Editing Bournemouth (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Bournemouth}}
[[File:Bournemouth area 1759 map.jpg|thumb|Section of a 1759 map of Hampshire by Isaac Taylor, showing the Manor of Christchurch and the area around the Bourne chine]]
There were some prehistoric settlements in the area, notably along the River Stour, including [[Longham, Dorset|Longham]] where a skull thought to be 5,500 years old was found in 1932. [[Bronze Age]] burials near [[Moordown]], and the discovery of [[Iron Age]] pottery on the East Cliff in 1969, suggest there may have been settlements there during that period. [[Hengistbury Head]], added to the borough in 1932, was the site of a much older [[Palaeolithic]] encampment.<ref name=Ashleys>Ashley and Ashley (p.7)</ref><ref name="EE1-3">Edwards (pp.1–3)</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Stannard|first=Michael|title=The Makers of Christchurch: A Thousand Year story|year=1999|publisher=Natula Publications|isbn=978-1-897887-22-6|page=223}}</ref> 

In the 12th century, the region around the mouth of the [[River Bourne, Dorset|River Bourne]] was part of the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|Hundred]] of [[Holdenhurst]]. The hundred later became the [[Liberty of Westover]] when it was extended to include the settlements of North Ashley, [[Muscliff]], Muccleshell, [[Throop, Dorset|Throop]], [[Iford, Dorset|Iford]], [[Pokesdown]], [[Tuckton]] and [[Wick, Bournemouth|Wick]], and incorporated into the Manor of [[Christchurch, Dorset|Christchurch]].<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Page |editor-first=William |title=A History of the County of Hampshire |chapter=The liberty of Westover: with Holdenhurst and Bournemouth |volume=5 |chapter-url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42061 |year=1912 |publisher=Constable & Co. |pages=133–137 |access-date=17 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103205859/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42061 |archive-date=3 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the [[Dorset]] and [[Hampshire]] region surrounding it had been the site of human settlement for thousands of years, Westover was largely a remote and barren [[heathland]] before 1800.<ref name="EE1-2">Edwards (pp. 1–2)</ref> In 1574 the [[Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton|Earl of Southampton]] noted that the area was "Devoid of all habitation", and as late as 1795 the [[John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland|Duke of Rutland]] recorded that "...&nbsp;on this barren and uncultivated heath there was not a human to direct us".<ref name=EE24/><ref>Cave (p.4)</ref>

During the latter half of the 16th century [[Lord Mountjoy|James Blount, 6th Baron Mountjoy]], began mining for [[alum]] in the area, and at one time part of the heath was used for hunting, although by the late 18th century little evidence of either event remained.<ref>Ashley and Ashley (p.31)</ref><ref>Edwards (pp.2 & 27)</ref> No-one lived at the mouth of the Bourne river and the only regular visitors to the area before the 19th century were a few fishermen, turf cutters and gangs of [[smugglers]].<ref>Edwards (pp.4 & 38)</ref>

[[File:Invalids' walk, Bournemouth, Dorset, England, 1890s.jpg|thumb|left|[[Photochrom]] of Invalids' Walk, 1890s]]

===19th century===
Prior to the [[Christchurch Inclosures Act 1802]] ([[42 Geo. 3]]. c. ''43'' {{small|Pr.}}), more than 70%<!--5000/7000*100--> of the Westover area was [[common land]]. The act, together with the Inclosure Commissioners' Award of 1805, transferred {{Convert|5000|acres}} into the hands of five private owners, including [[James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury]], and [[George Ivison Tapps|Sir George Ivison Tapps]].<ref>Andrews & Henson (p.8)</ref><ref>Ashley and Ashley (pp.18–19)</ref> In 1809 the Tapps Arms [[public house]] was built on the heath. A few years later, in 1812, the first official residents, retired army officer [[Lewis Tregonwell]] and his wife, moved into their new home built on land purchased from Tapps. The area was well known to Tregonwell who, during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], spent much of his time searching the heath and coastline for French invaders and smugglers.<ref name=DLM>{{cite web| url = http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2010/03/the-beginnings-of-bournemouth/| title = The Beginnings of Bournemouth| author = John Walker| date = March 2010| publisher = Dorset Life Magazine| access-date = 23 October 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120122014130/http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2010/03/the-beginnings-of-bournemouth/| archive-date = 22 January 2012| url-status = live}}</ref>

