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Coordinates: 50°44′29″N 1°41′45″W / 50.7414°N 1.6959°W
| Highcliffe | |
 Highcliffe
Highcliffe shown within Dorset |
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| OS grid reference | SZ214936 |
|---|---|
| District | Christchurch |
| Shire county | Dorset |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHRISTCHURCH |
| Postcode district | BH23 |
| Dialling code | 01425 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Christchurch |
| List of places: UK • England • Dorset | |
Highcliffe-on-Sea (usually abbreviated to Highcliffe) is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast. The town lies on a picturesque stretch of Solent coastline with views of the Isle of Wight and its 'Needles' rock formation.
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Location [link]
Highcliffe lies close to the historic town of Christchurch, the resort town of Bournemouth, and the New Forest National Park.
Highcliffe's position on the middle of England's south coast gives it a climate with milder winters than inland areas and less rainfall than locations further west. This helped establish the town as a popular health and leisure resort during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras.
History [link]
What is now regarded as Highcliffe has developed over the last several hundred years from the hamlet of Slop Pond, the Chewton Estate, and Chewton Common. The latter two also contained large farmsteads. Slop Pond was a collection of thatched cottages, named from the large pond on its common. The cottages were said[by whom?] to be occupied by farm workers and fishermen, who engaged in the smuggling and poaching trade now notorious in local history.
When the area became a more popular tourist destination in the Victorian era, Slop Pond was renamed Newtown. It was later then changed to Highcliff, after the first High Cliff house, and soon became known as Highcliffe-on-Sea.
Between 1831 and 1835, Lord Stuart de Rothesay built a Gothic Revival home Highcliffe Castle on the site of High Cliff house, his father's Georgian estate. The design, by William Donthorne, a founder member of RIBA, incorporated large quantities of carved Medieval stonework salvaged from the Norman Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Jumieges and the Grande Maison des Andelys. Highcliffe Castle is now a Grade 1 listed building described as "the most important remaining example of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture", and now holds events throughout the year open to the general public. It is also a popular venue for weddings and other private events.
The area also has a strong literary connection and was once a centre for Wicca with Gerald Gardner living in Highlands Avenue. Captain Frederick Marryat, author of The Children of The New Forest, was a regular visitor to the house on the Chewton estate (now the Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club); and the adventure story author Colonel R.W. Campbell, veteran of the Boer and Great wars, was also a local resident.
Highcliffe was annexed by Christchurch in 1932.[1]
Modern times [link]
After a few years of relative obscurity, Highcliffe is gradually returning to its heyday as a seaside resort.[citation needed] Fuelled by its enviable location and the popularity of The Chewton Glen Country Club, the Highcliffe Golf Course, and the Nature Reserve at Steamer Point, Highcliffe is becoming a popular area for those relocating to the coast.[citation needed]
There has been an increase in development in the town to counteract the shortage of housing; some of this has caused local controversy.[citation needed] This development has also seen a small resurgence of up-market restaurants and cafes, rejuvenating the High-Street.
Educational establishments in the town include Highcliffe St Mark Primary School and Highcliffe School. There are also independent preparatory and secondary schools local to the area in New Milton and Barton on Sea.
Cultural entertainments such as cinemas and theatres can be found in nearby Christchurch and Bournemouth.
References [link]
External links [link]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Highcliffe |
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