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Biography

Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset , on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset|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 United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census , making it the second largest settlement in Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, Dorset|Christchurch , the town forms the South East Dorset conurbation with a total population of over 400,000.

Human settlement in the area dates back to before the Iron Age . 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#History|wool trade . In later centuries the town had important trade links with North America and at its peak in the 18th century it was one of the busiest ports in Britain. During the World War II|Second World War the town was one of the main departing points for the D-Day landings of the Normandy landings|Normandy Invasion .

Poole is a Tourism|tourist resort, attracting visitors with its large Poole Harbour|natural harbour , history, the The Lighthouse (Poole)|Lighthouse arts centre and Blue Flag beach es. The town has a busy commercial port with English Channel|cross-Channel freight and passenger ferry services. The headquarters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) are located in Poole, and the Royal Marines have a base in the town's harbour. Despite their names, Poole is the home of The Arts University College at Bournemouth , the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and a significant part of Bournemouth University .

History

The town's name derives from a corruption of the Celtic languages|Celtic word bol and the Old English language|Old English word pool meaning a place near a pool or creek. Variants include Pool, Pole, Poles, Poll, Polle, Polman, and Poolman. The area around modern Poole has been inhabited for the past 2,500& nbsp;years. During the 3rd century BC, Celts known as the Durotriges moved from hilltop settlements at Maiden Castle, Dorset|Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings to heathland around the River Frome, Dorset|River Frome and Poole Harbour .Cullingford (p.183) The Roman Britain|Romans landed at Poole during their Roman conquest of Britain|conquest of Britain in the 1st century and took over an Iron Age settlement at Hamworthy , an area just west of the modern town centre.Legg (p.9) In Anglo-Saxon times, Poole was included in the Kingdom of Wessex . 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, Dorset|Wareham . Poole experienced two large-scale Viking invasions during this era: in 876, Guthrum sailed his fleet through the harbour to attack Wareham, and in 1015, Canute the Great|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 Manorialism|manor of Canford, but does not exist as an identifiable entry in the Domesday Book .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 II Longespée|William Longspée , sold a charter of liberties to the burgess (title)|burgesses of Poole in 1248 to raise funds for his participation in the Seventh Crusade . Consequently, Poole gained a small measure of freedom from Feudalism|feudal rule and acquired the right to appoint a mayor and hold a court within town. Poole's growing importance was recognised in 1433 when it was awarded staple port status by Henry VI of England|King Henry VI , enabling the port to begin exporting wool and in turn granting a license 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 county corporate by the Great Charter of Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I . During the English Civil War , Poole's puritan stance and its merchants' opposition to the ship money tax introduced by Charles I of England|King Charles I led to the town declaring for Roundhead|Parliament .Legg (p.31) Poole escaped any large-scale attack and with the Cavalier|Royalists on the brink of defeat in 1646, the Parliamentary garrison from Poole laid siege to and captured the nearby Royalist stronghold at Corfe Castle .Sydenham (p.127–128)

Poole established successful commerce with the British colonization of the Americas#British colonies in North America|North American colonies in the 16th century, including the important fisheries of Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland . The 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 was 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 medieval buildings were replaced with Georgian architecture|Georgian mansions and Terraced house|terraced housing . The end of the Napoleonic Wars 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 Mercantilism|mercantile 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 deep water ports at Liverpool, Southampton and Plymouth. Poole's first railway station opened in Hamworthy railway station|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 Hampshire began to attract tourists during the 19th century and the villages to the east of Poole began to grow and merge until the seaside resort of Bournemouth 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 D-Day landings of Operation Overlord and afterwards served as a base for supplies to the Allies of World War II|allied forces in Europe. Eighty-one landing craft containing American troops from the 29th Infantry Division (United States)|29th Infantry Division and the United States Army Rangers|U.S. Army Rangers departed Poole Harbour for Omaha Beach . Poole was also an important centre for the development of Combined Operations Headquarters|Combined Operations and the base for a United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard rescue flotilla of 60 United States Coast Guard Cutter|cutters . Much of the town suffered from German bombing during the war and years of neglect in the post-war Economic history of the United Kingdom#1945–1959: the post-War era|economic decline . Major Urban renewal|redevelopment projects began in the 1950s and 1960s and large areas of slum 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.

