Poole hotels and self catering cottage accommodation in Poole

Dorset » Poole accommodation

With one of the World's biggest natural harbours, Poole is an industrial, historic town located at the end of the River Frome and is the largest town in Dorset. Its harbour was naturally formed during the latest Ice Age, about 7000 years ago.

Because of the higher sea levels, it's quite hard to establish exactly when the first settlements took place here, but the Poole Logboat, made of oak, is the oldest objects found so far, and dates back to the 3rd century BC. The Romans allegedly passed through Poole on their invasion, and the Normans most likely inhabited the area later on. This was Dorset’s commercial port to Europe, by the 15th century, and prospered up to Elizabethan times, when it became a county. It later became the country’s main trading port with North America as well.

All kinds of vessels can be seen around its hectic docks, from pleasure and yachts to fishing boats. Seaside, you’ll find active potteries in which you can take part, as well as an aquarium, a model railway, a museum and all sorts of cafés, restaurants, bars and shops. Well-known stores can be found in the town’s centre, alongside a few cobbled streets and ancient buildings.

Two of its clean, long beaches are Canford Cliffs, with a wildlife-filled cliff face, and Sandbanks, offering more than three miles of a beautiful sandy coastline.

Still an active port, Poole offers a variety of ferries and boat trips, to go anywhere from the local harbour and Brownsea Island, to the Isle of Wight and Purbeck, Studland Bay, or even France.

At Compton Acres, one can find both a Japanese and an Italian garden, featuring great views of the harbour and a deer sanctuary.