Place record MWX904 - Bournemouth

Bournemouth was started as a seaside resort after Lewis Tregonwell had built a house on the edge of the heathland valley in 1810. But the real development was due to Sir George Tapps-Gervis who commissioned Ferey in 1836 to design the Westover Estate. Bournemouth was shown as one of the principle sea-bathing places of England by Dr AB Granville in 1841. <1,2>

(SZ094910 centred to Bournemouth from OS 1:10000 1975) Bournemouth was started as a seaside resort after Lewis Tregonwell had built himself a house in 1810 on the edge of the heathland valley. This is still in existence, though nearly unrecognisable. But the real development was due to Sir George Tapps-Gervis, who commissioned Ferrey in 1836 to design the Westover Estate. Of Ferrys work virtually nothing is left (the villas went in 1906-29). St Peters was begun in 1841 as the spiritual centre of the estate. From 1845 to 1859 the Gervis family employed Decimus Burton. His main contribution was the fir plantation along Westover Road, which formed the beginning of the extensive system of Pleasure Gardens. The main floruit of development took place in the late 19th century, and Pevsner states that the architectural importance of Bournemouth lies entirely in its churches <1>

<1> Pevsner, N, and Lloyd, D, 1973, Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 117-34 (Monograph). SWX3503.

<2> Gilbert, E W, 1954, Brighton: Old Oceans Bauble, 1-3 (Monograph). SWX3504.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 897667 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1071469 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 29 2024 1:34PM