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Highcliffe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Highcliffe | |
|
  |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| District | Christchurch |
| Shire county | Dorset |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHRISTCHURCH |
| Postcode district | BH23 |
| Dial code | 01425 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | Christchurch |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| 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. As of 2003, Highcliffe has the highest percentage of its population over 60 in England and Wales [1], roughly 70% of its residents.
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Highcliffe is a suburb of Christchurch and close to the large tourist town of Bournemouth, both of which are vital to Highcliffe to provide more city-based entertainment, which the town itself lacks. Highcliffe School is a notable educational establishment in the area.
Highcliffe's climate is known locally for being extremely mild with warmer winters and less rainfall than surrounding areas. This is one of the reasons for its very high proportion of elderly residents, as it provides a nice place to retire.
What is now regarded as Highcliffe has developed over the last several hundred years from Slop Pond, Chewton, and Chewton Common, all small hamlets. The latter two were large farmsteads. Slop Pond was no more than some land with thatch cottages on it, named from the large pond in its common. The cottages were said to be occupied by farm workers and fishermen, who engaged in smuggling and poaching to supplement their incomes.
When the area became a more popular tourist destination in the Victorian era, it was decided that Slop Pond was no longer an appealing name, and it was changed to Newtown. It was even later that it was renamed to Highcliff, after the first High Cliff house, and later still to Highcliffe-on-Sea.
Highcliffe was annexed by Christchurch in 1932 [2].
Highcliffe is now becoming more commercialised. Many of its old buildings, which form vital parts of its heritage, are being demolished or reused to make office blocks, supermarkets and retirement flats for the elderly. There is also huge development of privately owned flats in the area. Local objections to this are twofold: Highcliffe is both losing the obvious presence of its history, and the infrastructure of the area is being put under increasing strain by more people retiring to it. For example, the doctors surgery is already stretched by the elderly population which puts significant demand on it.