Poole

Poole is built around Poole Harbour, which covers 15 square miles (39 sq km). The largest of its islands is Brownsea Island, a National Trust nature reserve and the birthplace of the Scouting movement; the Brownsea Island page covers how to reach it. Poole is in Dorset but is run by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, not Dorset Council, so parking and beach rules are set by BCP.

Poole Quay was once the busy centre of the town’s maritime industry, until port activities moved to Hamworthy in the 1970s. Poole Museum stands in the Old Town with a view of the quay. It reopened on 5 November 2025 after a major redevelopment and admission is free. The galleries include the Poole Iron Age Logboat, nearly 10 metres long and the largest ever found in Southern Britain, and Scaplen’s Court & Garden is part of the same site.

At the harbour mouth is Sandbanks, where the chain ferry crosses the mouth of the harbour to Studland. It runs every 20 minutes, seven days a week, from early morning until late evening, and each crossing takes about four minutes. The ferry pauses for a scheduled refit from 2 November, so check the Sandbanks Ferry website for dates before planning a winter trip. When it runs, the crossing saves a long drive round the harbour if you are heading for Swanage or the rest of the Isle of Purbeck. Sandbanks Beach has its own page, including the seasonal dog rules.