Sights in Poole
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Brownsea Island
This small, wooded island in the middle of Poole harbour played a key role in a global movement famous for three-fingered salutes, shorts and toggles – Lord Baden-Powell staged the first ever scout camp here in 1907. Today trails weave through heath and woods, past peacocks, red squirrels, red deer and a wealth of birdlife.
There are free guided walks ; subjects include the wartime island, smugglers and pirates.
Boats run by Brownsea Island Ferries leave from Poole Quay (adult/child return £8.50/5.50) and Sandbanks (adult/child return £5/4). Services operate when the island is open only and the last boat is normally at about 4.30pm.
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Waterfront Museum
This beautifully restored 15th-century warehouse is home to a 2300-year old Iron Age logboat dredged up from Poole Harbour. At 10m long and 14 tonnes, it's the largest to be found in southern Britain and probably carried 18 people. It was hand-chiselled from a single tree; centuries later you can still see the blade marks in the wood.
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Local History Centre
This small but impressive centre can be found, thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, in the historic town cellars at the back of the Waterfront Museum . It offers an in-depth history of Poole including archaeology, architecture, transport and local families. Naturally, Poole's maritime past is a drawcard, pooling information on trade and industry.
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Cornish Mines & Engines
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Sandbanks
A 2-mile, wafer-thin peninsula of land that curls around the expanse of Poole Harbour, Sandbanks is studded with some of the most expensive houses in the world. But the golden beaches that border them are free, and have some of the best water-quality standards in the country. They're also home to a host of water-sport operators.
Brownsea Island Ferries shuttle between Poole Quay and Sandbanks every half hour.
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Poole Old Town
The attractive old buildings on Poole Quay range from the 15th to the 19th century, and include the Tudor King Charles pub on Thames St; the cream Old Harbour Office (1820s) next door; and the impressive red-brick Custom House (1813) opposite, complete with Union Jack and gilded coat of arms. The tourist office stocks a free heritage walking trail leaflet.
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