Poole, Ferries and Ferry Crossings

Welcome to the Poole (UK) section of FerryCrossings.org, the site for information about major UK and continental ports and the ferries between them. Our site includes an introduction to a number of ports and feature pages about the various crossing ways, lanes and routes and companies operating between them to help you plan your journey and discover interesting travel destinations along the way. You can even compare prices and save money on your ferry tickets with ads from selected major ferry lines.

Port of Poole and Poole Harbour

Poole, in Dorset, a town with a cultural heritage as fascinating as it is diverse, prospered throughout the ages as it changed to meet the economic demands of the time. Today it still enjoys the prestige and prosperity that it has earned.

Historically, the first known settlement at Poole dates back to before the Iron Age. This fact was supported by the discovery of an Iron Age logboat in 1964, preserved in the mud off Brownsea island in the harbour. Estimated to have weighed about 14 tonnes it could carry about 18 men and would have been used for trading between Poole and the continent. It can now be seen on display in Poole's museum.

Poole had already suffered invasion by both the Romans and the Vikings but, at the time of the Norman invasion and Conquest was no more than a small fishing village. As the trade in wool became increasingly important in the 1100s, Poole's own strategic importance started to become apparent along with it. In 1433 this importance was recognised as it became Port of the Staple for Dorset's wool exports. It had links with trading ports as far afield as those of Italy and of the Baltic. Poole's real wealth began in the 17th century when important trade links were created with North America, mainly those with Newfoundland, and , at this time, Poole was one of the busiest ports in England.

During World War 2 Poole was one of the main departure points from which the soldiers and boats for the D-Day landings, of the Normandy invasion, set sail. In the latter half of the 20th century Poole, together with Bournemouth, became a major tourist resort attracting thousands of visitors every year who enjoyed the many facilities, entertainments and local attractions that were offered. The visitor to Poole and Bournemouth will find that there is something for everyone.

Poole harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world with several rivers emptying into it, the largest being the River Frome. It is formed from an ice age, shallow, flooded valley. The main channel for the port is dredged to a greater depth to allow ships with a deeper draught to enter the port. Today, Poole harbour's importance, as a port exporting and importing freight of all descriptions, has all but disappeared as the enormous container ships, too big for Poole's harbour, came into use. However, there is still a healthy number of smaller coastal cargo vessels that use the quayside at Hamworthy, and Poole has found new importance as a home for fishing vessels and the vast numbers of leisure yachts and private boats moored in the private marinas around the harbour. Watersports are an important part of life around the harbour and and there are opportunities for water ski-ing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and wakeboarding. Additionally, it is from Poole that cross channel ferries transport people and cars to the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey and to the French ports of St Malo and Cherbourg.

Although much of the northern part of Poole, and towards the east along the coast, is built-up the western and southern areas of the harbour are heritage sites, part of the Purbeck Heritage Coast. The larger islands in the harbour are home to the red squirrel and the whole of the harbour area is of great importance for wildlife conservation, and is touching the Studland & Godlington Heath National Nature Reserve.

Poole, with Bournemouth by its side, has enough attractions of its own to stisfy even the most discrimanatory of visitors, catering for the needs of those wanting shopping, nightlife, excitement, glamourand entertainment, to the naturalist, the sportsmen and women, and the historian, to the families wanting a quiet seaside holiday. Add to this the fact that so many other places of outsranding natural beauty or hisotrical interest are within such easy reach and it becomes a really great holiday centre of choice.