When England heats up, you can bet that swarms of sunbathers will pack themselves, shoulder to pink shoulder, on to Bournemouth’s Central Beach. It has a Seaside Award for its cleanliness, and the golden stretch of sand is one of the longest in the country, but there’s still barely space to lay a towel between the bodies and tents during warm weather.
So I’ve always avoided Bournemouth. That was, at least, until I discovered that a little way out of town is a suburb that’s blossoming. Friendly Southbourne – dubbed SoBo by locals – has cheery independent shops, thriving artisan restaurants, and a cliff-backed beach which, while never empty (that would be boring), is far quieter and has seen hardly any development.
This place has got everything an upstart, under-the-radar neighbourhood should have. As well as the cute nickname and indie businesses, there’s even a craft brewery. It’s just a 15-minute drive east of Bournemouth pier, and the last stop on the Boscombe promenade. Beyond here, glass-fronted beach houses gradually peter out to meet the unspoilt nature reserve at Hengistbury Head.
‘It’s like what you’d expect in a holiday destination’
Southbourne’s biggest draw is down on the sand. Sobo Beach is a cool shoreside bar and café embellished with disco balls and a spray-painted, open-top bus that could have been airlifted across from Shoreditch. I chatted to Dean Austin, a local, who was meeting someone for a first date. “What do I love about this beach?” He gestured to the soft, blonde sand beyond the decking. “This. It reaches about 10 miles.”
On a Friday evening, as the sun set, Bournemouth’s distant tower blocks disappeared into a haze of sea mist. Behind me, staff at Sobo Beach served up crab tacos, burgers and cocktails, while a female DJ spun deep house at a polite and considerate volume.
On the sand, parents lobbed rugby balls to their children, young friends chatted over cold beers and women in sweaters and sunglasses picnicked with plastic glasses of prosecco. “It’s like what you’d expect in a holiday destination,” said another local, Olly Ashton, who added he’d got sick of living in London and moved back to his hometown.
The next morning, a group of women calling themselves the Saturday Swimmers told me how protective they are of their “locals’ beach”. “Please don’t tell anyone, we don’t want the crowds coming,” they said, laughing. “The coffee is atrocious and the beach is terrible!” They come to swim near Sobo Beach all year round, demolish its pastries afterwards.
You can sense the community spirit here. The sand is often pristine, thanks to regular beach cleans with free coffee organised by Sobo Beach and the Surfers Against Sewage charity. “If you go to Bournemouth on a hot day, it looks like there’s been a festival,” one of the swimmers told me. “There’s so much rubbish left behind.”
Lifeguard Russell Percival said he often comes to Southbourne’s beach for a jog because it’s so peaceful. Speaking from his canary-yellow tower beside, he said: “Contrary to fears when the bar [Sobo Beach] opened, we haven’t had any issues,” he said. “People are very respectful – the bar doesn’t allow their customers to cause trouble.”
Katie Marlow was sitting at her Southbourne beach hut reading. “It’s got busier since Covid pushed people out to the edges of Bournemouth, but it’s good, there’s more activities now, like yoga and running,” she said. “The pier end gives off bad press and the idea that Bournemouth is this free-for-all, but it’s not like that here.”
Charlie Mckenzie and Millie Pears were popping to Sobo Beach for breakfast before attending Pilates and Muay Thai classes nearby. “We also like to come for a drink sometimes,” explained Pears: “they do silent discos.”
‘People are really nurturing of independents’
Like it or loathe it, the SoBo nickname is gaining traction and you’ll now find Sobo Living, a luxury homes developer, up on Southbourne’s main drag. To reach the shops, cut through a residential area on the cliffs, then head up along Southbourne Grove and Seabourne Road. On a Saturday, it’s bustling, with a queue outside the cheesemongers, Parlourmentary.
The owner of Velo Domestique, a café selling breakfast burritos and custom-made bikes, agreed. “We’re lucky in Southbourne that people are really nurturing of independents,” said Dan Armstrong.
“Apart from the supermarkets and estate agents, the only chain here is Costa.” The area is popular with cyclists as it’s a 20-minute ride from the New Forest. Dan says the cycling community’s annual highlight is “cranksgiving”, a food-focused orienteering cycle, with all produce donated to a local food bank.
Flaming Nora’s opened 20 years ago but has evolved from a retro toy shop into a quirky ice cream and milkshake diner. A lyric from The Sugarhill Gang’s Rappers Delight is emblazoned on the wall. “It’s just a cool sign that encapsulates the vibe,” explained owner Dayne Ward, as couples played with oversized dominoes in shiny red booths. He told me Southbourne’s small businesses benefit from plenty of initiatives.
George Firmin, who owns The Yam café, set up his business in Seabourne Road after previously running a cafe in a yoga retreat. Since moving in, he and his partner have won rave reviews for their matcha lattes and colourful salad bowls.
The Larderhouse is an exciting place for dinner, with meat from local producers cooked on a large, open grill. Upstairs, The Library cocktail bar is another find, an eclectic but cosy living room, with an expert barman and cocktails based on whatever’s fresh at nearby Sopley Farm.
The sea was glassy calm on Sunday morning, so I ended my weekend with a dip beside paddle-boarders and a takeaway coffee. I’ve previously enjoyed weekends in Margate with friends but now Southbourne wins hands-down for feel-good vibes and water I want to swim in. There’s a problem though. “We want to gate-keep it from all the tourists,” warned local Hannah Hawkins. “On a sunny weekend, you’ll see people, but if you just walk two groynes along there’s no-one there.” And that’s how she likes it.