Governance

Council

On 1 April 1997, the town was made a unitary authority following a review by the Local Government Commission for England (1992) , and became once again administratively independent from Dorset. The borough reverted to its previous title of the Borough and County of the Town of Poole , which recalled its status as a county corporate before the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888 . For UK local elections|local elections , 42 councillor s are elected across 16 Wards of the United Kingdom|wards and elections take place every four years. The last election took place in May 2011, resulting in no overall control . The Council is made up of 21 Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative , 18 Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat and three Poole People councillors. Poole's council leader is Elaine Atkinson (Conservative) and the Mayor is Graham Wilson (Liberal Democrat). Poole's Sheriff , a position created by the town's charter of 1568 and just one of 15 Sheriffs in the country, is Carol Evans (Conservative). The Audit Commission 's 2009 Comprehensive Area Assessment described the Borough of Poole as "performing well overall" and rated its services as "good when compared with other councils". Poole has been Town twinning|twinned with the town of Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg in France since 1977.

Parliamentary representation

Poole is represented by two parliamentary United Kingdom constituencies|constituencies in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons ; Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Poole and Mid Dorset and North Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Dorset and North Poole . The borough constituency of Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|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 (UK Parliament constituency)|East Dorset constituency until its reintroduction in 1950. Robert Syms Conservative Party (UK)|(Conservative) has been the Member of Parliament since 1997. At the 2010 general election, the Conservatives won a majority of 7,541 and 47.5% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats won 31.6% of the vote, Labour Party (UK)|Labour 12.7%, the United Kingdom Independence Party|UK Independence Party 5.3% and the British National Party 2.5%.
The county constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Dorset and North Poole was created in 1997 and includes the north east of Poole, Wimborne Minster , Wareham, Dorset|Wareham and extends into rural Dorset. Annette Brooke Liberal Democrats (UK)|(Liberal Democrat) has been the Member of Parliament since 2001. . At the United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 general election , the Liberal Democrats won with a majority of 269 and 45.1% of the vote in Mid Dorset and North Poole. The Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives won 44.5% of the vote, Labour Party (UK)|Labour 5.9% and the United Kingdom Independence Party|UK Independence Party 4.15%. Poole is included in the South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England constituency for elections to the European Parliament .

Coat of arms

The design of the coat of arms originated in a Seal (device)|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 sign of Poole's maritime interests. The scallop shells are the emblem of James, son of Zebedee|Saint James and are associated with his Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela|shrine at Santiago de Compostela – a popular destination for Pilgrimage#Christianity|Christian pilgrims departing from Poole Harbour in the Middle Ages .

The arms were confirmed by the College of Arms on 19 June 1948, and at the same time the crest (a mermaid supporting an anchor and holding a cannon ball) was granted. Following Local Government Act 1972|local government reorganisation in 1974, the 1948 arms were transferred to Poole Borough Council. In 1976, the council received the grant of supporters 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 II Longespée|William Longespee who in 1248 granted the town's first charter; on the right is a dragon derived from the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms of Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I who granted Poole county corporate status in 1568. The Latin motto – 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 located on the shore of the English Channel and lies on the northern and eastern edges of Poole Harbour , west-southwest of London, at . The oldest part of the town (including the historic Old Town, Poole Quay and the Dolphin Shopping Centre) lies to the south-east of Poole Harbour#Holes Bay|Holes Bay 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, Dorset|Upton and Corfe Mullen and across the northern border at the River Stour, Dorset|River Stour lies Wimborne Minster . At the eastern edge of Poole, the town abuts Bournemouth and the settlements of Kinson , Winton, Dorset|Winton and Westbourne, Dorset|Westbourne . To the south of Poole along the coast lies Poole Bay , featuring of sandy beaches from Sandbanks 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 Hamlet (place)|hamlets that were absorbed into Poole as the town grew.