====Rise of beach culture====
Anticipating that people would come to the area to indulge in the newly fashionable pastime of [[sea-bathing]], an activity with perceived health benefits, Tregonwell built a series of [[villa]]s on his land between 1816 and 1822, which he hoped to let out.<ref name=AA6>Ashley & Ashley (p.6)</ref><ref name=EE28>Edwards (p.28)</ref> The common belief that pine-scented air was good for lung conditions, and in particular [[tuberculosis]], prompted Tregonwell and Tapps to plant hundreds of [[pine trees]]. These early attempts to promote the town as a health resort meant that by the time Tregonwell died in 1832, Bournemouth had grown into a small community with a scattering of houses, villas and cottages.<ref name=AA6/><ref name=Jubilee3/> The town would ultimately grow up around the scattered pines and tree-lined walk to the beach, later to become known as the Invalids' Walk.<ref name="EE31-32">Edwards (pp.31–32)</ref><ref name=AA17>Ashley & Ashley (p.17)</ref>

After the death of Tapps in 1835, his son Sir [[George William Tapps-Gervis]] inherited his father's estate. He hired the young local architect [[Benjamin Ferrey]] to develop [[Bournemouth Gardens, England|Bournemouth Gardens]] along the coastal area on the east side of the stream.<ref name=E16>Emery (p.16)</ref> Bournemouth's first hotel, later to become part of the [[Royal Bath Hotel]], opened in 1838 and is one of the few buildings designed by Ferrey still standing<ref name=Jubilee3>{{cite web|url=http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/NewsEvents/SpotlightFeatures/SupportingContent/BournemouthBrouchure08.pdf |title=Bournemouth, Garden by the Sea |work=Diamond Jubilee Civic Honours Bid |page=3 |date=May 2011 |publisher=Bournemouth County Council |access-date=9 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620195158/http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/NewsEvents/SpotlightFeatures/SupportingContent/BournemouthBrouchure08.pdf |archive-date=20 June 2013 }}</ref><ref name=E16/> and operating. Bournemouth grew at a faster rate as Tapps-Gervis began developing the area similarly to the south coast resorts of [[Weymouth, Dorset|Weymouth]] and [[Brighton]]. Despite enormous investment, the town's share of the market remained modest.<ref name="EE31-32"/> In 1841 Tapps-Gervis invited the physician and writer [[Augustus Granville]] to stay. Granville was the author of ''The Spas of England'', which described health resorts around the country, and as a result of his visit, he included a chapter on Bournemouth in the second edition of his book.<ref name=":0" /> The publication of the book, and the increase in visitors seeking the medicinal use of seawater and the pine-scented air, helped the town to grow and establish itself as an early tourist destination.<ref name="EE38-40">Edwards (pp.38–40)</ref><ref name="AA10-11">Ashley & Ashley (pp.10–11)</ref>

