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City guide

Poole, England

Poole is a coastal town, seaport on the south coast of England and civil parish in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is 21 miles (34 km) east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east.

Type CityPopulation 151,500Metro Area Population 400,196

Why go

  • Coastal town in Dorset, England.
  • Served by Bagber Farm Airstrip.

History

Poole is a coastal town, seaport on the south coast of England and civil parish in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is 21 miles (34 km) east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. The town had an estimated population of 151,500 making it the second-largest town in the ceremonial county of Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, the conurbation has a total population of 400,196 as of the 2021 census.

Restaurants & places to go

Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-22:00;Sa 09:00-22:00;Su 09:00-17:00 Features: outdoor seating Wikipedia: en:Custom House, Poole · The Quay, BH15 1HJ · customhousepoole.co.uk
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Ice Cream, Regional, Cafe · Opening hours: 10:20-17:00 Features: outdoor seating · Poole Harbour, Poole, BH13 7EE · nationaltrust.org.uk
Indoor
French, Restaurant · French restaurant · 15-17 Market Street, Poole, BH15 1NB · guildhalltavern.co.uk
Indoor
Ice Cream · ice cream · The Quay · dorsetgifts.com
Indoor
Bakery, Cafe · Speciality Coffee House bakeries & desserts healthy Breakfast Opening hours: 07:00-19:00 Features: outdoor seating · 26 Richmond Hill · liveoncafe.co.uk
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 08:30-18:00; Su 10:00-16:00 Features: takeaway · storelocator.asda.com
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 08:30-17:30 Features: takeaway, step-free access, air conditioning · 153a High Street, BH15 1AU · caffenero.com
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 07:30-17:30; Sa 08:00-18:00; Su 09:00-17:00 Features: outdoor seating, takeaway, step-free access · 134 High Street,… · coffee1.co.uk
Indoor

292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Bournemouth Airport (BOH) 7.6 mi to the centre
Bournemouth, ENG, GB — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 3 airlines (Ryanair, Transavia France, Aer Lingus) · direct flights to 17 destinations incl. Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Alicante, Arrecife, Carcassonne… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves London (89 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 3 airlines, 17 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Henstridge Airfield 25 mi to the centre
Templecombe, Somerset, ENG, GB
Outdoor
Newton Peveril Airfield 7.3 mi to the centre
Wimborne, Dorset, ENG, GB
Outdoor
Dorset Gliding Club (Eyres Field) 10 mi to the centre
Wareham, Dorset, ENG, GB
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Greenslade Pleasure Cruises
Ferry terminal · 0.4 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Brownsea Island Ferries
Ferry terminal · 0.4 mi from the centre
Outdoor
City Cruises Poole
Ferry terminal · 0.4 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Dorset Cruises
Ferry terminal · 0.5 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Poole Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 0.7 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Ro-Ro 2
Ferry terminal · 0.8 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Poole Quay - Brownsea Island
Ferry route · Greenslade Pleasure Boats
Outdoor
Sandbanks Ferry
Ferry route · Bournemonth - Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company
Outdoor
Poole (UK) - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (F)
Ferry route · Brittany Ferries
Outdoor
Poole (UK) – Guernsey (GBG)
Ferry route · Condor Ferries
Outdoor
Poole (UK) - Jersey (GBJ)
Ferry route · Condor Ferries (Condor Vitesse)
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Bagber Farm Airstrip; 8 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By water: 6 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Greenslade Pleasure Cruises, 0.4 mi); routes include Poole Quay - Brownsea Island, Sandbanks Ferry, Poole (UK) - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (F).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Poole, England. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach