Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Poole (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Statue of Robert Baden-Powell, Brownsea Castle, and Baiter Park. Also, be sure to include Shell Bay in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Poole (England).
Table of Contents
Statue of Robert Baden-Powell
A statue of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting, is installed on the Quay in Poole harbour, Dorset on the south coast of England. The statue, erected in 2008, is a life-size bronze of Robert Baden-Powell by sculptor David Annand. It portrays Baden-Powell in his scout uniform, seated on a log as if for a campfire, with a pair of log seats either side which "allow easy access for photo opportunities".[1]
Brownsea Castle
Castle in England. Brownsea Castle, also known historically as Branksea Castle, was originally a Device Fort constructed by Henry VIII between 1545 and 1547 to protect Poole Harbour in Dorset, England, from the threat of French attack. Located on Brownsea Island, it comprised a stone blockhouse with a hexagonal gun platform. It was garrisoned by the local town with six soldiers and armed with eight artillery pieces. The castle remained in use after the original invasion scare had passed and was occupied by Parliament during the English Civil War of the 1640s. By the end of the century, however, it had fallen into disuse.
In 1726 the castle was converted into a private residence by William Benson, despite complaints from the town of Poole. Benson and the subsequent owners extended the original blockhouse to form a country house, landscaping the surrounding island to create ornamental gardens and lakes. The 19th century saw continued building work by the castle's occupants, including the entrepreneur Colonel William Waugh, who erected various Jacobethan-styled extensions. A serious fire in 1896 gutted the castle, which was restored by Major Kenneth Robert Balfour. The wealthy stockbroker Charles Van Raalte led a lavish lifestyle at Brownsea at the start of the 20th century, using it to house his collection of antique musical instruments.
Brownsea Castle was purchased by Mary Bonham-Christie in 1927. She allowed the property to fall into disrepair and by the time of her death in 1961 it was in a very poor condition. It was then purchased by the National Trust and leased to the John Lewis Partnership, who restored it over many years. In the 21st century it is still used by the Partnership as a corporate hotel for their employees and retired staff.[2]
Address: Poole Harbour, BH13 7EE, Poole
Baiter Park
Park in Poole, England. Baiter Park is a waterfront area of Poole, Dorset. Baiter Park is part of Harbourside Park along with Whitecliff Park. The park is bordered to the north by Labrador Drive and Catalina Drive and to the south by the edge of Poole Harbour and Parkstone Bay. Baiter Park is to the east of Poole Town Centre.
The Port of Poole can be seen across the water.[3]
Shell Bay
Bay in the United Kingdom. Shell Bay is a small bay in Dorset, England on the Studland peninsula. It is on the south side of the mouth of Poole Harbour and connected with Sandbanks by the Sandbanks Ferry which runs regularly across the entrance to the harbour and carries vehicles, foot passengers and cyclists. Bus number 50 also stops at Shell Bay. The beach is an unspoilt sandy beach, backed by dunes and heathland. A couple of streams flow over the beach from the heathland inland of the beach. The beach offers wonderful views over the bay to nearby Bournemouth and is also a good view point for watching the ships passing in and out of Poole Harbour, including the Condor Ferries to the Channel Islands.[4]
St. Hubert's Church
St Hubert's Church is a 13th-century Church of England parish church in Corfe Mullen, a district of Wimborne, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is a Grade II* listed building and one of two churches in the Anglican parish of Corfe Mullen that form "one church family" offering a mix of "traditional and contemporary worship". The church is a popular venue for weddings.[5]
Civic Centre
Poole Civic Centre is an Art Deco municipal building in Poole, Dorset. Since 7 October 2019 the building has been a Grade II listed building. Also sometimes known as Poole Town Hall, the civic centre was the headquarters of Poole Borough Council until 2019.[6]
Upton Country Park
Country park in Poole, England. Upton House is a country house in the grounds of Upton Country Park on the northwestern shoreline of Holes Bay in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. It is owned by BCP Council.[7]
Address: Poole Road, BH17 7BJ Poole
St James' Church
Church in Poole, England. St James is a Church of England parish church in Poole on the south coast of England, in the ceremonial county of Dorset.
The church is located in the historic quarter of the town, near Poole Quay. It is the parish church for the St James sub district of Poole. Lucy Holt is the current minister of the church. Today the church is still in use by the local population and has a large playgroup.
The church has long been associated with the local fishing trade and is known locally as 'the fishermen's church'. The church has an unusual weather vane fashioned in the shape of a fish. A church has stood on this spot for around 800 years but at the start of the 19th century, with the wealth of the Newfoundland trade, local merchants and dignitaries subscribed to rebuilding in the Georgian style, which is what we see today. The church is seen as a good example of English Georgian religious architecture. English Heritage have designated it a Grade II* listed building.