Alderney, Dorset|Alderney - Bearwood, Dorset|Bearwood - Branksome, Dorset|Branksome - Branksome Park - Broadstone, Dorset|Broadstone - Canford Cliffs - Canford Heath - Creekmoor - Fleetsbridge - Hamworthy - Lilliput, Poole|Lilliput - Longfleet - Merley - Newtown, Dorset|Newtown - Oakdale, Dorset|Oakdale - Parkstone - Penn Hill - Sandbanks - Sterte - Talbot Village - Wallisdown - Waterloo, Dorset|Waterloo

The natural environment of Poole is characterised by lowland heathland to the north and wooded chine s and coastline to the south. The heathland habitat supports the six native List of British reptiles|British reptile species and provides a home for a range of Dragonfly|dragonflies 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 Area s. The town lies on unresistant beds of Eocene clays (mainly London Clay and Gault Clay ), sands and gravels. The River Frome, Dorset|River Frome runs through this weak rock, and its many tributary|tributaries have carved out a wide estuary . At the mouth of the estuary spit (landform)|sand spits have been deposited, enclosing the estuary to create Poole Harbour.

The harbour is the largest Harbour#Natural harbors|natural harbour in Europe and the claimant of the title of second largest natural harbour in the world after Port Jackson|Sydney Harbour . It is an area of international importance for nature conservation and is noted for its ecology, supporting salt marsh es, mudflat s and an internationally important habitat for several species of Migrating birds|migrating bird . It has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest|Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) , a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar Convention|Ramsar site as well as falling within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The harbour covers an area of and is extremely shallow: although the main shipping channels are deep the average depth of the harbour is . It contains several small islands, the largest is Brownsea Island , a nature reserve owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust and the birthplace of the Scouting movement and location of the first Brownsea Island Scout Camp|Scout Camp . Britain's largest onshore oil field operates from Wytch Farm on the south shore of the harbour. The Petroleum reservoir|oil reservoirs extend under the harbour and eastwards from Sandbanks and Studland 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 Jurassic Coast , Poole is a gateway town to the UNESCO World Heritage Site , which includes of the Dorset and east Devon coast important for its geology, landforms and rich fossil record . The South West Coast Path stretches for from Minehead in Somerset , along the coast of Devon and Cornwall and on to Poole. The path is the United Kingdom's longest Long-distance footpaths in the UK|national trail at .

Climate

Due to its location on the south coast of England, Poole has a temperate climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The average annual Arithmetic mean|mean temperature from 1971 to 2000 was 10.2 to 12& nbsp; Celsius|°C (50.4 to 53.6& nbsp; Fahrenheit|°F ). 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 .

Demography

Religion
Buddhism	0.16
Christianity	74.34
Hinduism	0.15
Judaism	0.32
Islam	0.41
Irreligion	16.23
List of religions	0.32
Sikhism	0.03
Not stated	8.03

Age!!Percentage
0–4
5–14
15–29
30–44
45–64
65+

Poole merges with several other towns to form the South East Dorset conurbation which has a combined population of 445,000, forming one of the South Coast's major urban areas. The population of Poole according to the 2001 UK Census was 138,288. The town has a built-up area of , giving an approximate population density of 2,128 residents per square kilometre (5,532 per sq mi) 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% 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 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 to 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 White British 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 Religion in the United Kingdom#Statistics|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 England|south west region . The average price of a property in Poole in 2008 was £274,011; Single-family detached home|detached houses were on average £374,150, semi-detached and terraced house s 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 Sandbanks 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.

