Poole

Description:

Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset. The town is 20 miles east of Dorchester with Bournemouth and Christchurch adjoining to the east. In 1997 The Borough of Poole became a unitary authority thereby gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council.

Poole is a tourist resort, attracting visitors to its award winning beaches, natural harbour, history and Poole Arts Centre. The town has a busy commercial port with cross-Channel passenger ferries to mainland Europe and the Channel Islands. It also houses the HQ of Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), and the luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker. The Royal Marine's have a base in the harbour.

Pool is located on the shores of the English Channel and lies on the northern and eastern sides of Poole Harbour and is 110 miles south-west of London. The oldest part of the town which includes the historic Old Town, Poole Quay and the Dolphin Shopping Centre, lies to the south-east of Holes Bay on a peninsular that juts into the harbour. To the west are Upton and Corfe Mullen and across the northern border lies Wimborne Minster. To the south of Poole along the coast lies Poole Bay with 3 miles of sandy beaches from Sandbanks  in the west to Bournemouth in the east.

Poole is made up of several suburbs and neighbourhoods, such as Branksome, Branksome Park, Broadstone, Canford Cliffs, Canford Heath, Creekmoor, Fleetsbridge, Hamworthy, Lilliput, Parkstone, Penn Hill and Sandbanks.

The natural environment of Poole is characterised by lowland heathland to the north which supports six native British reptile species, and wooded chines (deep narrow ravines) and coastline to the south. Poole has a built-up area of over 25 square miles.  

Poole Harbour is the largest natural harbour in Europe and second largest in the world after Sydney Harbour, Australia. The harbour contains several small islands, the largest being Brownsea Island  owned by the National Trust. Poole is situated directly east of the Jurassic Coast  and is a gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes 95 miles of the Dorset and east Devon coast. It is also one of the largest centres for sailing in the UK with a number of yacht clubs including Lilliput Sailing Club, Parkstone Yacht Club and Poole Yacht Club.  

The Dolphin Centre is Poole's main retail area, with 510,000 square feet of retail space, 110 stores and two multi-storey car parks. A pedestrianised high street comprising shops, bars, public houses, coffee shops and restaurants connects the Dolphin Centre with the historic Old Town and Poole Quay.

Visitor accommodation consists of hotels, guest houses and bed & breakfast  rooms located all around the town and Sandbanks. Rockley Park is a large caravan site in Hamworthy.

Poole Quay  is a visitor attraction to the south of the Old Town  lined with a mixture of traditional public houses, redeveloped warehouses, modern apartment blocks and historic listed buildings. Boats regularly depart from the quay in the summer months providing cruises around the harbour and to Brownsea Island  and Swanage.

Poole has several well maintained and attractive urban parks, but the largest is Poole Park. Opened in 1890 and designated a conservation area in 1995, it covers 109 acres of which 59 acres comprise the park's man-made lake and ponds. The park contains two children's play areas, tennis courts, bowling green and crazy golf. There are also water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and rowing which take place on the large lake. There is a miniature railway, a small ice-rink and a newly built Italian restaurant with outside terrace and balcony and panoramic lake views.

Poole's sandy beaches are a popular tourist destination extending for 3 miles along Poole Bay from the Sandbanks  peninsular to Branksome Dene  at the border with Bournemouth. The beaches are divided into four areas: Sandbanks, Shore Road, Canford Cliffs Chine and Branksome Chine. Along the seafront there are seaside cafés, restaurants, beach huts and a variety of water sports facilities. Lifeguards patrol the beaches in the summer season between May and September. The beaches have been awarded the European Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety 21 times since 1987. In 2000 the Tidy Britain Group resort survey rated Poole's beaches among the top five in the country.

The beaches at Sandbanks  are often used for sporting events such as the Beach Volleyball Classic  and in 2008 it hosted the inaugural British Beach Polo Championship.

Poole's Summertime in the South  is an annual programme of various events on Poole Quay  and Sandbanks  from May until September. During June and July, live music, street entertainment and a large firework display take place on Poole Quay every Thursday evening.

Poole's Lighthouse  is the largest arts centre complex in the UK outside of London. The centre contains a cinema, concert hall, studio, theatre, image lab and media suite and galleries. The centre's concert hall has been the residence of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra since 1985.

In the centre of the Old Town  is Poole Museum which illustrates the story of the area and people since the Iron Age to the preset day. Entry is free.