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Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in , England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The town had an estimated population of 151,500 (mid-2016 census estimates) making it the second-largest town in the ceremonial county of Dorset. Together with and Christchurch, the has a total population of nearly 400,000.

The settlement dates back to before the . The earliest recorded use of the town's name was in the 12th century when the town began to emerge as an important port, prospering with the introduction of the wool trade. Later, the town had important trade links with North America and, at its peak during the 18th century, it was one of the busiest ports in Britain. In the Second World War, Poole was one of the main departing points for the Normandy landings.

Poole is a tourist resort, attracting visitors with its large , history, the Lighthouse arts centre and Blue Flag beaches. The town has a commercial port with freight and passenger ferry services, which connect with the of and , as well as the port town of , .

The headquarters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is in Poole, and the have a base in the town's harbour. Despite their names, Poole is the home of The Arts University Bournemouth, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and a significant part of Bournemouth University.

History
The area around modern Poole has been inhabited for at least the past 2,500 years, with nearby Christchurch Harbour evidencing human activity dating back to the period at . During the 3rd century BC, known as the moved from hilltop settlements at Maiden Castle and to heathland around the River Frome and .Cullingford (p.183) The landed at Poole during their conquest of Britain in the 1st century and took over an settlement at , an area just west of the modern town centre.Legg (p.9) This was used as a supply base for the fortress at Lake Farm, Ashington and a settlement at .

The town's name may have originated around the post-Roman or Anglo-Saxon periods, and seems to have originally applied to the harbour. It is derived from the late or early Old English words pol meaning a pool or creek.

(2025). 9780198527589, Oxford University Press. .

By the middle to late period, Poole was included in the Kingdom of . The settlement was used as a base for fishing and the harbour a place for ships to anchor on their way to the River Frome and the important Anglo-Saxon town of Wareham. Poole experienced two large-scale invasions during this era: in 876, sailed his fleet through the harbour to attack Wareham, and in 1015, Canute began his conquest of England in Poole Harbour, using it as a base to raid and pillage Wessex.Sydenham (p.69–71)Legg (p.13)

Following the Norman conquest of England, Poole rapidly grew into a busy port as the importance of Wareham declined. The town was part of the of Canford but does not exist as an identifiable entry in the .Legg (p.14) The earliest written mention of Poole occurred on a document from 1196 describing the newly built St James's Chapel in "La Pole".Legg (p.15) The Lord of the Manor, Sir William Longspée, sold a of liberties to the burgesses of Poole in 1248 to raise funds for his participation in the . Consequently, Poole gained a small measure of freedom from and acquired the right to appoint a mayor and hold a court within the town. Poole's growing importance was recognised in 1433 when it was awarded status by King Henry VI, enabling the port to begin exporting wool and in turn granting a licence for the construction of a town wall.Sydenham (p.94) In 1568, Poole gained further autonomy when it was granted legal independence from Dorset and made a by the Great Charter of Elizabeth I. During the English Civil War, Poole's stance and its merchants' opposition to the tax introduced by King Charles I led to the town declaring for .Legg (p.31) Poole escaped any large-scale attack and with the on the brink of defeat in 1646, the Parliamentary garrison from Poole laid siege to and captured the nearby Royalist stronghold at .Sydenham (p.127–128)

Poole established successful commerce with the North American colonies in the 16th century, including the important fisheries of Newfoundland. Trade with Newfoundland grew steadily to meet the demand for fish from the Catholic countries of Europe. Poole's share of this trade varied but the most prosperous period started in the early 18th century and lasted until the early 19th century. The trade followed a three-cornered route; ships sailed to Newfoundland with salt and provisions, then carried dried and salted fish to Europe before returning to Poole with wine, olive oil, and salt.Beamish (p.8–11) By the early 18th century, Poole had more ships trading with North America than any other English port and vast wealth was brought to Poole's merchants. This prosperity supported much of the development which now characterises the Old Town where many of the buildings were replaced with Georgian mansions and . The end of the and the conclusion of the War of 1812 ended Britain's monopoly over the Newfoundland fisheries and other nations took over services provided by Poole's merchants at a lower cost. Poole's Newfoundland trade rapidly declined and within a decade most merchants had ceased trading.Sydenham (p.398–402)

