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Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth

Companionship careBournemouth

Days out in Bournemouth for an older parent

Nine places in Bournemouth that make a good day out for an older parent, from Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum to St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's Grave. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated October 2026

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum. Photo: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nine days out across five towns

The best places to take an older parent in Bournemouth

Seven of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for one describes a step-free route, and five confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth

Photo: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Bournemouth

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum

The Russell-Cotes is a Victorian clifftop villa on the East Cliff, built for a hotelier and his wife and filled with the paintings, sculpture and souvenirs they collected on their travels. There are four art galleries, period rooms in the historic house, a café and a garden looking out over the bay.

There is step-free access at the main entrance, lift access to the galleries and most of the house, seating in many rooms and a manual wheelchair to borrow, and a carer or companion gets in free.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry, carer or companion free

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bournemouth

Bournemouth Gardens, Bournemouth

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Bournemouth

Bournemouth Gardens

The Lower, Central and Upper Gardens run for about three kilometres from Bournemouth Pier inland along the Bourne stream, and all three have won Green Flag awards. The Lower Gardens have a bandstand, an aviary and a refreshment kiosk, the Central Gardens have formal planting, a pergola and a café, and the Upper Gardens are quieter with a giant redwood and little red bridges.

The Lower and Central Gardens are paved and close to the pier and town centre, so a carer can plan a gentle stroll with plenty of benches and a café, keeping clear of the unpaved far end of the Upper Gardens.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Bournemouth

Bournemouth Beach and Pier, Bournemouth

Photo: JackPeasePhotography, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Bournemouth

Bournemouth Beach and Pier

Bournemouth's sandy beach stretches either side of the pier, with a long flat promenade, cafés, kiosks and views across to the Isle of Wight. Wheelchair-friendly land trains run along the seafront, which makes it easy to see more of the bay without walking far.

The promenade is level, there are accessible toilets by the pier entrance and beach wheelchairs can be borrowed between May and September, so a carer can plan a seafront outing around a bench and a cup of tea.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bournemouth

Oceanarium Bournemouth, Bournemouth

Photo: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Animals · Bournemouth

Oceanarium Bournemouth

The Oceanarium is an aquarium on Pier Approach, right by the beach, with displays of sea life from around the world including turtles, penguins, sharks and otters. There are daily feeding times and talks, a café and a gift shop.

The displays are on two floors with a lift, the passageways are wide and the accessible toilets and café are on the ground floor, and one registered carer goes free with a paying ticket.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry, one carer free with proof

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bournemouth

Boscombe Beach and Pier, Boscombe

Photo: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Boscombe

Boscombe Beach and Pier

Boscombe has a sandy beach, a restored Victorian pier and views across Poole Bay, with a pub, restaurant, kiosks and a diner along the promenade. It is one of the calmer stretches of the Bournemouth seafront and the chine gardens lead down to it from the town.

The Boscombe Undercliff car park gives good level access to the beach, there are accessible toilets on the promenade and a Changing Places toilet, and beach wheelchairs and matting are available from May to September.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Boscombe

Alum Chine, Westbourne

Photo: Alan Hughes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Westbourne

Alum Chine

Alum Chine is the largest of Bournemouth's four chines, a wooded valley running down from Westbourne to a Blue Flag beach. There is a kiosk for refreshments and ice cream, and the promenade runs east towards Bournemouth Pier.

There are wheelchair-accessible toilets with a RADAR key next to the playpark, and a carer can keep to the flat promenade at the bottom rather than the steeper chine paths.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Westbourne

Hengistbury Head, Southbourne

Photo: Hut 8.5 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Southbourne

Hengistbury Head

Hengistbury Head is a nature reserve on a headland at the eastern end of Bournemouth, with heathland, woods, a lagoon and wide views over Christchurch Harbour and the Isle of Wight. A visitor centre explains its long history and wildlife, and a land train runs out to the beach huts at Mudeford Sandbank.

Firm footpaths cross the site, the land train has ramped carriages for wheelchairs, and the visitor centre has a lift and a disabled toilet close to the Hiker Café and large car park.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free, parking charged

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Southbourne

Tuckton Tea Gardens, Tuckton

Photo: Malc McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Tuckton

Tuckton Tea Gardens

Tuckton Gardens is a quiet riverside spot on the River Stour, with weeping willows and the Edwardian Tuckton Tea Gardens serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. From April to October boats run down the river to Christchurch Quay and Mudeford Sandbank.