Population growth in Poole since 1801
Year	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	1921	1931	1941	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Population
% change
Source:

Economy

'''Poole's employment structure
Sector
Agriculture
Energy and Water
Manufacturing
Construction
Services

Poole’s economy is more balanced than the rest of Dorset. In the 1960s prosperity was fuelled by growth in the Secondary sector of economic activity|manufacturing sector , whereas the 1980s and 1990s saw expansion in the Tertiary sector of economic activity|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. Sunseeker , the world's largest privately-owned builder of Luxury yacht|motor yachts and the UK's largest manufacturer, is based in Poole and employs over 1,800 people in its Poole shipyard s. It was estimated in 2004 that Sunseeker generates £160& nbsp;million for the local economy. Other major employers in the local manufacturing industry include Sealed Air , Hamworthy Heating, Hamworthy Combustion, Lush (store)|Lush , Mathmos , Penske Cars Ltd (who build racing cars for Penske Racing ), Kerry Foods, Transmission Developments, Precision Disc Casting, Siemens , Southernprint and Ryvita . Poole has the largest number of industrial estates in South East Dorset conurbation|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 local residents or for the tourist economy. 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 Barclays Bank (who operate a regional headquarters in Poole), American Express Bank and the corporate trust division of Bank of New York Mellon . Other important service sector employers include Link House Publications, the national headquarters and Lifeboat College of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution|Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) , the UK headquarters of Fitness First , Bournemouth University and Poole NHS Primary Care Trust . Poole is also the headquarters for clothing company Animal (clothing)|Animal , and Merlin Entertainments , the world's second-largest theme park operator after Disney . The Dolphin Shopping Centre is Poole's main Retailing|retail area, and the largest indoor Shopping mall|shopping centre in Dorset. It opened in 1969 as an Arndale Centre , and underwent three major refurbishments in 1980, 1989 and 2004. The centre provides of retail space with 110 stores and two multi-storey car park s with 1,400 parking spaces. A pedestrianised high street containing shops, bars, public house s 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, Poole Pottery and the beaches are some of the main attractions for visitors. Visitor accommodation consists of hotels, Guest house (lodging)|guest houses and bed and breakfast rooms located around the town, particularly in Sandbanks and the town centre. Rockley Park, a large RV park|caravan site in Hamworthy , is owned and operated by Haven and British Holidays .

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 English Channel|cross-channel freight and passenger traffic. The port is a destination for bulk cargo 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 Cherbourg , St Malo and the Channel Islands . The Royal Marines operate out of the harbour at Royal Marines Poole , established in Hamworthy in 1954. The base is home to 1 Assault Group Royal Marines (responsible for landing craft and small boat training), a detachment of the Royal Marines Reserve and special forces unit the Special Boat Service . 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, Hampshire 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 Common Fisheries Policy|fishing quotas introduced by the European Union . A large number of unlicensed boats also operate charted or private angling excursions.

Landmarks

Poole Quay is a visitor attraction to the south of the town centre lined with a mixture of traditional public houses, redeveloped warehouses, modern apartment blocks and historic listed buildings . Once the busy centre of Poole's Shipping|maritime industry , all port activities moved to Hamworthy 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 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. The Poole Pottery production factory once stood on the eastern end of the Quay but the site was redeveloped into a luxury Tower block|apartment block and marina in 2001, although an outlet store remains on the site. Boats regularly depart from the quay during the summer and provide cruises around the harbour and to Brownsea Island , the River Frome, Dorset|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 Scouting|Scout Movement on Brownsea Island. At the western end of the quay near the mouth of Poole Harbour#Holes Bay|Holes Bay is Poole Bridge . Built in 1927, it is the third bridge to be located on the site since 1834.

Poole's Guildhall 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 Marketplace|market house 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 (England and Wales)|Magistrates' Court , Admiralty court|Court of Admiralty and a venue for Quarter Sessions . Between 1819 and 1821 the building was consecrated as a Church of England parish church|Parish Church while the old St James' Church, Poole|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 prior to the Operation Overlord|invasion of France . The showers and washing facilities installed at this time were later converted into Public bathing|public baths 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 Register Office for weddings, Civil partnership in the United Kingdom|civil partnerships and other civic ceremonies.

