Just off the A338, between Bournemouth and Poole, is the thriving urban village of Westbourne. Often seen as the ‘fashion district’ of Bournemouth this delightfulsuburb offers fabulous shopping with a wealth of independent shops, stylish restaurants and cool cafes to hang out in.

When the shopping is over you can wander to an award-winning beach via a short stroll through the enchanting wooded valley of Alum Chine.

This vibrant seaside suburb really celebrates and supports its local shops and the Westbourne Village business community put on lots of interesting events throughout the year to tempt in visitors. To find out more visit discoverwestbourne.co.uk or go to facebook.com/discoverwestbournebournemouth.

Cool Cafés

Westbourne is something of a ‘café central’ we particularly like the excellent range of loose leaf teas you can try at Cotea (73a Seamoor Road), while both Dot. Teas (31a Seamoor Road) and Elsie Harrhy Coffee House (82 Poole Road) offer great teas, coffees and delicious home baked cakes or a slap after afternoon tea with all the trimmings in a lovely vintage setting.

Retail Therapy

No trip to Westbourne would be complete without a serious browse of its many shops and there are some real gems out there, where service with a smile and fabulous items are the norm. Fab Frocks (17 Seamoor Road) is an independent special occasion boutique and winner of the 2014 Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards. Whether its mother-of-the-bride outfits or bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses, evening or cocktail dresses or stylish cruise wear, the experienced and friendly staff can advise what styles would suit you. There is also a vast selection of accessories, including hats and fascinators, shoes and handbags.

Beau Bijou (3 The Arcade) specialises in vintage and contemporary costume jewellery, as well as offering a bespoke jewellery design service. If you are in need of some pampering Skinmaze Beauty (3 Alum Chine Road) offers a range of beauty treatments including waxing, tinting, massage and cellulite reduction.

Finding Treasure Island

Westbourne is just a short walk from some of Bournemouth’s quieter beaches. Head away from Seamoor Road via either Robert Louis Stevenson Avenue or Alum Chine and you’ll pick up the brown sandcastle signs that direct you to the seafront via a lovely woodland stroll through Alum Chine. Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, lived in Westbourne between 1885 and 1887. You will see the remains of his former home ‘Skerryvore’, marked with a small stone lighthouse, when you reach Alum Chine Road from Robert Louis Stevenson Avenue en-route to the beach.

A Taste of Westbourne

Westbourne is awash with fantastic restaurants including Plates & Co which situated in a former 18th century Methodist church on Landseer Road. Here great ingredients are celebrated on the menu which you build yourself. Choose a basic plate (fish, chicken, steak, lamb, duck, linguine or risotto) match it with your choice of sauce and add couple of side dishes. Simply brilliant!

Since opening back in September 2002, Indi’s on Seamoor Road has established itself as one of the best Indian restaurants in Dorset, winning the Asian Curry Awards in 2013. Expect contemporary Indian cuisine in stylish surroundings. Another award-winning eatery is Chez Fred (10 Seamoor Road) a proud winner of the National Fish and Chips Awards.

Baffi (46 Poole Road), which also has sister restaurants in Southbourne and Canford Cliffs, specialises in authentic Neapolitan style pizzas topped with seasonal ingredients and cooked in their wood fired ovens. There are lots of interesting options for vegetarians to choose on their menu.

Let’s Move to Westbourne

Westbourne’s BH4 postcode is one of the most sought after in Dorset. The majority of sales in the area last year involved flats, selling for an average of £213,014 while those looking for a house paid substantial figures with £350,067 (terraced) and £669,847 (detached).

“Westbourne has a reputation for being the fashion district of Bournemouth due to its many boutique clothing shops and home interior shops,” comments Michael Riley, Managing Director of Capital & Coastal. “It also has an abundance of other independent shops, cafés, delis, restaurants and businesses. Westbourne is an affluent residential area with an urban village feel and its eclectic range of properties means the areas appeals to people of all ages.”

Property pricing information from rightmove.co.uk (average prices correct as of June 2015).

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• 7 reasons to visit Westbourne - things to do and places to visit - With its wealth of independent shops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants it’s no wonder that this stylish suburb of Bournemouth is renowned for its fabulous retail therapy