Alum Chine
A wooded ravine west of Bournemouth leading down to the beach, with subtropical gardens and a suspension bridge. At the bottom of the ravine lies a quiet Blue Flag beach.
The sandy cliffs of the Bournemouth coast have been cut by streams into several deep ravines, known locally as 'chines'. Alum Chine is the longest and most beautiful of them. The ravine is planted with pines and subtropical plants, a Victorian iron suspension bridge spans the gorge, and a footpath winds down to the sea. At the mouth of the chine is a well-equipped Blue Flag beach with cafés and beach huts, and it is quieter than the beaches in the town centre. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, once lived on Alum Chine Road beside the ravine, and the site of his former house is now a memorial garden. You can walk west from Bournemouth Pier along the seafront for about 30 minutes, or descend from the West Cliff district. Admission is free.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Bournemouth Beach & Pier
- Oceanarium Bournemouth
- Bournemouth Lower Gardens
- St Peter's Church, Bournemouth
- Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
- Compton Acres
- Sandbanks Beach
- Boscombe Pier