The town grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution as urbanisation took place and the town became an area of prosperity and overcrowded poverty. At the turn of the 19th century, nine out of ten workers were engaged in harbour activities, but as the century progressed, ships became too large for the shallow harbour and the port lost business to the deepwater ports at , and . Poole's first railway station opened in Hamworthy in 1847 and later extended to the centre of Poole in 1872, effectively ending the port's busy coastal shipping trade. The beaches and landscape of southern Dorset and south-west began to attract tourists during the 19th century and the villages to the east of Poole began to grow and merge until the of emerged. Although Poole did not become a resort, like many of its neighbours, it continued to prosper as the rapid expansion of Bournemouth created a large demand for goods manufactured in Poole.

During World War II, Poole was the third-largest embarkation point for landings of Operation Overlord and afterwards served as a base for supplies to the allied forces in Europe. Eighty-one landing craft containing American troops from the 29th Infantry Division and the US Army Rangers departed Poole Harbour for .

(1980). 086251004X, Poole Historical Trust. 086251004X
Poole was also an important centre for the development of Combined Operations and the base for a US Coast Guard rescue of 60 cutters. Much of the town suffered from German bombing during the war - in which the Municipal Borough lost 75 civilian lives - and years of neglect in the post-war . Major projects began in the 1950s and 1960s and large areas of properties were demolished and replaced with modern public housing and facilities. Many of Poole's historic buildings were demolished during this period, particularly in the Old Town area of Poole. Consequently, a Conservation Area was created in the town centre in 1975 to preserve Poole's most notable buildings. The Poole explosion of 1988 caused 3,500 people to be evacuated out of the town centre in the biggest peacetime evacuation the country had seen since the World War II.
(2013). 9781134253142, Routledge. .

Governance
There is one tier of local government covering Poole, at unitary authority level: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which is based at the Civic Centre in .

Administrative history
Poole was an , which lay within the of . The borough acquired its first charter in 1248 from William Longespée, who was lord of the manor. A chapel of ease dedicated to St James existed at Poole from at least 1142. In 1538, the borough was removed from the parish of to become its own parish, called Poole St James.
(1979). 9780901050670, Royal Historical Society.

In 1568, Poole was given the right to appoint its own , making it a , independent from the jurisdiction of the Sheriff of Dorset.

In 1836, Poole was reformed to become a municipal borough. As part of that reform, the borough boundaries were enlarged to take in , and .

When elected county councils were established in 1889, despite being a county corporate, Poole was not considered large enough for the borough council to take on county council functions. It was therefore included in the administrative county of Dorset under the new Dorset County Council. The borough boundaries were enlarged in 1905 to take in Branksome, and again in 1931 to absorb Canford Magna. In 1932 the borough council built itself Poole Civic Centre on Parkstone Road to serve as its headquarters.

The borough of Poole was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The district kept the same boundaries and its borough status, but there were some changes to the council's responsibilities.

In 1997, Poole Borough Council became a unitary authority, taking over the provision of county council functions from Dorset County Council.

The borough of Poole was abolished in 2019, merging with the boroughs of Bournemouth and Christchurch to become a new local government district called Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the council of which is a unitary authority. The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole district remains part of the ceremonial county of Dorset for the purposes of .

Since the abolition of Poole Borough Council in 2019, Poole has had , being the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole councillors representing wards in the former borough of Poole. The trustees preserve the town's civic charters and traditions, including appointing one of their number each year to serve as mayor and another to serve as sheriff; these roles are now purely honorary with no practical functions. Poole is one of only fifteen towns and cities across England and Wales which appoint their own sheriff, with Poole's right to do so stemming from its former status as a county corporate.

Parliamentary representation
Poole is represented by three parliamentary constituencies in the House of Commons; Poole, Mid Dorset and North Poole, and Bournemouth West. The borough constituency of Poole has existed since 1950. Previously the town had been a parliamentary borough, electing two members of parliament from 1455 until 1865 when representation was reduced to one member. In 1885 the constituency was abolished altogether and absorbed into the East Dorset constituency until its reintroduction in 1950.

Coat of arms
The design of the coat of arms originated in a seal from the late 14th century and were recorded by Clarenceux King of Arms during the heraldic visitation of Dorset in 1563. The wavy bars of black and gold represent the sea and the dolphin is a sign of Poole's maritime interests. The scallop shells are the emblem of Saint James and are associated with his shrine at Santiago de Compostela – a popular destination for Christian pilgrims departing from Poole Harbour in the .

