River Bourne, Dorset
| River Bourne | |
|---|---|
The River Bourne as it flows through Bournemouth Gardens | |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| County | Dorset |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Canford Heath |
| • elevation | 60m Approx. |
| Length | 7 km |
| Basin size | 13.816 km² |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Kinson Brook |
The River Bourne is a 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) long river that flows through Poole and Bournemouth in Dorset. It originally reached the sea at Bournemouth, giving the town its name, but now, in normal circumstances, it flows directly into the combined sewer beneath the approach to Bournemouth Pier. Its name derives from the Middle English word bourne, meaning a small river. It also gives its name to the BCP Council ward of Alderney and Bourne Valley in Poole. Approximately 70% of the Bourne's drainage basin lies within the boundaries of the Borough of Poole.