Christchurch for a month or more: living there for a while

A month or more in Christchurch means a slower pace: river walks before work, a quiet high street, early evenings and the harbour at the weekend. The town is under ten minutes from Bournemouth by train, so a temporary life there works well if you want calm most of the time and a bigger town close by.

Christchurch is the old market town where the Stour and the Avon meet the sea, about five miles east of Bournemouth and part of the BCP conurbation with Bournemouth and Poole. Our things to do in Christchurch covers it as a day out; this piece is about living there, or close by, for a while.

What is it like to live in Christchurch temporarily?

Calm, green and close to the water. The town centre is small and walkable, built around the Priory, the castle ruins and the Quay. Evenings are quiet and the high street carries the usual chains plus a few independents. The trade-off for the peace is that most nightlife, big shopping and many offices are in Bournemouth.

The Bournemouth Guide's Christchurch page describes the Priory as the longest parish church in England, 311 feet from west door to east end. It is free to walk into, and on a month's stay it becomes a landmark you pass rather than a sight you visit once.

The Quay and the Quomps, the riverside green, are the town's front room. In summer there are rowing boats and events; out of season it is a place for a coffee and a walk along the river towards Stanpit Marsh, the nature reserve on the harbour's northern shore.

Daily errands take a little planning. The high street covers the basics, but for a big weekly shop, a gym on a contract-free basis or a wider choice of restaurants, most temporary residents head west into Bournemouth once or twice a week. Build that trip into the routine from the start and the quiet stops feeling like a limitation.

Where does a Christchurch week take you outdoors?

Mostly east and south, to the harbour and the headland. Hengistbury Head, Mudeford Quay, Stanpit Marsh and Highcliffe give you a different walk for every evening of the week. For a month-long stay, this is the real reason to choose Christchurch over a town-centre base.

Hengistbury Head, the headland between Christchurch Harbour and the sea, is the obvious regular. The Bournemouth Guide's Hengistbury Head listing covers the walks, the wildlife and the land train to Mudeford Sandbank, and our own Hengistbury Head guide has the routes.

Further east, Mudeford Quay has the crab lines and the ferry across the harbour mouth, and Highcliffe has the castle and its clifftop grounds. A bike helps: the Bournemouth and Christchurch cycle routes include the seafront ride between the two towns. The Bournemouth Guide notes that the river boat from Tuckton Bridge to Christchurch Quay runs from April to October only, so do not plan a winter commute around it.

How do you get between Christchurch and Bournemouth?

By train for speed, by bus for the stops in between. South Western Railway trains take under ten minutes from Christchurch to Bournemouth, and Morebus route 1 services run through Southbourne, Iford and Boscombe. By car, allow around ten minutes between town centres outside the rush hour.

Check train times on National Rail before relying on a daily pattern. Christchurch station is a flat walk from the town centre, which makes it an easy commute if you live near the high street.

For buses, Morebus's Zone A covers the conurbation as far as Walkford and Highcliffe, and a 30-day ticket suits a month of daily journeys; the Morebus period tickets page lists the zones and where to buy each ticket. If you drive, check the parking at your address before you commit: street parking across BCP is managed by the council and charged in most central areas.

Why stay in Bournemouth and spend your days in Christchurch?

Because a Bournemouth base gives you the calm of Christchurch at the weekend and the services of a bigger town on weekdays. Flexiestays' own buildings are in central Bournemouth, which its booking site describes as around ten minutes from Christchurch by car or direct train, with monthly rates from 28 nights.

The serviced apartments near Christchurch page lists who uses them: people on work assignments around Christchurch, visitors to family in the town and people exploring the area before a move. Each apartment has a separate bedroom and living space, a full kitchen and a washing machine, and is cleaned before every stay.

The Help Centre's page on what counts as a long stay explains the switch to the monthly rate at 28 nights, which includes electricity, gas, water, fibre wifi, council tax, the TV licence, parking and gym access. Monthly stays are billed in advance, and the long-stay payments, deposits and invoices page sets out the deposit and the invoices.

Who does a Christchurch month suit?

People who want quiet more than choice. A month in or near Christchurch suits someone visiting family in the town, a worker on a local project, a remote worker who likes an outdoor routine, and a relocating household testing whether the eastern end of the conurbation is the right fit.

It suits less well if you want a lively evening on a weeknight, a big supermarket on foot or a short walk to a Bournemouth office. For those, a central Bournemouth address and a train to Christchurch on Saturdays is the better arrangement.

Families weighing up the area should read our guide to relocating a family to Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole, which covers school admissions, including the Christchurch schools that handle their own in-year applications. For the practical side of the first weeks, our first month checklist covers registering with a GP, bus tickets and the paperwork.

Seasons change the town. Summer brings visitors to the Quay and Mudeford; autumn and winter hand it back to residents, and the Bournemouth Guide's out of season guide covers the months from October to April across the area. For a monthly apartment with live availability, the long-term stays page is the place to start.