The arms were confirmed by the College of Arms on 19 June 1948, and at the same time, the crest (a supporting an anchor and holding a cannonball) was granted. Following local government reorganisation in 1974, the 1948 arms were transferred to Poole Borough Council. In 1976, the council received the grant of for the coat of arms. The supporters refer to important charters given to the town; to the left is a gold lion holding a long sword representing William Longespee who in 1248 granted the town's first charter; on the right is a derived from the Royal Arms of Elizabeth I who granted Poole status in 1568. The – Ad Morem Villae De Poole, means: According to the Custom of the Town of Poole, and derives from the Great Charter of 1568.

Geography
Poole is a complex shore of the ; it lies on the northern and eastern edges of , west-southwest of London. The oldest part of the town (including the historic Old Town, Poole Quay and the Dolphin Shopping Centre) lies to the south-east of on a peninsula jutting into the harbour, although much of the land to the east of the peninsula has been reclaimed from the harbour since the mid-20th century. To the west is Upton and and across the northern border at the River Stour lies . At the eastern edge of Poole, the town abuts Bournemouth and the settlements of , Winton and Westbourne. To the south of Poole along the coast lies , which has of sandy beaches from in the west to Bournemouth in the east.

Urban areas and districts of the town
Poole is made up of numerous suburbs and neighbourhoods, many of which developed from villages or hamlets that were absorbed into Poole as the town grew.
Alderney – Bearwood – Branksome – – Broadstone – – – – – – Lilliput – – – Oakley – Newtown – Oakdale – – – – – – – Waterloo –

The natural environment of Poole is characterised by lowland to the north and wooded and coastline to the south. The heathland habitat supports the six native British reptile species and provides a home for a range of and rare birds. Development has destroyed much of the heath but scattered fragments remain to the north of Poole and have been designated Special Protection Areas. The town lies on unresistant beds of clays (mainly and ), sands and gravels. The River Frome runs through this weak rock, and its many have carved out a wide . At the mouth of the estuary sand spits have been deposited, enclosing the estuary to create Poole Harbour.

The harbour is the largest natural harbour in Europe and the second-largest natural harbour in the world after . It is an area of international importance for nature conservation and is noted for its ecology, supporting , and an internationally important habitat for several species of . It has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar site as well as falling within the Dorset National Landscape area. The harbour covers an area of and is extremely shallow. The main shipping channels are deep the average depth of the harbour is . It contains several small islands, the largest is , a nature reserve owned by the National Trust and the birthplace of the Scouting movement and location of the first Scout Camp. Britain's largest onshore operates from on the south shore of the harbour. The oil reservoirs extend under the harbour and eastwards from Sandbanks and for under the sea to the south of Bournemouth.Andrews I.J. & Balson P.S. (1995), Wight: Sheet 50N 02W Solid Geology, 1:250,000 Geological map series, Keyworth: British Geological Survey.

Situated directly to the east of the , Poole is a gateway town to the World Heritage Site, which includes of the Dorset and east Devon coast important for its geology, and rich . The South West Coast Path stretches for from in Somerset, along the coast of and and on to Poole. The path is England's longest national trail.

Climate
Due to its location on the south coast of England, Poole has a climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The average annual temperature from 1971 to 2000 was . The warmest months in Poole are July and August, which have an average temperature range of , and the coolest months are January and February, which have a range of . Mean sea surface temperatures range from in February to in August. The average annual rainfall of is well below the UK average of .

Green belt
Poole lies at the centre of a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties. It is in place to reduce , prevent the towns in the South East Dorset conurbation from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building.

Poole has areas of green belt to the north and west of the district, mostly on the fringes of the shared border with the Purbeck and East Dorset districts. These cover landscape features and greenfield facilities including the rivers Stour and and their , the Stour Valley Way, , Dunyeats Hill and Corfe and Barrow Hill nature reserves, Upton Country Park, , and the Wimborne District Society of Model Engineers miniature railway.

