Poole

The port of Poole is the largest urban centre in the county of Dorset. For many years a busy fishing port, today Poole is most popular as a resort town and boating centre. The area of Sandbanks Beach has been awarded the EC highest commendation for cleanliness for its 3 miles of fine family-oriented seafront.

ATTRACTIONS Brownsea Island Compton Acres Upton Country Park

Located in Poole Harbour is the 500 acre Brownsea Island, the base for the very first Boy Scout camp. The island is still used by scouts, but today it is preserved as a natural wildlife habitat and reserve administered by the National Trust. Brownsea is notable for its large population of red squirrels, rare in the rest of England. The nature reserve at Brownsea covers 180 acres, and is a popular daytrip destination from Bournemouth and Poole. Regular boat service also let visitors explore Poole Harbour and up the River Frome to the old market town of Wareham.

Overlooking Poole Harbour is Compton Acres, 10 acres of remarkable mixed gardens, including a Japanese, Roman, Old English, Italian, Canadian, and Spanish garden area among others. The gardens at Compton Acres are composed so that each area is seperate and can be experienced independent of the others, creating a tour of world gardening styles in miniature.

On Poole Quay is the Boathouse Museum, dedicated to telling the tale of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Poole RLNI station, which has been in operation since 1865.

The Poole Park Railway is a narrow gauge railway which takes daily 1/2 mile trips around Poole Lake during the summer months and on weekends during the rest of the year.