Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Christchurch (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Adventure Wonderland, Christchurch Priory, and Red House Museum. Also, be sure to include Highcliffe Castle in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Christchurch (England).
Table of Contents
Adventure Wonderland
Theme park in England. Adventure Wonderland is a family theme park situated in the village of Hurn, near Bournemouth, United Kingdom. The park offers rides and attractions aimed at families with children up to the age of 10. It draws much of its theme from the novel Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Alice, Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and Mr. Rabbit make appearances throughout the day around the park and in the theatre shows.
Adventure Wonderland also incorporates the aztec adventure play centre Wild Thing which opens as part of the full park during the summer or individually during the winter months.
The park also hosts a number of special character day events as well as seasonal Halloween and Christmas themed events.[1]
Address: Merritown Lane, BH23 6BA Christchurch
Christchurch Priory
Priory. Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset. It is one of the longest parish churches in the country and is as large as many of the Church of England Cathedrals.[2]
Address: Quay Rd, BH23 1BU Christchurch
Red House Museum
The Red House Museum and Gardens is a museum of local history located in Christchurch, Dorset. The red-brick Georgian building was constructed in 1764 as the parish workhouse. Early in the 20th century it was acquired by local antiquarian Herbert Druitt and his collections provided the basis for a public museum that opened in 1951. The Red House is now a Grade II* listed building.[3]
Address: Quay Rd, BH23 1BU Christchurch
Highcliffe Castle
Castle in Highcliffe, England. Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style near the site of High Cliff House, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute with the gardens laid out by Capability Brown. The design, by William Donthorne, a founder member of RIBA, incorporated large quantities of carved Medieval stonework salvaged from the ruined Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Jumieges and the Grand' Maison des Andelys, both situated in Normandy, France.[4]
Address: Highcliffe Castle Rothesay Drive, BH23 4LE Highcliffe
Christchurch Castle
Castle in Christchurch, England. Christchurch Castle is located in Christchurch, Dorset, England. The earliest stonework has been dated to 1160. It is a Norman motte and bailey castle. The castle's site is inside the old Saxon burh dominating the River Avon's lowest crossing.
The Constable's House standing adjacent to the castle was added at around 1160, and is a rare and notable example of a Norman domestic dwelling. Today the bailey is home to a bowling green and gardens, and the ditch has been filled in, but parts of the keep and much of the Constable's House still stand. The site is managed by English Heritage.[5]
Address: Castle Street, BH23 1DT Christchurch
Bournemouth Aviation Museum
The Bournemouth Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located next to Bournemouth International Airport, near the village of Hurn in Christchurch. It houses a number of aircraft, aero engines, cockpits and a limited number of ground vehicles.[6]
Address: B3073, Merritown Lane, BH23 6BA Christchurch
Bailey bridge
A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units. A Bailey bridge has the advantages of requiring no special tools or heavy equipment to assemble. The wood and steel bridge elements were small and light enough to be carried in trucks and lifted into place by hand, without the use of a crane. The bridges were strong enough to carry tanks. Bailey bridges continue to be used extensively in civil engineering construction projects and to provide temporary crossings for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. A Bailey bridge and its construction were prominently featured in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far.[7]
Friars Cliff
Neighborhood in Christchurch, England. Friars Cliff is a neighborhood and beach in Christchurch, Dorset. It is east of Mudeford and west of Highcliffe.[8]
Withybed Wood
Withybed Wood is a small, yet important patch of woodland located in the lee of Warren Hill, part of Hengistbury Head, Dorset. It is not to be confused with an area of the Wyre Forest in Shropshire, which also has the same name.[9]
Warren Hill
Warren Hill is the elevated part of Hengistbury Head in Dorset, England, overlooking Christchurch to the North and dominating Poole Bay to the West. With finds stretching back over 10,000 years, it is a site of international importance in terms of its archaeology and is scheduled both as an Ancient Monument, and a Local Nature Reserve. The head and its surroundings form part of the Christchurch Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest. Wind-pruned hummocks of heather cover the plateau of the hill, which is accessible to walkers all year round providing excellent views of the surrounding area, as well as an interesting heathland ecosystem for students of nature.[10]
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch. Two rivers, the Avon and the Stour, flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the English Channel has a double high water on each tide. On the north side of the harbour, east of the Avon are Priory Marsh, and to the east of this Stanpit Marsh, a Local Nature Reserve. To the west side of the harbour are Wick Fields, the southern flank of the harbour being bounded by Hengistbury Head, a prominent coastal headland. The harbour flows into the Christchurch Bay and the English Channel through a narrow channel known locally as The Run which rests between Mudeford Quay and Mudeford Spit. Shallow-draught boats can enter from this channel and cruise up stream for 2 miles choosing either the Avon or the Stour, the Stour leading up as far as Iford Bridge passing Christchurch Quay and Tuckton.
Christchurch Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a 352-hectare (870-acre) site designated both for its biological and geological interest. It comprises the estuary of the Stour and Avon and the Hengistbury Head peninsula. The varied habitats include saltmarsh, wet meadows, grassland, heath, sand dune, woodland and scrub. The site is of great ornithological interest.[11]