I'll be flying to Bristol (uk) on the 25th of this month and the very next day I will have to go to Christchurch - UK near Bournemouth (South of England). Now, I am not entirely familiar with the UK trains system or the bus routes either so I don't really know which method to choose for this journey. What would you suggest being the cheapest way to get there and hopefully get a good service too? One more question, what do you think about Christchurch as a city in general? Is it a good place to live in? Is it unhappily known around the country? What about its 'job finding' situation? is it any good?
thanks so much again Christchurch is a small town just to the east of Bournemouth. It certainly is not a city. The nearest city is Southampton - about 50 miles away and 6x the size of Christchurch.
Have a look at it on Google Maps. Enter "Christchurch Dorset" in the search line. (There are several towns called Christchurch in England so you have to specify which one - Dorset is the county where 'your Christchurch' is).
You get there by train from Bristol (Temple Meads) railway station to Southampton and change at Southampton for a 'local' to Christchurch.
Alternatively, you can catch a coach (long distance bus) from Bristol to Bournemouth and a local bus or taxi out to Christchurch.
The coach would normally be cheaper than the train if you just turn up and buy a ticket on the day of travel. But if you buy a train ticket in advance on-line you can sometimes get a very low fare. Follow the links below for more information.
Christchurch is (definately NOT a City) on the edge of a National Park called the New Forest. This is an area of ancient woodland and heathland which was reserved as a hunting ground by King William 1 (William the Conqueror) in about 1068 AD. The villages in the New Forest have some great pubs and the local beer is very good (it is proper English ale not the yellow lagers sold everwhere else in the world).
Christchurch itself has some of the highest house prices in England. So you may want to live just outside or in Bournemouth.
The bigger town of Bournemouth next door is a popular holiday resort and university town. It's a very nice place and has a lot of entertainment and leasure facilities.
Have a look at the Up My Street web site (link below). If you enter Christchurch Dorset, or Bournemouth, or any other place name, you'll see the demographic, property prices and crime profiles of the places.
Most people who know Christchurch and the areas around it will tell you that it is a great place to live and visit. For jobs it depends on what your skill is. If you have a skill that can be used in the hotel or catering trade then Bournemouth should be able to employ you.
I hope that the weather is good for you so that see the area looking at its best. Unfortunately, the 25th January may be raining. Make sure that you have some fish & chips (never say "french fries"!!!) with a pea fritter for your lunch. Enjoy your stay. i wouldnt take a train or bus coz youl be arrested Christchurch is not a city but a small town. Most parts are quite pretty and very historic. There are many old folk living in Christchurch.
Me and my other half go there sometimes and walk along the river by the priory down to the quay.
As I say, very quaint and historic. http://www.christchurchdorset.com/
You may well have looked at the reference site above - if not I hope it's useful. Christchurch is on the edge of the New Forest which is beautiful for walk, camping out etc. It is also near the seaside resort of Bournemouth which is a holiday destination for families, and also quite near to Poole which is another seaside resort that offers a lot of boating recreation. All of this is lovely if you are a family man - if you are single, well I do not know much about the night life - sorry. You ask about jobs, well it depends what you are looking for - a lot of jobs will be seasonal but there are others as well. I would suggest phoning National Express (Coach Company) and booking a seat with them as they are much cheaper than train travel and quite reliable too.
Edit, If you are staying overnight in Bristol I would suggest you try http://shorttermrentsbristol.co.uk/, which is on the run in from the airport anyway. Christchurch is a borough and town in Dorset on the English Channel coast, adjoining Bournemouth in the west, with the New Forest to the east.
Geography and administration
Although within the historic county boundaries of Hampshire, at the time of the 1974 local government re-organisation it was considered desirable that the whole of what is now called the South East Dorset conurbation, which includes Bournemouth and Poole, should be part of the same county. The current local government district, which has borough status, was formed by the merger of the old borough of Christchurch with part of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District. Since then it has been part of the non-metropolitan county of Dorset. It includes large unurbanised areas, including Bournemouth International Airport, and the parishes of Burton and Hurn.
History
The town was originally a Saxon settlement called Twyneham (which gives the town's central school its name), from "betweon eam", which meant (the settlement) between two rivers.
During Saxon times the harbour was one of the most important in England as it was easily reached from the continent and boats could enter the harbour and travel up the river Avon all the way to Salisbury. The sheltered harbour and easy access to neighbouring towns also made the area popular with smugglers, culminating in the "Battle of Mudeford" in 1784 between Customs & Excise and the smugglers. There was a Saxon mint (coin) in "Twynam" until just before the Norman Conquest.
Demographics
The borough has a population of 44,869 (according to 2001 figures), of whom a significant proportion are comfortably off senior citizens (33.1% of the population are of retirement age). Indeed, the area of Highcliffe on the borough's eastern boundary possesses the highest percentage of elderly residents in the entire United Kingdom (70%).
Present day
The Avon and the Stour both enter the sea in Christchurch Harbour. This medium-sized priory and market town is generally regarded as a conservative, slow-paced and popular tourist and retirement destination "where time is pleasant" (according to the town's official description). The older part of the town, dominated by the Priory Church (the longest parish church in England), dates from Saxon times and still retains its Saxon street layout. It is an interesting mixture of picturesque walks, quaint houses, restaurants, public houses and specialist shops, some of which date back to smuggling times.
In Christchurch there are several reserved buildings including the thatched 14th century Old Court House and the Georgian Red House.
The town centre is dominated by Christchurch Priory and the High Street with its squares and parades containing shopping facilities. Christchurch forms part of the south east Dorset conurbation along with Bournemouth, Poole and adjacent areas of East Dorset.
The harbour is a large protected salt marsh protected by a sand bar at the entrance. The harbour is only accessible to shallow draught boats due to the sand bars at the entrance. The entrance, known as the Run, has Mudeford Quay on one side and the sand bar on the other. Considerable tides flow here, up to 6 knots during spring tides. The harbour is a protected wildlife refuge and is home to large populations of swans, waders and other bird life. On the south side the harbour is enclosed by Hengistbury head which was the site of the earliest settlement here dating back to the Neolithic. The landward end of the headland still has the bank and ditch built about 2000BC to protect the settlement.
Stanpit Marsh Local Nature Reserve is situated just below the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Stour. During the 18th century it was notorious for smugglers landing tobacco and rum in the narrow channels of Christchurch Harbour. It comprises areas of saltmarsh, freshwater marsh with reed beds and areas of scrub. It was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 1964 and in 1986 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is approximately 65 ha in area and is managed by Christchurch Borough Council.
Nearby is Highcliffe Castle, a Grade I listed building. The castle was designed by William Donthorne for Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay, and built between 1831 and 1835. It stands on the site of High Cliff, a Georgian mansion that had belonged to Charles Stuart's grandfather John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute.
The Member of Parliament for the Christchurch constituency is Christopher Chope, who holds a considerable vote majority of 15,559 and a percentage vote of 54.7% following the 2005 general election, making Christchurch one of the safest Conservative constituencies in the country. |
