is a small village that lies a few miles to the west of Bournemouth. It is a thriving upmarket shopping district, with independent fashion boutiques, thrift stores, cafes, and pubs on Poole and Seamoor roads, which are linked by a lovely Victorian covered arcade. The village is also just a few minutes walk to some superb beaches by way of several chines – dry, wooded gorges that run to the sandy beach. Alum Chine, Middle Chine and Durley are examples, all having Blue Flag Award quality beaches.
The large selection of boutique, individual shops gives Westbourne a distinct flavour combined with a friendly atmosphere and plenty of places to eat, drink and relax. Westbourne is a 15 minutes walk from Bournemouth town centre via The Triangle.
The Victorian covered arcade links Poole Road and Seamoor Road with a variety of independent shops and places to eat. The Arcade is open all year (most shops do not open on Sunday).
Historically, most of the original residential buildings in Westbourne were large detached homes, built in the early 1900's. However, few remain now and instead they have been converted into apartments with an abundance of luxury new apartment blocks having also been built in recent years.