The small communities at Merley, Canford Magna, Oakley and Oakley Hill are separated from the main urban area, and while inset, are not covered by green belt. However, the isolated hamlets of Knighton, Merley Hall and Ashington are 'washed over', and development is limited in these locations. A specific function of the restrictions is to prevent further urban encroachment towards , to help maintain its historic character and surroundings.

Demography
0.16
Christian74.34
0.15
0.32
0.41
16.23
Other0.32
0.03
Not stated8.03
5.2
12.2
16.0
21.5
24.8
20.3

Poole merges with several other towns to form the South East Dorset conurbation which has a combined population of over 465,000, forming one of the South Coast's major urban areas. In the 2011 census, the population of the borough of Poole was 147,645, an increase from 138,288 in 2001. The town has a built-up area of , giving an approximate population density of in 60,512 dwellings. The population has grown steadily since the 1960s, inward migration has accounted for most of the town's growth and a significant part of this has been for retirement. Housing stock has increased by over 100 per cent in the past 40 years from 30,000 in 1961 to approximately 62,700 in 2004. Compared to the rest of England and Wales, Poole has an above-average number of residents aged over 65 (20.3%), but this is less than the Dorset average of 22.2%. The largest proportion of the population (24.8%) is between the ages of 45 and 64, slightly above the national average of 23.8%. Population projections have predicted a continual growth; a population of 151,481 is estimated by 2016.

The district is overwhelmingly populated by people of a White ethnic background, 95.98% of residents are of ethnicity, well above the rest of England at 86.99%. Minority ethnic groups (including those in White ethnic groups who did not classify themselves as British) represent 4.0% of Poole's population. The largest religion in Poole is Christianity, at almost 74.34%, slightly above the United Kingdom average of 71.6%. The next-largest sector is those with no religion, at almost 16.23%, also above the UK average of 15.5%.

The average house price in Poole is high compared to the rest of the UK and the surrounding south-west region. The average price of a property in Poole in 2008 was £274,011; detached houses were on average £374,150, and were cheaper at £226,465 and £217,128 respectively. An apartment or flat costs on average £216,097, more than any other part of Dorset. The average house prices in Poole are boosted by those in which had the fourth-most expensive house prices in the world in 2000; in 2007 the average house price was £488,761. A study in 2006 by the National Housing Federation reported that Poole was the most unaffordable town in which to live in the UK.

Source:
A Vision of Britain through Time

Economy
Great Britain
0.9%
0.8%
13.4%
4.5%
80.5%
Poole's economy is more balanced than the rest of Dorset. In the 1960s, prosperity was fuelled by growth in the manufacturing sector, whereas the 1980s and 1990s saw expansion in the service sector as office-based employers relocated to the area. The importance of manufacturing has declined since the 1960s but still employed approximately 17% of the workforce in 2002 and remains more prominent than in the economy of Great Britain as a whole. , the world's largest privately owned builder of and the UK's largest manufacturer, is based in Poole and employs over 1,800 people in its Poole . Other major employers in the local manufacturing industry include Lush, and . Poole has the largest number of industrial estates in South East Dorset, including the Nuffield Industrial estate, Mannings Heath, Arena Business Park, Poole Trade Park and the Branksome Business Centre.

The service sector is the principal economy of Poole; a large number of employees work for the service economy of residents or for tourists. During the 1970s, Poole's less restrictive regional planning policies attracted businesses wishing to relocate from London. These included employers in the banking and financial sector, such as (who operated as a regional headquarters in Poole), American Express Bank and the division of Bank of New York Mellon. Other important service sector employers include the national headquarters and college of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the UK headquarters of , Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth. Poole is also the headquarters for clothing company Animal, cosmetics manufacturer Lush, and Merlin Entertainments, the world's second-largest operator after . The Dolphin Shopping Centre is Poole's main retail area and the largest indoor shopping centre in Dorset. It opened in 1969 as an and underwent three major refurbishments in 1980, 1989 and 2004. The centre provides of retail space with 110 stores and two multi-storey car parks with 1,400 parking spaces. A pedestrianised with shops, bars, pubs and restaurants connects the Dolphin Centre with the historic Old Town area and Poole Quay. Tourism is important to the Poole's economy and was worth an estimated £158 million in 2002. Poole's Harbour, Quay and the beaches are some of the main attractions for visitors. Visitor accommodation consists of hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast rooms located around the town, particularly in Sandbanks and the town centre.

