Hengistbury Head is a dramatic sandstone headland at the eastern edge of the Bournemouth coast, jutting between Christchurch Harbour and the open sea. A protected nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest, it’s a world away from the resort all wide skies, heathland, birdsong and some of the finest coastal walking in Dorset.
Walking and wildlife
Well-marked trails climb the headland to viewpoints that look east to the Isle of Wight and the Needles, and inland across the harbour, a haven for wading birds. The heath, cliffs and reed beds shelter a remarkable range of wildlife through the seasons.
History underfoot
The headland has been settled since the Stone Age and was an important Iron Age trading port. Ancient earthworks and archaeology are dotted across the site, with a visitor centre explaining thousands of years of human history.
The land train
In season, a land train trundles from the car park out to Mudeford Sandbank, home to a famous huddle of colourful beach huts and a passenger ferry across the harbour mouth.
Nearby
Follow the shore west and you reach the relaxed sands of Southbourne Beach.
