The Chine Collection

A chine is a steep-sided dry river valley. Alum Chine is the largest of the four chines in Bournemouth and got its name from the alum mining which took place locally in the 16th century. Alum is a fixative that was used in dyeing, tanning and painting. The mines eventually became uneconomical and closed in the mid-17th century. The area was bought by William Dean in 1805 and this began the Cooper-Dean dynasty. At the time, local fishermen and smugglers, were using the bay-side area to store their boats and equipment. The tropical gardens were laid out in the 1920s, but by the 1990s they had become overrun. In 1996 the gardens were replanted, and a paved viewing area added as part of the Gardens of Excellence scheme in the United Kingdom.