Poole is served by the Port of Poole. Since the 1970s, Poole has become one of Britain's busiest ports.Legg (p.145) Investment in new port facilities in Hamworthy and the deepening of shipping channels allowed considerable growth in freight and passenger traffic. The port is a destination for imports such as steel, timber, bricks, fertiliser, grain, aggregates and palletised traffic. Export cargoes include clay, sand, fragmented steel and grain. Commercial ferry operators run regular passenger and freight services from Poole to , and the . The operate out of the harbour at , established in Hamworthy in 1954. The base is home to unit the Special Boat Service and a detachment of the Royal Marines Reserve. In 2008, 105 fishing boats were registered and licensed to the port and held a permit issued by the Southern Sea Fisheries District Committee (SSFDC) to fish commercially. It is the largest port in terms of licences in the SSFDC district which covers the coastline of Dorset, and the Isle of Wight, and one of the largest registered fishing fleets in the UK. However, the fleet is gradually declining because of rising fuel costs and restrictive fishing quotas introduced by the . A large number of unlicensed boats also operate charted or private angling excursions.

Landmarks
Poole is a visitor attraction to the south of the town centre lined with a mixture of traditional pubs and alongside new bars, redeveloped warehouses and apartment blocks. Once the busy centre of Poole's , all port activities moved to in the 1970s as the Quay became increasingly popular with tourists. The Grade II* listed Customs House on the quay-front was built in 1814 and now functions as a restaurant and bar. Nearby the Grade I listed Town Cellars, a warehouse built in the 15th century on the foundations of a 14th-century stone building, houses a centre. Scaplen's Court, another Grade I listed building, also dates from the medieval era. has been redeveloped into an . Boats regularly depart from the quay during the summer and provide cruises around the harbour and to , the River Frome and . Public artworks along the Quay include Sea Music – a large metal sculpture designed by Sir Anthony Caro, and a life-size bronze sculpture of Robert Baden-Powell created to celebrate the founding of the on Brownsea Island. At the western end of the quay, near the mouth of Holes Bay, is . Built in 1927, it is the third bridge to be located on the site since 1834.

has played a varied part in the history of the town. A Grade II* listed building, the Guildhall was built in 1761 at a cost of £2,250. The new building included an open on the ground floor and a courtroom and offices for the town council on the first floor and has also been used as a court of record, magistrates' court, and a venue for quarter sessions. Between 1819 and 1821 the building was consecrated as a parish church while the old St. James Church was pulled down and replaced with the present church. During the Second World War, the building was used as a canteen and meeting room for American soldiers before the invasion of France. The showers and washing facilities installed at this time were later converted into which were used until the 1960s. The building was converted for use as the town museum between 1971 and 1991 but stood empty for the next 16 years. After a renovation project funded by Poole Borough Council, the restored Guildhall opened in June 2007 as a for weddings, civil partnerships and other civic ceremonies.

Poole has several – the largest is adjacent to and the town centre. It opened in 1890 and is one of two parks in Poole. Designated a Conservation Area in 1995 and awarded a Green Flag in 2008, the park comprises of which include the park's human-made lake and ponds. The park contains two children's play areas, a miniature railway, tennis courts, a , a course, an Italian restaurant and an indoor ice rink for children. A and pavilion at the eastern end are home to Poole Town Cricket Club and water sport activities such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and rowing take place on the large lake. A stands in the centre of the park as a monument to Poole citizens killed during the First and Second World Wars. The park hosts several such as the Race for Life and the annual Poole Festival of Running.

Poole's sandy beaches are a popular tourist destination extending along from the peninsular to Branksome Dene Chine at the border with . The beaches are divided into four areas: Sandbanks, Shore Road, Canford Cliffs Chine and Branksome Chine. Poole's beaches have been awarded the European Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety 21 times since 1987, more than any other British seaside resort and in 2000 the Tidy Britain Group resort survey rated Poole's beaches among the top five in the country. Along the seafront, there are seaside cafés, restaurants, beach huts and numerous water-sports facilities. Royal National Lifeboat Institution Beach Rescue patrol the coastline in the busy summer season between May and September.

