Part of the historic county of Hampshire, Christchurch was a borough within the administrative county of Dorset from 1974 until 2019, when it became part of the new Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority.
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21 Facts About Christchurch Dorset
2.
Christchurch Dorset is a popular destination for retirees, and has one of the oldest populations in the country, with 30 per cent of residents aged over 65.
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3.
Christchurch Dorset changed hands a number of times: originally under Royalist control, it was captured by Sir William Waller's Parliamentary army in 1644.
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4.
Christchurch Dorset joined the mainline in 1883, and a third station had to be built.
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5.
In 1940, with the German 6th Army at Cherbourg, Christchurch Dorset was fortified against an expected invasion: the construction of pillboxes, gun emplacements and tank traps in and around the town, made Christchurch Dorset an "anti-tank island".
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6.
In 1974 the town was transferred from the county of Hampshire to Christchurch Dorset following local government reorganisation and was granted borough status by a Royal Charter.
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7.
Christchurch Dorset falls within the area of Bournemouth, Christchurch Dorset and Poole, a unitary authority created in April 2019.
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8.
Until 2019, Christchurch Dorset was a local government district which had borough status.
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9.
Christchurch Dorset is represented by a single parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons.
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10.
Christchurch Dorset was part of the South West England constituency for elections to the European Parliament.
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11.
Christchurch Dorset Harbour contains large areas of salt marsh and is protected by a sandbar known as Mudeford Spit which has fine sandy beach on both sides of a walkway lined with beach huts.
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12.
The presence of the Gulf Stream ensures that the British Isles maintain an all-year-round ambient temperature, and, because of its position on the south coast of England, Christchurch Dorset has slightly warmer winters and cooler summers than settlements further inland.
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13.
The population density of Christchurch Dorset is four times the UK average with 873 people per square kilometre .
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14.
Christchurch Dorset has one of the oldest populations in the country with significant proportion of residents wealthy senior citizens.
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15.
Major employers in Christchurch Dorset include: BAE Systems, Bournemouth Aviation Services Company, Beagle Aerospace, Channel Express, College of Air Traffic Control, Data Track Process Instruments, European Aviation, FR Aviation, Honeywell, Reid Steel, Revvo Castor Company, Sainsbury's, Siemens VAI and SELEX Communications.
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16.
Grade I listed Christchurch Dorset Castle is of Norman origin and was originally of a motte and bailey construction.
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17.
Christchurch Dorset has a council run leisure centre situated at the end of Stony Lane South.
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18.
Christchurch Dorset has a lawn bowling club, Christchurch Dorset Bowling Club, that play on the green adjacent to the castle ruins.
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19.
Christchurch Dorset has some 199 kilometres of highway of which 24 kilometres are A roads, 32 kilometres are B and C roads.
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20.
Christchurch Dorset has two infant schools, two junior schools, five primary schools and three secondary schools.
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21.
From 1 April 2019 schools in Christchurch Dorset have fallen under the jurisdiction of the Bournemouth, Christchurch Dorset and Poole Council.
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