River Bourne, Dorset

The River Bourne is a 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) long river that flows through Poole and Bournemouth in Dorset. It originally reached the sea at Bournemouth Beach, giving the town its name, but now, in normal circumstances, it flows directly into the combined sewer overflow beneath the approach to Bournemouth Pier and into the sea through a submerged outfall 630 metres off the coast. Its name derives from the Middle English word bourne, meaning a small river. It also gives its name to the BCP Council ward of Alderney and Bourne Valley in Poole. Approximately 70% of the Bourne's drainage basin lies within the boundaries of the Borough of Poole.