Religious sites
Poole falls within the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth. Poole has many sites of including five Grade II* and five Grade II churches, but no notable sites of worship for any other major religious groups. The Grade II* St James' Church is a simplified Gothic Revival style Church of England parish church in the Old Town which was rebuilt in 1820. The previous church on the site was first mentioned in documents from 1142 and had been extensively rebuilt in the 16th century, but in 1819 it was deemed structurally unsafe by a surveyors report. The United Reformed Church hall, also in the town centre, is a Grade II* building built in 1777. The other Grade II* churches are: St. Peter's Parish Church in which was first built in 1833 and replaced in 1876; St Dunstan of Canterbury Orthodox Church, also in Parkstone, an Antiochian Orthodox church, formerly the Church of St Osmund, in a Neo-Byzantine style building; and the Parish Church of St. Aldhelm in Branksome, built by the architects Bodley and in 1892 in the Gothic Revival style. Described by as "one of Poole's most important landmarks", the church of St Mary's in , built in 1833, is one of Poole's Grade II listed churches. There are also two meeting halls in the town.

Sport and recreation
and are popular areas for recreational pursuits such as: sailing, , , and . The harbour's large areas of sheltered waters attract windsurfers, particularly around the northern and eastern shores. Water skiing takes place in the harbour in a specially designated area known as the Wareham Channel. The waters around the harbour, Poole Bay and are also popular for recreational angling and diving.

The beaches at are often used for sporting events such as the Sandbanks Beach Volleyball Festival, and the annual British Championship.

Since 1999, the town's Rossmore Leisure Centre has hosted the GMPD Poole Gymnastics Competition every October with the Holiday Inn Express hosting some of the competitors as well as previously a Disco on the Saturday evening which has since been scrapped, hundreds of competitors from across the country compete each year, the competition celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. Following a 2-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic it is hoped it will return in 2022.

Sailing
Poole Harbour is one of the largest centres for sailing in the UK with a number of such as the: East Dorset Sailing Club, Lilliput Sailing Club, Parkstone Yacht Club, Poole Yacht Club, Sandbanks Yacht Company and the Royal Motor Yacht Club.

Parkstone Yacht Club hosted the OK Dinghy World Championships in 2004, the J/24 National Championships in 2006 and the J/24 European Championships in 2007, with the 2020 J24 Worlds hosted here also and are the organisers of Youth Week and Poole Week – two of the largest annual dinghy of their type in the country.

Football
Poole's oldest football team is Poole Town F.C., a semi-professional team who play in the Southern Football League – the seventh tier of the English football league system. Established in 1880, the team has had erratic success at their level; they have never risen above non-League levels but once reached the third round of the . They played at until 1994 and have since settled at Tatnam Farm, sharing the school playing field with Oakdale Junior School. Poole's other football teams are , formed in 1970, and play in the Wessex Premier League, and the amateur team Poole Borough F.C. who play in the Dorset Premier League. Poole is one of the largest towns in England without a professional football team.

Speedway
Poole's motorcycle speedway team, the , were established and began racing at Poole Stadium in 1948 in the National League Division Three. The team now races in the top tier of league racing (the Elite League) which they won in 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2014.
(2025). 9780752432571, Tempus Publishing.
Poole Stadium is also a venue for ; race nights occur three days a week throughout the year.

Scouting
Poole has three of the oldest Scout Association groups in the world, 1st Parkstone Air Scout Group holds records dating back to February 1908 and 1st Hamworthy Scout Group has records dating back to October 1908; both groups were formed out of the original Boys' Brigade units that had members take part in the original Scout Camp in 1907. Broadstone Group has records dating back to December 1908 and was home to the first King's/Queen's Scout.http://www.poolescouts.org and www.hamworthyscouts.org and books: History of Hamworthy by Ann Smeaton & 1st Hamworthy Scouts the 1st 100 years by James Winchester

Nature parks
Working with the Dorset Wildlife Trust, Poole Council has opened two nature parks:
  • Holes Bay Nature Park, opened in 2015, includes Upton Country Park. The bay is an important feeding and roosting site for wetland birds.
  • Corfe Barrows Nature Park, opened in 2016, is a group of eight natural sites, including Happy Bottom Nature Reserve, that is being jointly managed for wildlife and people in the north of the borough.

Walking
Poole Tourism has developed and a number of trails and circular walks, collectively called the Poole Harbour Trails. Poole Harbour Trails at www.pooleharbourtrails.org.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2017.