Poole has several urban park s – the largest is Poole Park adjacent to Poole Harbour and the town centre. It opened in 1890 and is one of two Victorian era|Victorian parks in Poole. Designated a Conservation Area in 1995 and awarded a Green Flag Award|Green Flag in 2008, the park comprises of which include the park's man-made lake and ponds. The park contains two children's play areas, a Ridable miniature railway|miniature railway , tennis courts, a bowling green , a miniature golf course, an Italian restaurant and an indoor ice rink for children. A cricket field 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 war memorial stands in the centre of the park as a monument to Poole citizens killed during the First World War|First and Second World War s. The park hosts several Road running|road races such as the Race for Life and the annual Poole Festival of Running.

Poole's sandy beach es are a popular tourist destination extending along Poole Bay from the Sandbanks peninsular to Branksome Dene Chine at the border with Bournemouth . The beaches are divided into four areas: Sandbanks, Shore Road, Canford Cliffs Chine and Branksome Chine. Poole's beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag beach|European Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety 21 times since 1987, more than any other British seaside resort and in 2000 the Keep Britain Tidy|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 lifeguards 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 Christian Church|Christian worship including five Grade II* and five Grade II Listed building|listed churches, but no notable sites of worship for any other major religious groups . The Grade II* St James' Church, Poole|St James' Church is a simplified Gothic Revival architecture|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. Peters Parish Church in Parkstone which was first built in 1833 and replaced in 1876; St. Osmunds Church, also in Parkstone, is a Byzantine architecture|Byzantine style building, formerly an Anglicanism|Anglican church it became a Romanian Orthodox Church in 2005; and the Church of England parish church|Parish Church of St. Aldhelm in Branksome, Dorset|Branksome , built by the architects George Frederick Bodley|Bodley and Thomas Garner|Garner in 1892 in the Gothic Revival style.

Sport and recreation

Poole Harbour and Poole Bay are popular areas for a number of recreational pursuits, including sailing , windsurfing , surfing , kitesurfing and water skiing . 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 special designated area known as the Wareham Channel. The waters around the harbour, Poole Bay and Studland Bay are also popular for recreational angling and diving.

Poole's wide and sandy beaches are used for swimming, sunbathing, water sports and sailing. The beaches at Sandbanks are often used for sporting events such as the Sandbanks Beach Volleyball Festival, and the annual British Beach polo|Beach Polo Championship.

Poole Harbour is one of the largest centres for sailing in the UK with yacht clubs including Lilliput Sailing Club, Parkstone Yacht Club and Poole Yacht Club. Parkstone Yacht Club hosted the OK (dinghy)|OK Dinghy World Championships in 2004, the J/24 National Championships in 2006 and the J/24 European Championships in 2007, and are the organisers of Youth Week and Poole Week – two of the largest annual dinghy regatta s of their type in the country.

Poole's oldest Association Football|football team is Poole Town F.C. , a semi-professional team who play in the Southern Football League Division One South & West – the eighth 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 football|non-League levels but once reached the third round of the FA Cup . They played at Poole Stadium until 1994 and have since settled at Tatnam Farm, sharing the school playing field with Oakdale South Road Middle School . Poole's other football teams are Hamworthy United , who formed in 1970 and also play in the Wessex Premier League, and 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.

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

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 Cinque Ports|Cinque Port of Winchelsea 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, Dorset|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.

The Animal Windfest is an annual three day long festival of water-sports held at Sandbanks . The event features the UK Windsurfing#Freestyle|windsurfing freestyle final, the second round of the British Kitesurfing|kiteboarding championships and other amateur competitions and demonstration events. First held in 1998, the festival attracts approximately 10,000 people each year. 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.

