Poole, the gilded gateway to one of Britain's best-kept secrets
“Life without adventure would be deadly dull,” said Lord Baden-Powell, who pitched the first ever scout camp on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. A beguiling wildlife reserve with a history of eccentric owners, the island is also said to have inspired Enid Blyton’s Five on a Treasure Island.
In Poole, two-and-a-half hours from London but deep in the heart of Hardy’s Wessex, nature conservation tussles with property development. While Sandbanks beach (the home of Millionaires’ Row) and Salterns Marina (one of the most expensive places to moor a boat on the south coast, with a ￡100 million redevelopment under way) may have a flashy reputation, there remains much else for the adventurous daytripper to discover besides grossly inflated house prices. Scout’s honour.
The Poole Harbour Boat Show (June 8-10) will undoubtedly be of interest to those who hanker after seafaring exploits; would-be smugglers can learn the tricks of the illicit trade at the Poole Museum (wine, tobacco, tea, lace and silk were the goods of choice in the violent heyday of Dorset’s notorious Georgian bootleggers). Later, bloodthirsty literary excursionists can sate themselves on a new production of Shakespeare’s infamously gory play Titus Andronicus in the Brownsea Open Air Theatre from July 25-August 10.
I began my own escapade at Poole Park, which received a ￡2.7 million heritage lottery grant last year. To my dismay, the miniature railway was closed – I heard that its 40 volunteers had walked out after rows with new management. But no matter: from there, I took a scenic path to the town proper via Harbourside Park, with its glorious panoramic views of Poole Bay and the Purbeck Hills.
The fishing boats lining the shore gradually morphed into the obscenely large superyachts of Poole Quay, where a Chris Packham fan collared me at the Birds of Poole Harbour charity HQ to tell me about their work reintroducing ospreys into the area. Conservation is important here: plans to build an oil rig in Poole Bay were met with protests in February.
Next, I savoured a view of the harbour and a pint of Badger Tanglefoot, not necessarily in that order, and plotted my voyage to Brownsea Island. This was less of a logistical feat than I had feared, as it turned out that you can catch a yellow ferry (hard to miss) every half-hour.
Small islands, to me, have always felt like magical realms, self-contained liminal spaces where time can be forgotten. I felt every bit the conqueror as I hiked my way around the entirety of the island, which is a mile long and just under a mile wide, but contains worlds within worlds: a sheltered lagoon, an open heath, seashores, grasslands and woodland. “I had no idea I had such a delightful spot in my kingdom”, the Prince Regent is said to have exclaimed after a trip to Brownsea Island in 1818.
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It’s easy to see how the Dorset coast has captured the imaginations of so many generations. On the train home, I daydreamed about my next Dorset expedition: to traverse the nearby Purbeck Hills, maybe; or to hunt for all six of the UK’s native reptiles at Arne (one of the few places left in the UK where the entire slithery sextet can be found); to peer through Durdle Door; to stand guard at Corfe Castle…
Five good reasons to potter to Poole
The park
A huge draw for families, who are spoilt for choice when it comes to activities: paddleboarding with Rockley Watersports, a miniature railway (assuming management and staff have settled their differences by now), ice-cream parlour, children’s ice skating…the list goes on.
The museum
An exhibition at Poole Museum from May 26-Sept 30 will explore the work of Augustus John (1878-1961), an artist famous for his bohemianism and contribution to British post-impressionism, who lived and worked in Poole.
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The café
Deli on the Quay for homemade cakes and build-your-own sandwiches. Eat them overlooking the harbour, or pack them for a picnic. Be sure to pick up some Moore’s Dorset Knob biscuits and a few bottles of Forager small-batch local liqueurs.
The beach
Sandbanks is a spit of Blue Flag sand often referred to as the UK’s answer to Palm Springs (mostly by estate agents). Its glitzy “footballer’s wife” reputation is slightly off – on my visit there wasn’t a champagne bucket in sight.
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The walk
Take the Cockle Trail around Poole Old Town to uncover tales of sailors and smugglers lurking within its buildings (the history is colourful – in 1747 a gang of 60 armed smugglers descended on Poole, battered down the door of the Custom House and made off with their contraband. Those later captured were hanged).