The tea gardens are open all year and sit right beside the river, so a carer can plan a short visit around a sit-down and a pot of tea with the boats going by.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Tuckton

St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's Grave, Bournemouth

Photo: LordHarris at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral · Bournemouth

St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's Grave

St Peter's is the Victorian parish church in the middle of Bournemouth, with a tall spire and a richly decorated interior. In the churchyard is the tomb of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, buried with her parents, her son and his wife.

The church is in the town centre close to the shops and gardens, so it makes a short stop that a carer can combine with a walk through the Lower Gardens.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Bournemouth

Regular groups and events in Bournemouth

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Bournemouth.

  • Dancing · BournemouthAfternoon tea dances in the Pavilion BallroomRegular social ballroom and Latin tea dances with live music, where the ticket includes tea, coffee and cake. A carer can handle the booking and travel, sit out the faster numbers with them, and make sure they get a drink and a rest between dances.Details
  • Photography · BournemouthA long-running local camera clubThe bh photography club, formerly Bournemouth Electric Camera Club, runs a programme of talks, competitions and workshops for photographers of all standards. A carer could drive someone to meetings and help them get prints or files ready to show.Details
  • Reading · BournemouthReading aloud session at a branch libraryTuckton Library on Wick Lane runs a weekly reading aloud group on Monday afternoons, plus a monthly coffee morning and talk. A carer can bring someone whose eyesight or concentration makes solo reading hard, and stay for the hour.Details
  • Sports · BournemouthOutdoor bowls in Kings ParkA bowls and social club with outdoor greens in Kings Park, near the football ground. A carer can help with transport and kit, and the social side of the club matters as much as the bowling for someone who has stopped driving.Details
  • Sports · BournemouthWalking football with the football club's trustAFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust is listed with the Walking Football Association as a local provider of the slower, no-running version of the game. A carer can check session times, provide the lift and stay pitchside for reassurance in the first few weeks.Details
  • Volunteering · BournemouthVisitor centre volunteering with the councilBCP Council recruits volunteers to help at its countryside visitor centres, welcoming visitors and answering questions. A carer can help with the application and DBS paperwork and provide the lift to shifts, which is often the practical barrier.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Bournemouth

At a glance

The nine places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and MuseumBournemouthhalf a dayPaid entryPartlyAskYes
Bournemouth GardensBournemouthan hour or twoFreeAskAskYes
Bournemouth Beach and PierBournemouthhalf a dayFreeAskYesYes
Oceanarium BournemouthBournemouthan hour or twoPaid entryYesYesYes
Boscombe Beach and PierBoscombehalf a dayFreeAskYesYes
Alum ChineWestbournean hour or twoFreeAskYesYes
Hengistbury HeadSouthbournehalf a dayFreePartlyYesYes
Tuckton Tea GardensTucktonan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's GraveBournemouthan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Bournemouth

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

123456789
  1. 1Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth
  2. 2Bournemouth Gardens, Bournemouth
  3. 3Bournemouth Beach and Pier, Bournemouth
  4. 4Oceanarium Bournemouth, Bournemouth
  5. 5Boscombe Beach and Pier, Boscombe
  6. 6Alum Chine, Westbourne
  7. 7Hengistbury Head, Southbourne
  8. 8Tuckton Tea Gardens, Tuckton
  9. 9St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's Grave, Bournemouth

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Bournemouth

Carers in Bournemouth charge £19 to £24 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Bournemouth has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Bournemouth

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in Bournemouth, Bournemouth Gardens in Bournemouth, Bournemouth Beach and Pier in Bournemouth, Oceanarium Bournemouth in Bournemouth, Boscombe Beach and Pier in Boscombe, Alum Chine in Westbourne, Hengistbury Head in Southbourne, Tuckton Tea Gardens in Tuckton and St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's Grave in Bournemouth. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Oceanarium Bournemouth describes a step-free route. Bournemouth Beach and Pier, Oceanarium Bournemouth, Boscombe Beach and Pier, Alum Chine and Hengistbury Head have an accessible toilet. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth Beach and Pier and Boscombe Beach and Pier lend wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Bournemouth Gardens, Bournemouth Beach and Pier, Boscombe Beach and Pier, Alum Chine, Hengistbury Head, Tuckton Tea Gardens and St Peter's Church and Mary Shelley's Grave. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 35 of the carers with a rate near Bournemouth drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Bournemouth shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Bournemouth

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Bournemouth

Days out in the areas around Bournemouth

Find a carer who could take them out in Bournemouth

See carers near Bournemouth who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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