Place:Christchurch District, Dorset, England

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

From 1974 until 2019 Christchurch was a local government district which had borough status. It was the smallest of Dorset County Council's six districts and one of the smallest boroughs in England by population. The district was formed by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Christchurch with part of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District in 1974. Since then it has been part of the non-metropolitan county of Dorset. It has some large rural areas including Bournemouth International Airport and the parishes of Burton and Hurn.

Until 1974 Christchurch was part of the historic county of Hampshire, but is now the most easterly coastal town of Dorset. The town abuts Bournemouth to the west and is approximately 9 miles (14 km) east of Poole. It is 20 miles (32 km) west of Southampton and 23 miles (37 km) south of Salisbury. The town centre lies between the rivers Avon (the Hampshire Avon) and Stour which flow directly into Christchurch Harbour. The borough boundaries stretch to Hurn Forest in the north, encompassing Bournemouth Airport, and eastwards along the coast as far as Walkford. The River Stour forms a natural boundary to the west; the estuary and harbour form the southern boundary.

In April 2019 Christchurch District was abolished and replaced by the unitary authority of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (commonly abbreviated to "BCP"). The authority is governed by a merger of the borough councils of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.