Poole's The Lighthouse (Poole)|Lighthouse is the largest arts centre complex in the United Kingdom outside London. Built in 1978, the centre contains a Movie theater|cinema , concert hall , studio , theatre , image lab and media suite and galleries featuring exhibitions of contemporary photography and modern digital art . The venue underwent an £8.5& nbsp;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, Poole Museum illustrates the story of the area and its people and the collections reflect the cultural, social and industrial history of Poole. Displays include the Poole Logboat and a detailed history of Poole from the Iron Age to the present day. The museum has a floor devoted to the history of Poole Pottery and some of the company's products are on display. Entrance to the museum is free.

Transport

The A350 road is Poole town centre's main artery, running north from Poole Bridge along Poole Harbour#Holes Bay|Holes Bay and on to the A35 road|A35 , and as a single carriageway to Bath, Somerset|Bath and Bristol . To the east, the A337 road leads to Lymington and the New Forest . The A35 trunk road runs from Devon to Southampton and connects to the A31 road|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 (Great Britain)|M3 motorway leads to London, and fast access may also be gained via the A34 road (England)|A34 to the M4 motorway|M4 north of Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury . A second bridge is being built to connect Poole and Hamworthy as the Poole Bridge|existing bridge is unsuitable for the traffic flow. The £34& nbsp;million Twin Sails bridge project was given approval by the Department for Transport in 2006 but construction was initially held up due to a stalemate between the council and the land owners and delays by the Department for Transport in approving a £14& nbsp;million grant. After negotiations between the council and the land owners were settled in August 2009 and the government grant was provided in March 2010, construction began in May 2010 with completion due by early 2012. A road link to Studland and the Isle of Purbeck across the narrow entrance of Poole Harbour is provided by the Sandbanks Ferry .

Local bus services are run by Wilts & Dorset who are based at the town’s bus station and have served Poole since 1983. Wilts & Dorset operate networks across Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Salisbury , in addition to operations on the Isle of Purbeck and the New Forest . Other services are run by Bournemouth based Transdev Yellow Buses , Roadliner, Shamrock Buses and Damory Coaches . Poole is connected to towns and villages along the Jurassic Coast by the First in Hampshire & Dorset|First X53 service, which runs along a route of to Weymouth, Dorset|Weymouth , Bridport , Lyme Regis , Seaton, Devon|Seaton and Exeter . Poole bus station is the terminus of National Express Coaches which have frequent departures to London Victoria Coach Station . There are also direct services to the West Country , the Sussex coast, Bristol, Birmingham, the English Midlands|Midlands , the North West England|North West , Edinburgh and Glasgow. The National Express Flightlink service serves Heathrow Airport and connects to Gatwick and London Stansted Airport|Stansted Airport .

Poole has four railway stations on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth. From east to west these are Branksome railway station|Branksome near the border with Bournemouth, Parkstone railway station|Parkstone , Poole railway station in the town centre and Hamworthy railway station|Hamworthy . Services to Waterloo are operated by South West Trains ; two trains, a fast and a semi fast service, depart every hour. Plans for a £50& nbsp;million redevelopment of Poole railway station have stalled since 2006 due to contractual issues between land owners Network Rail and developers the Kier Group .

Poole is a English Channel|cross-Channel port for passengers and freight with up to seven sailings a day in the summer season. Ferry services from Poole Harbour to Cherbourg are provided by Brittany Ferries who operate two ferries from Poole: the MV Normandie Vitesse| Normandie Vitesse and the MV Cotentin| Cotentin . The Normandie Vitesse provides a high-speed daily passenger service to Cherbourg between May and September; the Cotentin freight ship covers the Poole-Cherbourg route year-round and runs a weekend service between Poole and Santander, Cantabria|Santander , Spain. The Condor Ferries catamarans HSC Condor Express| Condor Express and HSC Condor Vitesse| Condor Vitesse run seasonal services to Guernsey , Jersey and St. Malo , Brittany . Bournemouth Airport|Bournemouth International Airport in Hurn , on the periphery of Bournemouth, is the nearest airport to Poole – from Poole town centre. Ryanair , easyJet , Thomson Airways and Palmair operate from the airport and provide scheduled services to destinations in the UK and Europe.

