Name: Riverside Park
Address: 28 Willow Way Christchurch BH23 1PB,Willow Way, Christchurch, Christchurch, Christchurch, BH23 1JJ, United Kingdom
Rating: 10

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

Dishwasher

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Fridge

Shower

Linens

Rooms

Iron and board

Laundry

Hairdryer (on request)

Services and amenities

Coffee/tea for guests

Restaurant

Kitchen

Microwave oven

Kitchenette

Kettle

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet access

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Picnic area

Barbeque

Recreation

Parking

Tennis court

Sports

Location

At the cottage

Room amenities

Hayloft Gallery

Red House Museum and Gardens

Regent Centre

Hengistbury West Beach

Southbourne Beach

Prototype Bailey Bridge

Hengistbury Head Beach

Bournemouth Airport

Southampton Airport

Riverside Park

Christchurch

We have stayed with Lisa &  Simon at Riverside Park for every year now since 2021.  Our trips started post-lockdown as my parents, like many had not left their hometown for 18 months. Since our first stay in June 2021, we have not looked back and have stayed since.  We've just come back and are planning our 2024 stay. Lisa and Simon create a beautiful sanctuary on the banks of the river.  The apartments are superbly equipped and they make you feel like friends/family, not guests.  No wonder guests return year after year for 20 years plus. If you're looking for a relaxing time, where you can truly turn on, tune in and tune out; where you can truly connect with your family, friends and your immediate beautiful environment that is Christchurch.  Then book a stay with Lisa & Simon. - thank you both - we'll see you in 2024.

Riverside Park = Relaxation & Restoration

Excellent location near the beautiful Christchurch Quay. Truly a home away from home with stunning views of the River Stour. Beautiful patio and garden area and spacious accommodation. Would recommend for all families but great for young families especially.

Great Location and a home away from home

Our second visit to this self-catering accommodation and we were not disappointed. Everything was exceptionally clean and in good order. Pathways have been upgraded outside the apartments to a high standard. The large TV is terrific as is the WiFi. Wonderfully quiet at night and the curtains shut out all light, important if you are weary after strenuous walking along proms and costal paths. A terrific base for visiting a lovely part of the country.

Brilliant base for the south coast

We booked this town house after reading the reviews, and it was exceptional. The location was excellent and within a short walk from the town centre. The parking was very good, with your own car port under the house. The interior of the house was spotlessly clean.
Lisa was a very good host and always around to answer queries and sort out problems. We would not hesitate to return to Riverside in the future.
Many thanks Lisa.
Barry and Josseline

Spring break

We stayed at Riverside Park apartments over the early bank holiday weekend and despite the weather, we had a wonderful break.  The apartments are roomy, comfortable, well equipped and when they say location, location, location, they had this place in mind!  It was a 20 metre walk from the apartment to the riverfront, with outdoor cooking facilities next to the dock (a massive barbecue and a pizza oven), which are available to guests.

A five minute stroll into town for shopping and entertainment, or another five minute stroll to the Wick ferry which drops you off at various spots including by the beach huts at Mudeford.  Pubs and restaurants are easy to walk to (I'd recommend the Lounge for a breakfast - dynamite!).

I'd have no difficulty in recommending this accommodation to friends and family, and would know they'd be very happy to stay here.

A delightful find!

The location of this accommodation is super, close to Christchurch and an easy ( but long) walk  to Bournemouth or Boscombe beach. Each apartment has a patio and balcony overlooking a pretty garden and with full or part river view, plus there is a lovely communal area right by the river, which we were able to take advantage of several times for an al fresco drink.

The accommodation is comfortable, the kitchen  is well equipped, a little on the small side for a family of 4 adults when dining, but perfectly adequate for holiday accommodation. There were a few minor maintenance issues, but nothing that detracted from our stay, and the friendly owner was grateful when these were highlighted.

Everyone has a different take on COVID protocols in accommodation and I am sure the owners are acting on guidance they have received, but we did not realise until we were sent the check in instructions that check in had been moved to 4pm and check out to 9am due to changed cleaning methods. Lisa ( the owner) was kindly able to allow us to check in slightly early as we had booked a supermarket delivery, but we did find the checkout time a bit of a struggle. I am also a big fan of a printed accommodation guide and although information was sent by email we felt it was incomplete, for example we did not realise there were games, jigsaws and books available in the laundry until we used the laundry.

