Measuring the distances…
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Thinking of living at BH4 8BU? Who your neighbours would be, how far the schools, station, shops, GP and parks are from the postcode itself, which schools are near and how they do, what there is to do at the weekend, and a day in the life here.
Most daily things are within reach on foot; the station is further.
Answer a few questions in Where could I live? and this will use your own priorities. Until then, try a perspective.
Working out the fit…
here typical · scale 0–50%
2 crimes recorded on Portarlington Road in the last 12 months. The street →
here typical · scale 0–50%
here England and Wales · scale 0–100%
here England and Wales · scale 0–50%
| School | Stage | Distance | Latest results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Michael's Church of England Primary School | Primary | 550 m | 67% met the expected standard |
| Bishop Aldhelm's Church of England Primary School | Primary | 2.0 km | 66% met the expected standard |
| Livingstone Academy Bournemouth | Primary | 2.1 km | – |
| Heatherlands Primary School | Primary | 2.6 km | 58% met the expected standard |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Poole | Primary | 2.8 km | 64% met the expected standard |
| Livingstone Academy Bournemouth | Secondary | 2.1 km | – |
| Winton Academy | Secondary | 3.2 km | Attainment 8: 55.4 · 13.8% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Glenmoor Academy | Secondary | 3.3 km | Attainment 8: 60.7 · 25.9% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| The Bourne Academy | Secondary | 4.2 km | Attainment 8: 44.2 · 5.2% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Bournemouth School | Secondary | 4.2 km | Attainment 8: 74.2 · 45.2% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Talbot Heath School | Independent | 1.4 km | 23.5% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Kings Bournemouth | Independent | 1.6 km | 0% of GCSEs at 8–9 |
| Sport | Nearest | Distance | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | Hallmark Health Club (Bournemouth) | 420 m | 19 |
| Tennis | Bournemouth Gardens Community Tennis Club | 830 m | 17 |
| Bowls | Argyll Bowling Club | 690 m | 10 |
| Sailing | East Dorset Sailing Club | 3.7 km | 8 |
| Football | Bounemouth Football Club | 3.2 km | 5 |
| Fitness | the gym | 1.5 km | 4 |
| Golf | The Club At Meyrick Park | 1.1 km | 3 |
| Cricket | Dean Park Cricket Ground | 2.0 km | 3 |
| Cycling | Bournemouth Cycling Centre | 3.1 km | 3 |
| Boxing | Lions of Judah Boxing Academy | 3.8 km | 3 |
| Yoga | Sustudio | 2.3 km | 2 |
| Skateboard | Bourne Valley Skatepark | 3.5 km | 2 |
| Pickleball | Bournemouth Gardens Tennis Centre | 880 m | 1 |
| Martial arts | Ippon Gym | 1.1 km | 1 |
| Climbing | RockReef Indoor Climbing Centre & PierZip | 1.6 km | 1 |
| Zipline | RockReef Indoor Climbing Centre & PierZip | 1.6 km | 1 |
The 16 sports with most places shown, of 28. Named clubs, pitches and centres mapped in OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and facilities registered with Sport England Active Places (Contains Data © Sport England, CC BY 4.0). Neither list is complete, so a club not shown may still exist.
The nearest station is Branksome, a short drive or bike ride (1.9 km), with 280k journeys a year; its busiest route is to London Waterloo.
The nearest bus stop is Clarendon Road, 200 m away, with a bus about every 35 minutes on weekdays (routes 50, 33); 68 departures an hour from the 9 stops within a 5-minute walk.
The nearest primary school is St Michael's Church of England Primary School, about a 5-minute walk (550 m); 67% met the expected standard.
None of the state primaries within 2 km has Ofsted's top rating.
The nearest secondary is Livingstone Academy Bournemouth, 2.1 km away.
Top-rated secondaries within reach: Winton Academy (3.4 km) and Avonbourne Boys' Academy (5.2 km).
Grammar schools are within reach: Bournemouth School (4.3 km) and Bournemouth School for Girls (4.7 km).
Few families with young children: only 8% of residents are under 15.
The nearest supermarket is Co-op (BH2 6BE), 350 m away; Queens Stores (400 m) for top-ups.
The nearest GP surgery is Poole Road Medical Centre (350 m), with Westcliff Pharmacy the closest pharmacy (300 m).
For a haircut, Juliani's Hair Care is 400 m away.
The nearest full A&E is Poole Hospital, 5.7 km away, rated good by the CQC.
At its trust, 65% of major A&E patients were seen within 4 hours in September 2026 (the NHS standard is 95%), and 66% of people waiting for planned treatment had waited under 18 weeks (typical wait 13 weeks).
There's a handful of places to eat and drink locally: 29 restaurants and cafés, 8 pubs and bars.
All Hail Ale is the closest café or restaurant (350 m), and Westbourne Conservative Club the nearest pub (500 m).
Crime is higher than in most places, at about 134 per 1,000 residents a year (busy town centres push this figure up).
Much of it is protected: 43% of postcodes sit in a conservation area (West Cliff and Poole Hill, West Overcliff Drive).
There are 21 listed buildings.
Homes are mostly flats (90%).
The typical home here was built in 1955-1964.
It's growing: about 256 new homes were completed in 2021–2025.
The nearest park is Upper Gardens, 900 m away; for exercise, Bournemouth Gardens Tennis Centre (900 m).
The beach is on your doorstep: Bournemouth Durley Chine, 500 m away, was rated excellent for water quality in 2025.
45 places on this map are within about a 10-minute walk.
Walking times are estimates from straight-line distance. Food businesses from the FSA food hygiene register; schools from the DfE register; nurseries from Ofsted's childcare register; care homes from the Care Quality Commission; pools, sports halls, tennis and golf from Sport England Active Places (contains data © Sport England); everything else © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Map © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.
More for moving: Moving for a reason · Where could I live? · Places like West Cliff · Compare a shortlist
| St Martin's School |
|---|
| Independent |
| 2.3 km |
| – |
Every primary near BH4 8BU, ranked → · Every secondary → Ranked on results, with Ofsted and SEN; each school's page says how hard it is to get in.
No state primary within 2 km has Ofsted's top rating.
Air quality is around the national middle (nitrogen dioxide 8.0 µg/m³).
For holidays, Bournemouth is 7.9 km away, and Bristol, with far more destinations, 94 km.
Many neighbours rent: 47% of households rent privately and 2% socially.
It's highly educated: 45% of adults have a degree.
The nearest university is Arts University Bournemouth, 2.5 km away (TEF Silver).
Written from the figures on this page: Census 2021, DfT journey times (2019), NaPTAN/ORR, Ofsted, CQC, FSA, police.uk and planning registers. Figures describe the neighbourhood around the street.