In the 1840s Benjamin Ferrey was replaced by [[Decimus Burton]], whose plans for Bournemouth included the construction of [[Bournemouth Gardens, England|Bournemouth Gardens]] alongside the [[River Bourne, Dorset|Bourne stream]], an idea first mooted by Granville. The fields south of the road crossing (later [[Bournemouth Square]]) were drained and laid out with shrubberies and walks. Many of these paths, including the Invalids' Walk, remain in the town today.<ref name="AA10-11"/><ref name="EE70-71">Edwards (pp.70–71)</ref> A second suggestion of Granville's, a sanatorium, was completed in 1855 and greatly raised Bournemouth's profile as a place for recuperation.<ref>Emery (p.21)</ref>
[[File:An illustrated and descriptive guide to the great railways of England and their connections with the Continent (1885) (14573968419).jpg|thumb|left|A view of Bournemouth showing the temporary wooden jetty that was replaced by an iron pier in 1880.]]
At a time when the most convenient way to arrive in the town was by sea, a [[pier]] was considered to be a necessity. The Holdenhurst parish [[vestry]] was reluctant to find the money, and an attempt to raise funds privately in 1847 had only succeeded in financing a small {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=on}} jetty.<ref name=E24>Emery (p.24)</ref> The [[Bournemouth Improvement Act 1856]] ([[19 & 20 Vict.]] c. xc) granted greater financial autonomy to the town and a pier was approved that year. A number of wooden structures were built before an {{convert|838|ft|m}} cast iron design by [[Eugenius Birch]] was completed in 1880.<ref name=E24/><ref name=NPS2>{{cite web| year = 2012| url = http://piers.org.uk/pierpages/NPSbournemouth.html| title = History of Bournemouth Pier| publisher = National Piers Society| access-date = 12 October 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120113130809/http://www.piers.org.uk/pierpages/NPSbournemouth.html| archive-date = 13 January 2012| url-status = dead}}</ref> Under the Act, a board of 13 Commissioners was established to build and organise the expanding infrastructure of the town, such as paving, sewers, drainage, street lighting and street cleaning.<ref name=AA28>Ashley and Ashley (p.28)</ref>

[[File:Entrance to the pier, Bournemouth, England, 1890s.jpg|thumb|[[Photochrom]] of the entrance to the pier, 1890s]]

====Introduction of railways and mass tourism====
The arrival of the railways in 1870 precipitated a massive growth in seaside and summer visitors to the town, especially from the [[Midlands]] and London. In 1880 the town had a population of 17,000, but by 1900, when railway connections to Bournemouth were at their most developed, the town's population had risen to 60,000 and it had become a favourite location for visiting artists and writers.<ref name=AA6/> The town was improved greatly during this period through the efforts of Sir [[Merton Russell-Cotes]], the town's mayor and a local philanthropist, who helped to establish the town's first library and museum. The [[Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum]] was housed in his mansion, and after his death, it was given to the town.<ref>Ashley and Ashley (p.22)</ref> Bournemouth became a [[municipal borough]] in 1890 and a [[county borough]] in 1900.<ref name=AA28/>

===20th century===
As Bournemouth's growth increased in the early 20th century, the town centre spawned theatres, cafés, two [[art deco]] cinemas, and more hotels. [[Bournemouth Corporation Tramways]] was established in 1902, becoming the town's first public transport system. In 1908, a [[1908 Bournemouth Tramway accident|deadly tram crash in the town gardens]] killed seven people. Other new buildings constructed included the [[Bournemouth War Memorial|war memorial]] in 1921 and the [[Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth|Bournemouth Pavilion]], the town's concert hall and grand theatre, finished in 1925.

The [[Bournemouth Blitz]] saw heavy damage to the town during the [[Second World War]] despite initially escaping heavy bombing. A raid by German [[fighter bomber]]s on 23 May 1943 killed 131 people and damaged 3,359 buildings, with two large hotels being completely destroyed. It is believed that the large number of RAF airmen [[billet]]ed in the town may have been the reason for the attack.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2013/04/a-minute-of-intense-devastation-bournemouths-bloodiest-air-raid/ |title=A minute of intense devastation – Bournemouth's bloodiest air raid |last=Churchill |first=Nick |date=April 2014 |website=www.dorsetlife.co.uk |publisher=Dorset Life Magazine |access-date=27 January 2022 }}</ref> The seafront incurred damage when it was [[British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War|fortified against invasion]].<ref name=E100>Emery (p.100)</ref> The cast iron lampposts and benches along the front were removed and melted down for munitions, as was much of the superstructure from both Bournemouth and [[Boscombe]] piers before they were breached to prevent their use by enemy ships.<ref name=E100/> The large amounts of barbed wire and anti-tank obstacles along the beach, and the mines at the foot of the [[chine]]s, took two years to remove when peace was finally achieved.<ref name=E102>Emery (p.102)</ref>[[File:Bournemouth, the Waterfront building - geograph.org.uk - 670298.jpg|thumb|The Waterfront Cinema and Leisure Complex (now demolished)]]

