Living in Wimborne
Wimborne and the surrounding area is a great place to live, and we'd like to tell you about our town and highlight some of the benefits of living here.
Wimborne and the surrounding area is a great place to live, and we'd like to tell you about our town and highlight some of the benefits of living here.
Set between the rivers Stour and Allen, bypassed by major roads, and about 5 miles north of Poole, Wimborne Minster retains a historic market town charm while benefiting from access to the amenities provided by its larger neighbours.
That doesn't tell the whole story, though.
Within a few minutes, you can find yourself enjoying Dorset's beautiful rolling countryside. You could be exploring iron age hillforts, walking around a country estate, or riding on traffic-free tracks and lanes.
Bournemouth and Poole's sandy beaches are within easy reach, and the Isle of Purbeck and Jurassic coast are less than 15 miles away. In addition, the New Forest National Park can be reached within a 20-minute drive. So, if you like the outdoors, whether that's for taking exercise or just taking in the view, Wimborne is an enticing prospect.
While Wimborne Minster is the hub of the community, the surrounding countryside is home to many lovely villages, many with their own steepled church, traditional country pub and the occasional village shop.
Pamphill, Furzehill, and Colehill are our closest neighbours. The easy-to-reach outlying villages of the Tarrants, Witchhampton, and Chalbury along with the hamlets on the southern edge of Cranborne Chase can be found in a broad sweep from the West to the North East.
Merley and Corfe Mullen bridge the gap between Wimborne and Poole to the south, while Ferndown can be found to the east.
Wimborne is a friendly and welcoming place to live and work. It's a place to cherish and enjoy with a strong community feel and a less frenetic lifestyle than its near neighbours. Many people who work in the larger towns of Bournemouth and Poole prefer to live in Wimborne and its outlying villages, and it's not hard to see why.
The town provides much to keep the mind and body active, with a diverse and dynamic social scene that includes many clubs, groups, and associations. There are plenty of activities to choose from, and all ages are catered for.
Businesses take great civic pride in Wimborne Minster and support the town council in making it a better place to live. The Chamber of Commerce, the Wimborne BID, and the town council help manage the town centre and Square activities.
We are proud of our town, and we support the local community whenever we can. By supporting local charities, groups and sports clubs, we give back to the community that supports our business. We hope you'll be able to support them too.
It has taken more than 1000 years, but the wider Wimborne area has grown to nearly 20,000 residents. Fortunately, our local infrastructure provides good support to the population and constantly improves.
If you are considering moving to the area, we thought a flavour of what’s on offer might be helpful...
Various industrial estates and commercial properties offer retail, service, and light industry employment in the district. In addition, many people travel a short distance to work in Bournemouth, Christchurch, or Poole.
Around Wimborne, significant employers include Cobham, Ultra Electronics, Caterpillar Marine and Superior Seals.
Further afield, Poole offers a mix of industries, with employers such as Siemens, RNLI, Sunseeker and Aish Technologies.
Bournemouth employers include financial institutions such as JP Morgan, LV, Nationwide, and a wide range of hospitality and tech businesses. In addition, the Aviation Business Park (near Bournemouth International Airport) employs many in the aviation, defence, and fulfilment sectors.
Wimborne is a very healthy place to live (it's all the fresh air). However, we all need looking after sometimes, and it's a relief to find that all GP services within a 15-mile radius of Wimborne have a Quality Care Commission rating of Good or Outstanding.
In addition, the Victoria Community Hospital has a minor injuries unit, while full A&E facilities are available at Bournemouth and Poole hospitals.
Many first and middle schools in the district are rated Good to Outstanding. The local upper school, Queen Elizabeth's School, is rated as Good by Ofsted and Outstanding by SIAMS. Grammar schools can be found in Bournemouth and Poole.
Additionally, several independent schools are located in or near Wimborne, including Canford School, one of the country's top independent coeducational boarding and day schools.
Further education is available through Sixth forms, Bournemouth & Poole College, and Bournemouth University.
You can find a comprehensive list of the district’s schools along with their contact details here.
Road connections are good, with easy access to the A31 for the M27 and major routes into Bournemouth and Poole.
Regular bus services run to the larger towns, and Bournemouth and Poole have rail connections to London (circa 120 mins). Bournemouth International Airport is also easily accessible.
The centre of Wimborne provides a variety of boutiques, specialist shops, and general stores, alongside welcoming cafe's, restaurants, and pubs. In addition, you can find a conveniently placed Waitrose supermarket near the town centre.
The small weekly market is held on a Friday and is currently located indoors at the Allendale Community Centre. A regular Farmers market is held in the square, normally around the 3rd Saturday of the month.
Wimborne achieved Fairtrade Town status in 2006, and since then, the number of businesses offering Fairtrade goods has risen significantly.
Wimborne has established football, rugby, and cricket clubs for those that like to watch. However, if taking part is more your thing, the council-run Queen Elisabeth leisure centre provides members with fitness classes, gym, swimming and climbing facilities.
Canford School offers public membership to their sports centre and golf club. There is also a selection of other golf clubs within easy reach.
Local evening entertainment is provided mainly by bars, restaurants, and pubs. However, the town’s Tivoli Theatre presents films and various stage shows throughout the year. Dating from the '30s, this relatively small charity-run theatre feels a world away from soulless venues found in some larger towns.
Additionally, The Layard Theatre at Canford School hosts a mixture of publicly accessible professional and school productions throughout the year.
The Allendale Centre is a community hub and home to many groups, clubs, organisations, and societies. So, if you want to broaden your horizons or share an interest with others, we'd recommend checking out their website.
We know we're biased, but if you move to Wimborne or any of our pretty outlying villages, we doubt you'll regret it. It truly is a wonderful place to live.