It has a small churchyard, predominantly 18th century interments, with a few in the early 1800s. The church used another burial site at Hunger Hill and, after 1855, the new municipal cemetery at Oakdale.[8]
Address: Church St, BH15 1JN Poole
Port of Poole
The Port of Poole is a cross channel port on Poole Harbour in Poole, Dorset, South West England. Along with Weymouth Harbour, Poole has the other major Channel Port in Dorset.[9]
Branksome Chine Beach Chalet
Beach
Address: Pinewood Rd, BH13 6JP Poole
Poole Methodist Church
Methodist church in Poole, England. Poole Methodist Church is a nineteenth-century Methodist church on Poole High Street in Dorset, England. An extension to the church was nominated for the 2016 Carbuncle Cup for "the ugliest building in the United Kingdom completed in the last 12 months".[10]
Compton Acres
Compton Acres is a large privately owned garden in Poole, Dorset, England. It was founded in 1920 by Thomas William Simpson, an entrepreneur who had become wealthy through the manufacture of margarine. The gardens are a popular tourist attraction.
Compton Acres consists of five themed sub-gardens: an Italian garden, a rock and water garden, a heather garden, a Japanese garden and a less formal woodland garden called the "Wooded Valley".[11]
Address: 164 Canford Cliffs Road, BH13 7ES Poole
Poole Museum
Museum in Poole, England. Poole Museum is a local history museum situated on the Lower High Street in the Old Town area of Poole, Dorset, and is part of the Borough of Poole Museum Service. Entrance to Poole Museum is free, and the museum is the fifth most visited free attraction in South West England.[12]
Address: 4 High St, BH15 1BW Poole
Parkstone Bay Marina
Sailing, Marina
Address: Turks Lane, Poole
The Lighthouse
Theatre in Poole, England. Lighthouse is an arts centre in Poole, Dorset, England. According to Arts Council England it is the largest arts centre in the United Kingdom outside London.
It has a 669-seat theatre, a 1,500 seat concert hall, a 150-seat studio, a 105-seat cinema, an Image Lab/media suite, a large gallery for photography and digital art, a restaurant and three function rooms. The concert hall is home to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
The Lighthouse is opposite Poole Bus Station and the Dolphin Shopping Centre.[13]
Address: 21 Kingland Rd., BH15 2EB Poole
Poole Bridge
Bridge. Poole Bridge is a bascule bridge in Poole, Dorset, England. Constructed in 1927, the bridge provides a road link across a busy boating channel. In February 2012 a second bridge was completed intending to operate in conjunction with the existing bridge[14]
Address: Blandford Rd., BH1 5 4 Poole
Ham Common
Nature preserve in Poole, England. Ham Common is a Local Nature Reserve at Hamworthy, near Poole, Dorset. Located on the north west shores of Poole Harbour, it is predominantly a heathland site but includes many other habitats including waste ground, mixed woodland, and a freshwater lake. Parking for the site can be found at Hamworthy Beach with access to the waterside for kayaking etc, or above the common from Napier Road. Easy walking access from Haven Rockley Holiday Park.
On 17 October 2003 Ham Common 'twinned' with Fleet Pond Local Nature Reserve in Hampshire. In 2006 a twinning event, and plaque unveiling, took place at Ham Common.[15]
Poole Park
Country park in Poole, England. 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.[16]
Address: Whitecliffe Rd., BH15 2SF Poole
Scaplen's Court
Scaplen's Court is a fifteenth century Grade I listed house in Poole, Dorset, England, adjacent to the Poole Museum. The house is now used as a museum focusing on life in Poole between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, and includes a Victorian schoolroom and kitchen.[17]
Address: Sarum St, BH15 1JW Poole
Brownsea Island Scout camp
Tourist attraction in England. The Brownsea Island Scout camp was the site of a boys' camping event on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England, organised by Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell to test his ideas for the book Scouting for Boys. Boys from different social backgrounds participated from 1 to 8 August 1907 in activities around camping, observation, woodcraft, chivalry, lifesaving and patriotism. The event is regarded as the origin of the worldwide Scout movement.
Up to the early 1930s, Boy Scouts continued to camp on Brownsea Island. In 1963, a formal 50-acre (20 ha) Scout campsite was opened by Olave Baden-Powell when the island became a nature conservation area owned by the National Trust. In 1973, a Scout Jamboree with six hundred Scouts was held on the island.
The worldwide centenary of Scouting took place at the Brownsea Island Scout camp, celebrated on 1 August 2007, the 100th anniversary of the start of the first encampment. Activities by The Scout Association at the campsite included four Scout camps and a Sunrise Ceremony.[18]