The [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] stationed an inshore [[Lifeboat (rescue)|lifeboat]] at Bournemouth between 1965 and 1972. Coverage for the area has otherwise been provided from [[Poole Lifeboat Station]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Denton |first= Tony |title= Handbook 2009 |year= 2009 |publisher= Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society |location= Shrewsbury |page= 59 }}</ref> The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), a large conference and exhibition centre, was constructed near the seafront in 1984,<ref>Ashley and Ashley (p.24)</ref> and in the following year Bournemouth became the first town in the United Kingdom to introduce and use [[CCTV]] cameras for public street-based surveillance.<ref name=Jubilee3/>

In August 1993, the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] orchestrated a [[1993 Bournemouth bombing|terrorist attack in the town centre]]. The only injuries sustained were minor ones but over £1 million in damage was caused.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/south-coast-alert-after-attack-on-resort-bomb-found-under-bournemouth-pier-fuels-fear-of-seaside-1461071.html|title=South Coast alert after attack on resort: Bomb found under Bournemouth|date=13 August 1993|language=en-GB|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829002056/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/south-coast-alert-after-attack-on-resort-bomb-found-under-bournemouth-pier-fuels-fear-of-seaside-1461071.html|archive-date=29 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===21st century===
From 2000 to 2001 the [[Tesco bomb campaign]] hit the town with a plot to extort money from Supermarket giant [[Tesco]]. Visitors to the town plummeted during the campaign, especially after a bomb exploded at an elderly woman's home after she opened a letter sent by the bomber. During the eight months, over seven bombs were found by [[Dorset Police]], ranging from small letter bombs, to pipe bombs and parcel bombs. The culprit was found to be Robert Edward Dyer, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=11 June 2001 |title=Tesco blackmail 'bomber' jailed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1383121.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>

[[The Waterfront, Bournemouth|The Waterfront complex]], which was intended to hold an IMAX cinema, was constructed on the seafront in 1998.<ref name=Iguard>{{cite news | url =https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/jan/20/bournemouth-imax-building-demolition | title =England's most hated building to be demolished | date =20 January 2010 | author =Steven Morris | newspaper =The Guardian | access-date =10 February 2013 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131002143332/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/jan/20/bournemouth-imax-building-demolition | archive-date =2 October 2013 | url-status =live }}</ref> The {{convert|19|m|ft|adj=mid|abbr=off|-high}} concrete and smoked glass building featured a wavy roof design, but was despised by residents and visitors alike because it blocked views of the bay and the [[Isle of Purbeck]].<ref name=Iguard/><ref name=IBBC>{{cite web | url =https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12785867 | title =Work to lower height of Dorset's Imax building starts | date =18 March 2011 | publisher =BBC Dorset | access-date =10 February 2013 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110504193123/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12785867 | archive-date =4 May 2011 | url-status =live }}</ref> In 2005 it was voted the most hated building in England in a 10,000-person poll conducted by the [[Channel 4]] programme ''[[Demolition (TV series)|Demolition]]'', and was pulled down in spring 2013.<ref name=Iguard/><ref name=Itel>{{cite news| url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7036130/Cinema-to-be-demolished-to-restore-famous-view.html| title =Cinema to be demolished to restore famous view| date =21 January 2010| newspaper =The Telegraph| access-date =10 February 2013| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131228072141/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7036130/Cinema-to-be-demolished-to-restore-famous-view.html| archive-date =28 December 2013| url-status =live}}</ref>

Bournemouth was twice unsuccessful in its bids for [[city status]], first at the [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II]] in 2012,<ref>{{cite news | first = Darren | last = Slade | title = Bournemouth loses bid for city status | date = 14 March 2012 | url = http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/bournemouth/9588576.Bournemouth_loses_bid_for_city_status/ | work = Bournemouth Echo | access-date = 6 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141129053021/http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/bournemouth/9588576.Bournemouth_loses_bid_for_city_status/ | archive-date = 29 November 2014 | url-status = live }}</ref> and again in the [[Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title='City status bid for Bournemouth is ludicrous in the extreme' |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/19725149.city-status-bid-bournemouth-ludicrous-extreme/ |access-date=22 March 2022 |website=Bournemouth Echo |date=18 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>