Ensbury Park

Ensbury Park is a mainly residential suburb of Bournemouth, in Dorset, England. It includes the housing estate of Slades Farm and lies within the ward district of Northbourne and Redhill.

Ensbury Park

Columbia Road, Ensbury Park
Ensbury Park
Location within Dorset
OS grid referenceSZ0794
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBOURNEMOUTH
Postcode districtBH10
Dialling code01202
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament

Initial development

Ensbury Park takes its name from the Saxon hamlet of Ensbury, a separate area altogether which lay a mile or so to the north. This hamlet, just east of Kinson, has now been more or less subsumed into the postwar suburb of Northbourne but in the first half of the twentieth century, Ensbury Manor and Ensbury Farm constituted the borders of what later became the Ensbury Park district.[1] In the 1920s Ensbury Park boasted a racecourse, which also served as an aerodrome. For several years it was known as “Bournemouth Aerodrome” and was the venue for Air Race Meetings, though a series of fatal crashes at the Whitsun meet in 1927 led to its decline and eventual sale for housing development.[2] Much of the land associated with Ensbury Farm was sold off for housebuilding in the 1930s: the vending agents were A. J. Abbott & Sons, who coined the name 'Ensbury Park' for their new development.[3]

The district was incorporated into the County Borough of Bournemouth in 1931, having theretofore been part of the Poole Rural District. The main road through the area at that time was Columbia Road which remains the principal route through the district, also nowadays connecting the Boundary Lane one-way system to Kinson Road.

Facilities municipal and temporal

Ensbury Park has three churches that serve the local residents:

  • St. Thomas' Parish Church
  • St. Bernadette's Catholic Church (this was the first church in the world to be dedicated to the French visionary saint)
  • Ensbury Park Methodist Church

There are four schools in the area:

There is a community centre in Ensbury Avenue that is part of a complex which also comprises an adult aducation/teachers’ centre. There is also a small library in Columbia Road which is in fact the smallest in the borough. The area is covered by Redhill Fire Station in Redhill Avenue, approximately 100 yards from The Ensbury Park.

Bournemouth Transport operate a bus service through the area which runs along the main Columbia Road. There is a new service operated by Wilts and Dorset, that is routed through Ensbury Park, to Poole.

Landmarks and buildings
The Ensbury Park public house (2008).

One of the most conspicuous buildings in the district is The Ensbury Park public house which is on the corner of Columbia Road and Boundary Road. This started life as The Ensbury Park Hotel, planning permission for which was granted by Poole Rural District Council on 15 December 1924.[4]

The building, with its neo-Georgian design elements, echoes 'Ensbury Manor' which included a genuine Georgian wing, and which dominated Ensbury Village for several centuries until being demolished in 1936.

The pub closed suddenly in 2014, its lease having been surrendered to the freeholder, Enterprise Inns.[5] In October 2015 the ground floor of building was taken over by the Co-Op and the rest became flats, although the iconic Ensbury Park Hotel sign remains on the building.

Present day

Ensbury Park had in the past a selection of shops, mainly along Columbia Road, though these have predominantly become private dwellings. A small selection of local convenience stores remains around the main junction of Columbia Road.

This area remains a popular choice for home buyers due to it being a relatively quiet locale. There are recreational facilities nearby such as Redhill Park which has tennis courts, bowling green, outdoor paddling pool, cafe and a playground. Facilities for football, cricket, skateboarding, etc. are also available at Slade's Farm Recreation Ground.

On 10 September 2010 Bournemouth Borough Council announced that work would start on a new Olympic size community cycle track at Slade's Farm.[6] The track opened as the Bournemouth Cycling Centre in June 2011, allowing the entire community to enjoy activities including competitive cycle training and racing, learning to ride a bike, cycling for exercise, in-line skating and running.

Politics

Ensbury Park is part of the Bournemouth West constituency.

References
  1. S. J. Lands, Old Kinson (Bournemouth Local Studies Publications, 1972).
  2. Ensbury Park at hurnairport.co.uk; retrieved 10 April 2017
  3. M. Stead, The Leybourne Estate (Bournemouth Local Studies Publications, 1989).
  4. Deposit no. 27034, Bournemouth Borough Council planning office.
  5. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10874541.mystery-surrounds-future-of-bournemouths-ensbury-park-pub-after-closure/
  6. "Construction starts on Slades Farm cycle track". Bournemouth Borough Council. Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
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