Part of the Old Town
 

Poole  (Town Centre area.) BH15

Population Approx. 141,000 (2001)

Poole Harbour (said to be the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney) has been a working port for many hundreds of years, though the port has declined somewhat as the shallow water cannot take the largest ships. The harbour is noted for its ecology: supporting saltmarsh, mudflats and an internationally important population of wintering waterfowl, as well as the Brownsea Island nature reserve, where the Scouting movement began. Today the port is amongst other things the home of Sunseeker, manufacturers of luxury yachts, and the departure point for ferries (Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries) to France and the Channel Islands. The quayside and harbour was the place from which some ships departed for the D-Day landings of World War II.

 
The earliest significant archaeological find in the harbour itself is the Poole Longboat, a 10 metre boat made from a single oak tree and dating to 295 BC. Poole was one of the sites along the south coast where the Romans landed. The Romans founded Hamworthy, an area just west of the modern town centre, and continued to use the harbour during the occupation.

 
Poole was a small fishing village at the time of the Norman Conquest, but grew rapidly into an important port exporting wool and in 1433 was made Port of the Staple. By then the town had trade links from the Baltic to Spain. However, in 1405 the Spanish burnt Poole to the ground because local pirate Harry Paye was attacking Spanish vessels. The town continued to grow in importance despite the effects of piracy and, in 1571, was made a county corporate. In the 17th century transatlantic trade and travel developed and at the start of the 18th century Poole was beating rival Bristol as the busiest port in England. The town grew rapidly during the industrial revolution as urbanisation took place, and the merchants put up tenement buildings, most of which were demolished during the ill-advised slum clearance activities in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Recreation 

The harbour is a fantastic recreational area for sailors whether powered or otherwise, with a number of Islands mud flats and inlets. The wetland areas are host to many birds and seal can be seen during the summer months. It is still possible to sail to Wareham Quay.

A futuristic development of luxury apartments, Dolphin Quays, sits overlooking the quay. Many see the building as out of character with the rest of the quay, one thing that can be agreed is the hefty price tag attached to them! Quite a few have changed hands confirming the fact that many were bought at the outset by  speculators.

Boat and fishing tours are a regular feature and the cross channel service is a useful service. A public slip-way is found to the east at Baiter Park, a grassed area with car parks. Poole park is in the central area with a boating lake and restaurant as well as a mini railway, popular with children.

The beaches of Sandbanks sit on the peninsula, clean safe and with clean water status. Over the last couple of years efforts have been made to re-populate the beaches with sand which has been a success. At the tip of the peninsula a chain ferry operates to the Studland beach and beyond onto studland village and the Purbecks. The Purbecks are the gateway to the eastern end of the Jurassic coast.

The town has a number of fitness clubs as well as a motor cycle speedway track off of the Wimborne Road. 

Shopping

A good range of shops and supermarkets are to be found in and around the Dolphin shopping centre. A number of traditional shops are found in the High Street running north to South from the quay. At the time of writing a market is held in the High Street on a Thursday, weekly.

Transport.

A bus station with both local and national operators sits immediately outside of the Dolphin centre. A railway station provides a London Weymouth service. There is no motorway in Dorset, access to the M3 is via the A31 the M27 and onto the M3. The Twin Sails bridge linking Hamworthy from the Holes Bay relief road has been on the agenda for a number of years. It is hoped that if final approval is given and all of the hoops are cleared then it could be in operaton in 2009/10. It will have an impact on the access to the port area and indeed Hamworthy, seeing this as a new hot spot. Any purchase here will be speculative, but there is no doubt that the evidence suggests prices in the area are rising. In particular properties with harbour views have risen dramatically. Even so, they are a fraction of the cost of the properties in BH13.  

Schooling

There are a number of schools catering for all ages. Detailed locations can be obtained from ourselves.

Housing.

80% Owner Occupier. 

Average house prices.

Detached £280,000 (Median, Jan 06-Jan 07)

The three months of June -August see the majority of sales.

The most expensive properties will be found on the Sandbanks peninsula including adjacent Branksome Park BH13. The average house price in this area is over 1 million pounds.

There is however a good stock of  housing to meet most pockets, as with all towns some areas are more desirable than others and local knowledge is essential.

 Our View.

Poole has suffered for many years in the shadow of its neighbour, Bournemouth. Over the last 10-15 years the town has embarked on a substantial regeneration scheme. There are cranes on the horizon! The Quay area is hugely popular with the commercial area on the Hamworthy side; and the tourist side opposite the water-way, accessable via the lifting bridge. Just behind the Quay and off of the High Street is the old part of the town. The buildings are of a good age and sit close to the old  Guildhall, Georgian and Victorian architecture can be seen. The nearby beaches are second to none and are a great favourite with families. With useful road and rail links the town is a good location to explore the rest of the county. There is little in the way of industry with most located on a number of industrial sites. Hospitals are located at Poole and Bournemouth, with plenty of surgeries. There are a number of purpose built housing for the senior citizen, reinforcing the statistics for this age group.

It is difficult to fault the town but we will try! The lifting bridge between Hamworthy and Poole causes traffic build up at any time of the year, worse in the summer months. The Sandbanks peninsula can get very choaked with traffic in high season, if the sun is shining and the beach is your option......leave early!
The A31 from the A27 westtbound is not the place to be if you do not heed our advice!
If you like to be on the water the public slipways are few and far between. The one at Baiter Park is very busy in the high season. It really is a place to sit and be entertained as the expensive toys are put through there paces by our nautical race! The harbour although large, can get very congested on Bank Holidays. The housing is very mixed, some clearing out of town centre properties would enhance the area.