Poole

Poole
Town
Twin Sails Bridge, Parish church, Hamworthy Bridge, the Old Town, the Quayside
Flag Coat of arms of the borough council
Motto:  "Ad Morem Villae De Poole" "According to the custom of the Town of Poole"
Former Poole unitary authority (dark red) within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (red)
Coordinates: 50°43′N 1°59′W / 50.717°N 1.983°W / 50.717; -1.983
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Ceremonial county	Dorset
Historic county	Dorset
Unitary authority	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Government
• Type	Charter trustee
• Body	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
• MPs:	Jessica Toale (L) Neil Duncan-Jordan (L) Vikki Slade (LD)
Area
• Total	25.05 sq mi (64.88 km2)
Population  (2022)
• Total	151,500
• Density	5,520/sq mi (2,133/km2)
Time zone	UTC0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
Postcodes	BH12–17
Area code	01202
ISO 3166-2	GB-POL
ONS code	00HP (ONS) E06000029 (GSS)
OS grid reference	SZ009906
Ethnicity 2011 Census[1]	91.9% White British 3.3% Other White 1.0% South Asian 0.3% Black 3.5% Other
Website	poole.gov.uk

Poole (/puːl/ ^ⓘ) is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England 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. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The town had an estimated population of 151,500 (mid-2016 census estimates) making it the second-largest town in the ceremonial county of Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, the conurbation has a total population of nearly 400,000.

The settlement dates back to before the Iron Age. The earliest recorded use of the town's name was in the 12th century when the town began to emerge as an important port, prospering with the introduction of the wool trade. Later, the town had important trade links with North America and, at its peak during the 18th century, it was one of the busiest ports in Britain. In the Second World War, Poole was one of the main departing points for the Normandy landings.

Poole is a tourist resort, attracting visitors with its large natural harbour, history, the Lighthouse arts centre and Blue Flag beaches. The town has a commercial port with cross-Channel freight and passenger ferry services, which connect with the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, as well as the French port town of Saint-Malo, Brittany.

The headquarters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is in Poole, and the Royal Marines have a base in the town's harbour. Despite their names, Poole is the home of The Arts University Bournemouth, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and a significant part of Bournemouth University.