I started work in Poole over 50 years ago and I have seen many changes around the town. I saw what was then the Arndale Centre ( now known as the Dolphin Centre ) being built. The quay is one of the most beautiful places to visit. Poole Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world and Brownsea island being within this harbour is now the home of the thriving red Squirrel population and the home of Boy Scout movement in England. The Poole Harbour area has been inhabited for at least 2,500 years. During the Iron Age, Celtic people known as the Durotriges lived in Dorset, particularly around Wareham, five miles ( eight km ) to the west. In the 3rd century BC, these Celtic people moved from hilltop settlements, such as Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings on the chalk downs to the north, to the lower vales and heathland around the River Frome and Poole Harbour. This marshy area may have lent its name to the Durotriges, which means water dwellers. The Durotriges engaged in cross-channel trading at Poole with the Veneti, a seafaring tribe from Brittany. The earliest significant archaeological find in the harbour is the Poole Longboat, a 10 metres ( 33 ft ) boat made from a single oak tree and dating to 295 BC. During that time, the harbour was shallower than it is today and any settlement would now be under water.
Poole Quay is a visitor attraction to the south of the town centre lined with a mixture of traditional public houses, new bars, redeveloped warehouses, modern apartment blocks and historic listed buildings. Once the busy centre of Poole's maritime industry, all port activities moved to Hamworthy in the 1970’s 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 medieval warehouse built in the 15th century on the foundations of a 14th century stone building, houses a local history centre. Scaplen's Court, another Grade I listed building, also dates from the medieval era. Poole Pottery has been redeveloped into an apartment block. Boats regularly depart from the quay during the summer and provide cruises around the harbour and to Brownsea Island, the River Frome and Swanage. 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 Scout Movement on Brownsea Island. At the western end of the quay near the mouth of Holes Bay is Poole Bridge. Built in 1927, it is the third bridge to be located on the site since 1834.
The RNLI museum ( though quite small ) is dedicated to the lifeboat service in based in Poole. It is located in the historical old lifeboat station that was built in 1863 and the main exhibit is the Dunkirk one of the little ships RNLB Thomas Kirk Wright. The first boathouse was built in 1865 at Sandbanks just by the narrow entrance to the large and natural Poole Harbour. This was remote from the main building in Poole which meant the crew had to be collected by horse-drawn wagon from the Antelope Hotel in the High Street Old Town and taken to Sandbanks.
Poole was one of several harbouring sites along the south coast of Britain where the Romans landed during their conquest of Britain the 1st century. The Roman Emperor, Vespasian, brought the Second Augustan Legion to the harbour in 43 AD and founded Hamworthy, an area just west of the modern town centre. The Romans and continued to use the harbour throughout the occupation. Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is 33 kilometres ( 21 miles ) east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council. The town had a population of 138,288 according to the 2001 census, making it the second largest settlement in Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, the town forms the South East Dorset conurbation with a total population of over 400,000.
Poole swing bridge was out of use for many months during 2016 and 2017, it was closed for repairs. This bridge is a lifting bridge that operates during the day to allow boats passing through into the many moorings available in Poole Harbour.
Poole Park is an urban park adjacent to Poole Harbour in Poole, Dorset, England. The park was opened during the Victorian era and has remained popular with visitors ever since. It is open all year round and hosts a number of events.
There are 3 free car parks in the park:
next to The Kitchen (around 40 spaces, up to 2 hours stay)
near the small roundabout between Rockley Watersports and The Ark (around 30 spaces, up to 3 hours stay)
next to The Ark (around 60 spaces, up to 3 hours stay)
29 окт 2024
