Memories of Charminster

Discover the history behind Charminster and how the area has developed over time.

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Memories of Charminster

England BH8 9QT, United Kingdom

Created By: Queens Park Forum

Tour Information

This walking tour is of the Queen's Park Ward in Bournemouth, Dorset. This walking tour is designed for both those who live here and for those who are interested in the local community history of a small area.

Within this tour, the user would see a timeline of the change of buildings, residential areas and the overall area of Charminster. There is photos, interview clips and information to aid your walking tour so you can get the most from the area as you are walking around. You will see the time of war, the development and the present day of Charminster.


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What You'll See on the Tour

The Mysterious Indian Hut began to make an appearance in the last thirty years of the nineteenth-century map. According to Pascoe Marshall, it was a wattle-and-daub hut, built as a primitive isolation hospital during an outbreak of small-... Read more
On 1914 Charminster's first regular bus route was introduced between Cemetry Junction and the Fiveways. There were two designed buses the Daimler and the Tilling-Stevens.  These buses were originally seen as supplementary to the trams but... Read more
Charminster is first mentioned in the Christchurch Inclosure Award of 1805 that referenced a 'Charminster Lane' and was within the Moordown boundaries. The Third Earl of Malmesbury, James Harris, bought acres of land in Charminster, later u... Read more
Before the boom in high street shops and business chains, this highstreet provided the local area everything they needed from buttons to meat. The sound clip gives you a glimpse into the 1990s and how very different it was today when family... Read more
The Esso Garage at 342 Charminster Road has underwent many changes as seen in these photographs, from two self-service pumps and a house as part of the petrol station. Now, the modern day Esso Garage houses far more self-service pumps and n... Read more
The building of the church started on October 8, 1907 and opened on June 3, 1909. Originally built as a district church for the mother church of St. Augustine. It was fully consecrated as a parish church on June 17, 1913 and follows the... Read more
The church was built in 1905/06 and designed in the Gothic style by the architects, G.F. Bodley and Sir G. Gilbert-Scott. The church is linked to St. Edward Campion, a priest and martyr, as he was tried with treason after officiating an und... Read more
Before the building was demolished and replaced by the Richmond Court Business Centre in 1983, it was a symbol of  'working class aspirations' as a Congregationalist Church.   The Church served two purposes: to act as a place of wors... Read more
At the end of 1902, the first tram ran from Richmond Hill to Capstone Road and another service ran into town from Queen's Park Corner. Although the trams were slow and noisy, they remained a reliable travel service in Charminster. In 1... Read more
The Richmond Arms (c.1893) is a nineteenth-century building that was originally a smaller building compared to its current strucutre. In 1911, after the coronation of King George V, the Richmond doubled in size, as seen in the black and whi... Read more
Cpl. Cecil Reginald Noble (1891-1915) resided at 175 Capstone Road. When he was 19 years old, he enlisted in The Rifle Brigade at Winchester. In 1910 he was fatally wounded at Neuve Chappelle and on March 12, 1915, he was posthumously award... Read more
On November 16, 1940 at 3:30 am, one of the worst air raids hit the ward, surrounding areas and other towns. Parachute Landmines landed on St. Leonards Road, Malmesbury Park Road and Alma Road. More than 50 people were killed and around 150... Read more
The Brunswick was originally built in 1893 A.D., but had to be rebuilt in 1946 due to war damage. The Brunswick was bombed very badly during air raids in the Second World War, with the destruction shown in the 1940 black and white photograp... Read more
As you walk up Malmesbury Park Road (named after the family who owned the land), you will see that some houses have dates carved into the buildings. This shows the date it was built some dating back to the late 1890s. Although many of thes... Read more
Today this alleyway appears a normal back ally to the back of houses, but interestingly the alleyway used to operate as an entrance for local coal deliveries, as coal would be delivered to houses beofre the age of central heating.  The Yo... Read more
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, this site was a repair shop, but to keep up with the growing needs and demands of the public the scenery of the area has had to adapt. Along with wartime pressures, the repair shop was eventually... Read more
The Malmesbury Park Wall (c. 1893) was built to separate the two estates of Charminster that were occupied by the working classes in one estate and the middle to upper classes in the other estate. The wall was erected to prevent the workin... Read more
On March 27 1941, at 12:20 pm, bombs hit Lowther road and Methuen Road, with over 101 properties in the area being damaged.  Houses were evacuated nearby, including Alma road due to unexploded bombs.  The image shows the bombs the Germa... Read more
The site of the Malmesbury Park school originally started off as the Royal Victoria Hospital annexe, built in 1908. The hospital would later function as a designated rest centre during the Second World War, as shelter following air raids a... Read more
The building of St. Andrew's Church began in 1891 when Bournemouth architect Sidney Tugwell teamed up with Julius Chatwin from Birmingham. Both the interior and exterior remain very similar, if not the same, as to when it was built with a r... Read more
On  November 1, 1943 at 5:45 pm, Bennet Road along with Heron Court, Gerald, Howard, Avon, Chatsworth, Orchestron, Shaftesbury and Shelbourne Roads and Queen's Park and Cecil Avenues was hit with 25 bombs that were dropped. Only one pers... Read more
Christian Bale (1974-present) is a well-known actor who has starred classic films, such as American Psycho and as Batman in the Dark Knight Trilogy.  He lived in Capstone Road, where he spent his childhood attending the Bournemouth Scho... Read more
Sgt. Frederick Charles Riggs (1888-1918) was another recipient of the Victoria Cross. Born in Springbourne, Bournemouth, he was adopted by Elizabeth Burgum when he was about five years old and resided at 39 Capstone Road and attended what... Read more
On the Avon Social Club, the local community has placed its own plaque to commemorate the late comedian Tony Hancock. Although a blue plaque is placed upon the Durlston Court Hotel; the place of his childhood, this plaque remembers his fi... Read more
Here on October 21, 1940 at 4:39 pm, houses number 24 and 26 were destroyed in an air raid attack when ten bombs were dropped in the are by a tip and run raider. Ten people were injured and 212 properties were damaged, as well as the Quee... Read more
Arthur Pollard (1893-1060) was a soldier in the Honourable Artillery Company in the First World War becoming a Second Lieutenant.  He was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry, starting a counterattack with only four other men after he... Read more
The Durrells lived in Bournemouth for 1939 to 1957. They moved to this area from living in Corfu out of fears of War. Specifically, Gerald Durrell OBE (1925-1995)was a keen conservationist and wildlife expert. He collected over 400 exotic a... Read more
Charles Gray (1928-2000) was an actor and appeared in many films in his 43-year career that included the characters,  Blofeld and Agent Henderson, in two James Bond films. He went on to feature in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well a... Read more

 

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