Why Christchurch?
Christchurch is the perfect place for a group of young students to explore:
- It's safe. It is a small, friendly town where your students can safely experience life in England.
- It's interesting. It has a ruined castle, a quay and harbour. The New Forest and the beach are nearby.
- It's beautiful. It has a medieval priory, nature reserves and riverside walks.
- It's fun. It has the beach, sailing, tennis, and a cinema.
- It's under two hours from London on the train!
A small friendly town on the south coast of England, Christchurch has a harbour, beaches, nature reserves and historically important buildings. Tucked between Bournemouth with its pier and beaches to the west, and the New Forest famed for its wild ponies to the east, there's lots to see and do in the area.
It's also very easy to get to lots of other fantastic places from Christchurch - including Stonehenge, Southampton, Bournemouth and the New Forest.
It's easy to get to London - and the main London airports - from Christchurch.
Activities and Excursions
See our Group activities page for information about how we can help to arrange activities for your group.
Christchurch Places to visit
There is a wide range of places you can visit, starting with local visits and then places further afield.
Local places you can visit on foot
The Quay
Christchurch is on two rivers (the Avon and the Stour) about one mile from the sea. The Quay, on the other side of the beautiful Priory (church) from the High Street, is a great place to chill out and watch the swans and local boat traffic on the Stour.
Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head is a promontory with a cliff on its sea side, with a lovely beach below. “The Head” as we know it locally, is a large nature reserve with views back to Christchurch over the natural Harbour. At the end of the Head, there is a famous beach-hut community (beach huts are small, wooden houses) which enjoys views across to the Isle of Wight. There’s a popular café/restaurant there. It’s a magical, car-free place. Dolphins are often seen out to sea.
Southbourne beach
Just west of Christchurch is one of Bournemouth’s best beaches, with its own café area, lifeguards (in summer) and water-sports options.
Easily reached by coach or public transport
London
Christchurch is on an express train line to London. Trains take around 2 hours to reach Waterloo Station, which is on the south bank of the river Thames, very close to many of the main sights, including the River, Houses of Parliament (Big Ben), London Eye.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth, with its famous Pier, central gardens, shops, restaurants and pubs is Christchurch’s big neighbour – just 10 minutes on the train, or you can take a bus.
Winchester
Winchester, with its spectacular cathedral, is an hour away.
Other places you can visit by bus, train or coach
- Brockenhurst, New Forest
- Dorchester (Thomas Hardy’s “Casterbridge”)
… and many other places of interest.
Visits by mini-bus or coach:
(places not easily visited by public transport)
- Jurassic Coast
- New Forest
Other local activities
Tennis – there are lots of public tennis courts.
Golf – organised by arrangement, including group sessions where students are taught the basic shots.
Sing-songs – we can organise a young guitarist to meet your group and get them singing some English songs!
Transport options
Getting around is easy for groups based in Christchurch
On foot
Christchurch is a small town, and the centre, Priory, Quay and ruined Castle, can easily be visited on foot. For groups wanting to walk further, there are also fantastic countryside itineraries on foot of between 3 and 15 kilometres both toward the sea and inland on the Avon Valley long-distance path.
Local bus
You can visit some very interesting and attractive towns, for example Ringwood, Lymington. Fares are reasonable, though more expensive than similar journeys in most other countries.
Train
Christchurch has direct connections with:
- London
- Winchester
- Dorchester
- Weymouth
Train travel in the UK is not cheap, but special fares are available for groups.
Coach
A private coach gives you total flexibility and is the best option for groups of 30+