Cycling
Poole has over of cycle network, including the Castleman Trailway, the Poole Heritage Cycle Route and the Bourne Valley Greenway. Cycling at www.pooletourism.com. Retrieved 6 January 2017.

Culture
The 'Beating of the bounds' is an ancient annual custom first carried out in 1612, which revives the traditional checking of the sea boundaries awarded to Poole by the of in 1364. The Admiral of the Port of Poole (the mayor) and other dignitaries, and members of the public sail from the mouth of the River Frome to Old Harry Rocks to confirm the mayor's authority over the water boundaries of the harbour and check for any encroachments. As there are no physical landmarks that can be beaten at sea, traditionally children from Poole were encouraged to remember the bounds of their town by taking part in the 'Pins and Points' ceremony involving the beating of a boy and pricking of a girl's hand with a needle. In modern times, the acts have been symbolically carried out.

Poole's Summertime in the South is an annual programme providing 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. In August, the entertainment moves to the beaches at Sandbanks.

Built in 1978, Poole's Lighthouse is an arts centre complex that contains a cinema, , , theatre, image lab and media suite and galleries featuring exhibitions of contemporary photography and modern . The venue underwent an £8.5 million refurbishment in 2002, paid for by the Arts Council England, the Borough of Poole and private donations. The centre's concert hall has been the residence of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's main concert series since their former base at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens closed in 1985. Situated in the centre of the Old Town, illustrates the story of the area and its people and the collections reflect the cultural, social and industrial history of Poole. Displays include the and a detailed history of Poole from the to the present day. The museum has a floor devoted to the history of and some of the company's products are on display. Entrance to the museum is free. Poole Museum is closed for refurbishment until approximately Spring 2025

Transport
Roads
The A350 road is Poole town centre's main arterial road, running north along Holes Bay and on to the A35, and as a single carriageway to Bath, and the M4 motorway although faster access to the motorway may also be gained via the A34 at Newbury. To the east, the A337 road leads to and the .

The A35 runs from to and connects to the A31 on the outskirts of the town. The A31, the major trunk road in central southern England, connects to the M27 motorway at Southampton. From here the M3 motorway leads to London.

, a narrow constructed in 1927, connects the town centre and Hamworthy. Approval for a second bridge was given by the Department for Transport in 2006 and the £37 million Twin Sails bridge was completed in 2012.

A road link to and the Isle of Purbeck across the narrow entrance of Poole Harbour is provided by the . Poole is also home to the Poole Heritage Cycle Route.

The A35, continuing as the A338 from the County Gates Gyratory, connects Poole to Bournemouth then continues north to .

Buses
Bus routes are operated by the following providers:

Railway
There are four railway stations in the Poole area; all are stops on the South West Main Line which links and . From east to west, these are (near the border with Bournemouth), , (in the town centre) and .

Services are operated by South Western Railway and generally consist of up to three trains per hour (fast, semi-fast and stopping services) to and from London, with two per hour to and from Weymouth.

Ferries
Poole is a port for passengers and freight. Ferry services from to and are provided by , who operate one-round trips per day using the to Cherbourg. and services to Guernsey using the ''Condor Voyager.

Ferries to are operated by using the Levante Jet.

Air
Bournemouth International Airport is located in , on the periphery of Bournemouth; it is sited away from Poole town centre. , and operate from the airport and provide scheduled services to destinations in the UK and Europe.

Education
Poole has eleven , seven , ten , nine secondary schools, three , five private schools and one college of further education. Two of Poole's secondary schools are which maintain a selective education system, assessed by the . Poole High School is the largest secondary school in Poole with 1,859 pupils. The Bournemouth and Poole College attracts over 16,000 students a year and is one of the largest further education colleges in the country and the leading provider of academic and vocational education in Dorset. It has two centrally located main campuses in Poole and Bournemouth.

From the 2007 General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results, Poole was ranked 18th out of 148 local authorities in England based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least five A* to C grades at GCSE level including English and maths (54.5% compared with the national average of 46.8%). Parkstone Grammar School was the most successful secondary school in Poole for GCSE results in 2007: 100% of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at A* to C grade including English and maths. Canford School also achieved 100% and Poole Grammar School was the next best performing school with 98%. Poole High School achieved 39% and the worst performing school was Rossmore Community College where only 19% of students achieved five or more A* to C grade results. Poole's grammar schools were also the best performing for results. Poole Grammar School was the 60th most successful school/sixth form in the country in 2007: each student achieved on average 1071.4 points compared to the national average of 731.2. Parkstone Grammar School students averaged 1017.9 points.