We were made aware on booking that the heating would be charged for due to the time of year. In the end there was no charge as we had an issue with the dishwasher, but the unseasonable autumn temperature we hardly used the heating, and when we did the rooms heated up very quickly.

Good location, early check out

The real strength of Riverside Park is its location.  As someone who knows the area well (I lived here once) there are not many better places to stay and whilst not all the houses enjoy the view of the river that is part of the magic here, the accessibility of the town and of many great walks (eg Hengistbury) is a reason to put this on your short list.  It also turned out to be a wonderfully quiet location at night, to my surprise, and I slept very well.  Parking seemed simple enough, with options if you have an unwieldy vehicle.  Good shopping is available within walking distance, including a Waitrose and M&S foodhall.  Local restaurants should satisfy most  needs; my favourite is the Jetty and you should seek it out if you like good food and great views.

The negatives are that the houses are not quite as spacious as they seem in the photos and like some other reviewers I found the steps between every room challenging - but I'm that sort of age, as are my knees.  We did not benefit from the warm welcome that others have spoken of; the owner was away and we seemed to miss out as a consequence.   The house could have been cleaner, although this may again have reflected the owner's absence.  We thought the kitchen well enough equipped but cramped for dining in; we found the hot water a little tepid, and thought the shower would benefit from updating.  The two small rooms in the Heron are indeed small rooms.  The main bedroom was okay though.

If booking, you need to be sure that the owner knows if you don't sleep with a partner (it is assumed you do and beds may not all be made up) and to clarify how the out of season electricity charging works.  We were surprised by the absence of meter readings and of a daily allowance, although the owner was generous enough when resolving the resulting confusion.

As I hope I've made clear, it's certainly a place to consider, especially if you want to be in the heart of delightful Christchurch, , although I am not quite as convinced as other reviewers.  Maybe I'm a bit harder to please.

Great location, a few 'buts'...

Stayed here at the end of September and were very impressed by the standard of this accommodation. The weather was mixed so we were unable to make the most of the lovely patio, balcony and riverside facilities and were glad that we had plenty of indoor space to relax plus a good size TV.
All furnishing and fittings were of excellent quality, heating available and everything in good working order. There is a good size fridge and freezer plus dishwasher in the kitchen and a well equipped laundry room if required.  In the event of any problem the friendly owner is available on site to help.
We particularly enjoyed the waterside location and the 10 minute stroll along the river into town;  there are major supermarkets within walking distance too.  Christchurch has a good deal to offer and there is a range of attractions close by.   Plenty of restaurants in town [we enjoyed Soho Pizza] and the Captains Club is right next door to Riverside.
No hesitation in recommending this accommodation.

Perfect in every way

Started our holiday with a friendly welcome from Lisa who gave lots of information on places to visit, local attractions, where to eat etc. The apartment exceeded our expectations, really enjoyed sitting on the patio watching the boats, paddle boards, kayaks, canoes pass by and the enjoyment of children and dogs splashing about in the river. We walked the short walk over the Tuckton bridge to the Pavilion where you can enjoy refreshments, then hired a boat for an hour. We highly recommend Riverside, the apartment has everything you need and the location is just perfect. Thank you Lisa - we will return

All you could wish for from a holiday

This is a very well located self catering apartment complex near to the banks of the River Stour. Only a five minute stroll into Christchurch itself and an easy walk to the nearest supermarkets. Each apartment has its own car port which is easy to access. Indeed the only spot you need to be careful with angles is going in and out the main entrance. The apartments are town house design so there are a lot of stairs to negotiate between floors. The living room is on ground level with its own patio. We were fortunate with the weather allowing us to eat out on a number of occasions. The furnishings are a little tired and beige, but there is a good sized smart TV. The first floor kitchen is adequate once you get the hang of the oven and microwave. There are a good selection of saucepans and cutlery including the all important corkscrew. The shower room has been recently refurbished to a high standard. The bedroom also has its own balcony with table and chairs. Good storage in the room and very quiet at night. Wifi was very good throughout. The ferry to Wick and Mudeford Spit is a two minute walk away. All in all, a great place to base yourself for a break in this lovely part of the country.

Riverside Park

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