Education

Poole has sixteen first school s, eight Middle school#United Kingdom|middle schools , seven combined school s, eight secondary school|secondary and Grammar schools in the United Kingdom|grammar schools , five special school s, two Independent school (UK)|independent schools and one college of further education . Canford School is an independent boarding school administered by Poole local education authority . Poole’s two grammar schools maintain a selective education system, assessed by the Eleven plus exam|Twelve plus exam . Poole High School is the largest secondary school in Poole with 1,660 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 campus es in Poole and Bournemouth. In 2008, the college announced plans to refurbish and redevelop its campuses at an estimated cost of £120& nbsp;million. However, the project stalled in 2009 when the Learning and Skills Council , which had promised to provide 80% of the money, ran out of funds.

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 maths and English (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 maths and English. 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 A-level 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 in Poole and smaller campus is situated in Bournemouth. 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 College at Bournemouth is a university-sector institution in Poole at Wallisdown . The AUCB offers Undergraduate degree|undergraduate , foundation degree , Postgraduate education|postgraduate and further education courses in contemporary arts, design and media.

Public services

Home Office policing in Poole is provided by the Poole and Bournemouth Division of Dorset Police which has two police stations in Poole: on Wimborne Road in the town centre, and on Gravel Hill in Canford Heath . Dorset Fire and Rescue Service provides Fire service in the United Kingdom|statutory emergency fire and rescue services for Poole and are based at Poole Fire Station in Creekmoor which opened in 2008. The former fire station on Wimborne Road was demolished in 2008 and was replaced with a new joint fire and police divisional headquarters which opened in 2009.

Poole Hospital is a large NHS Foundation Trust hospital in Longfleet with 789 beds. 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 Emergency department|trauma center 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.

Waste management and recycling are co-ordinated by Poole Borough Council in partnership with Viridor|Viridor Waste Management . Locally produced inert waste is sent to landfill for disposal. Recycle waste is taken to the recycling plant at the Allington Quarry Waste Management Facility in Kent for processing. Poole's Distribution Network Operator for electricity is Scottish and Southern Energy . Drinking water|Drinking and waste water is managed by Wessex Water ; groundwater sources in Wiltshire and Dorset provide 80% of drinking water, the rest comes from reservoir s fed by rivers and streams.

Media

Poole has one main local newspaper, the Bournemouth Daily Echo|Daily Echo , which is owned by Newsquest . Published since 1900, the newspaper features news from Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding area. Issues appear Monday through Saturday with a Newspaper circulation|daily circulation of 32,441. For local television, Poole is served by the BBC South studios based in Southampton , and by ITV Meridian from studios in Fareham . Radio stations broadcasting to the town include BBC Radio Solent , Wave 105 , Heart Dorset & New Forest (formerly 2CR FM ), Fire Radio and The Bay 102.8 .

Notable people

The town has been the birthplace and home to notable people, of national and international acclaim. The boxer Freddie Mills , one of the biggest British sports stars of the 1940s and 1950s was born in Parkstone . Former residents include British radio disc jockey Tony Blackburn , the artist Augustus John , John Lennon 's aunt and parental guardian Mimi Smith , 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-founder 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 Greg Lake of the band Emerson, Lake & Palmer , the author John le Carré , stage actor Oswald Yorke (born Oswald Harker), the writer and actor David Croft (TV producer)|David Croft , and James Stephen (politician)|James Stephen , the principal lawyer associated with the British Abolitionism|abolitionist movement. Edgar Wright , the director of films such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz was born in Poole and out of the five previous British winners of the Miss World title, two have hailed from Poole: Ann Sydney and Sarah-Jane Hutt . Harry Redknapp , the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. manager, and his son Jamie Redknapp , a former England national football team player, have owned homes in Sandbanks .

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