Bournemouth University was designated as a university in 1992 and despite its name, the university's main campus (the Talbot Campus) and buildings are within the boundaries of Poole Borough; a smaller campus is situated in Bournemouth itself. Media courses are the university's strength, and recent teaching quality assessments have resulted in ratings of 'excellent' for courses in the areas of communication and media, business and management, catering and hospitality, archaeology and nursing and midwifery. The Arts University Bournemouth was designated as a university in 2012 and is located at . It offers undergraduate, foundation degree, postgraduate and further education courses in contemporary arts, design and media.

Public services
Policing is undertaken by the Poole and Bournemouth Division of which has one police station in Poole on Wimborne Road in the town centre. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service provides statutory emergency fire and rescue services for Poole and are based at Poole Fire Station in which opened in 2008. The former fire station on Wimborne Road was demolished in 2008 and was replaced with a joint fire and police divisional headquarters which opened in 2009.

is a large acute hospital in with 638 beds and is part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. It opened in 1969 as Poole General Hospital, replacing Poole's Cornelia Hospital which had stood on the site since 1907. The hospital is the major trauma centre for East Dorset and provides core services such as child health and maternity for a catchment area including Bournemouth and Christchurch. Specialist services such as neurological care and cancer treatment are also provided for the rest of Dorset. The South Western Ambulance Service provides emergency patient transport.

and recycling are co-ordinated by Poole Borough Council in partnership with . Locally produced is sent to for disposal. Recycle waste is taken to Viridor's Materials Recycling Facility in for processing. Poole's distribution network operator for electricity is Scottish and Southern Energy. The water supply and sewerage systems are managed by ; sources in Wiltshire and Dorset provide 75% of drinking water, the rest comes from reservoirs fed by rivers and streams.

Media
Poole has one local newspaper, the Daily Echo, which is owned by . Published since 1900, the newspaper features news from Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding area. Issues are produced Monday through Saturday with an average daily circulation of 13,579. For local television, Poole is served by the studios based in , and from studios in . Local radio stations broadcasting to the town include BBC Radio Solent, Greatest Hits Radio South, , Nation Radio South Coast, Hits Radio Bournemouth & Poole and Hot Radio.

Notable people
The town has been the birthplace and home to notable people, of national and international acclaim. Former residents include British radio disc jockey , the artist , 's aunt and parental guardian , and The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien who lived in Poole for four years during his retirement. Alfred Russel Wallace, the 19th-century explorer, naturalist and co-formulator of the theory of evolution by natural selection, moved to Poole in 1902 when he was 78 years old and is buried in Broadstone cemetery.

Notable people born in Poole include the Suede guitarist Richard Oakes, of the band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the author John le Carré, the novelist Maggie Gee, stage actor , actress , cellist , boxer , the writer and actor David Croft, and James Stephen, the principal lawyer associated with the British abolitionist movement. , the director of films such as Shaun of the Dead, and The World's End was born in Poole and out of the five previous British winners of the title, two have hailed from Poole: and . , the former Tottenham Hotspur F.C. manager, and his son , a former England national football team player, have owned homes in . Former presenter was also born in Poole.[5] Molly Kingsbury who competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games was born in Poole. The actress Susannah Fielding who featured in This Time with Alan Partridge, was born there. Current Arsenal footballer Ben White was born in Poole as was Chelsea footballer . currently lives in Poole. Trampolinist Isabelle Songhurst was born in Poole. Hampshire cricketer and his older brother were also both born in Poole.

Twin towns
Poole is with:
  • Cherbourg in France (since 1977)

See also
  • Compton Acres
  • List of Dorset beaches
  • List of places in Dorset

Notes
Citations
Bibliography
  • (2025). 9780713708363, Poole Historical Trust.
  • (1988). 085033666X, Phillimore & Co Ltd. 085033666X
  • (2025). 9781841144115, Halsgrove.
  • (1986). 9780950491448, Poole Historical Trust.

External links

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