Poole Park
Encyclopedia
Poole Park is an urban park
adjacent to Poole Harbour
in Poole
, Dorset
, England. The park was opened during the Victorian era
and has remained popular with visitors ever since. It is open all year round and hosts a number of events.
and was opened by the Prince of Wales
in 1890. The park was built on former meadows and marshes by the town centre adjacent to Poole Harbour
and covers an area of 110 acre (0.4451546 km²), of which 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) include the park's large man-made lake and ponds. Poole Park Zoo was operated from June 1963 until it fell our of favour in February 1994. Although small, at one time it boasted a Himalayan Black Bear. Designated a Conservation Area
in 1995, much work has been undertaken to improve facilities whilst keeping the original design ideals. In 2007 a £
2 million project was undertaken to dredge the lake, and create five small islands and two raised reedbeds using the dredged material. The project also involved the construction of a new restaurant and an indoor ice rink
for children.
and miniature golf
. A cricket field
and pavilion inside the park are home to Poole Town Cricket Club and water sport activities such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and rowing take place on the lake.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
adjacent to Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
in Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England. The park was opened during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and has remained popular with visitors ever since. It is open all year round and hosts a number of events.
History
The park was constructed on land donated by Lord WimborneIvor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne
Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne was a Welsh industrialist.Sir Ivor Bertie Guest was born at Dowlais, near Merthyr Tydfil, the son of Lady Charlotte Guest, translator of the Mabinogion, and Sir John Josiah Guest, owner of the world's largest iron foundry:Dowlais Ironworks...
and was opened by the Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
in 1890. The park was built on former meadows and marshes by the town centre adjacent to Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
and covers an area of 110 acre (0.4451546 km²), of which 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) include the park's large man-made lake and ponds. Poole Park Zoo was operated from June 1963 until it fell our of favour in February 1994. Although small, at one time it boasted a Himalayan Black Bear. Designated a Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
in 1995, much work has been undertaken to improve facilities whilst keeping the original design ideals. In 2007 a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2 million project was undertaken to dredge the lake, and create five small islands and two raised reedbeds using the dredged material. The project also involved the construction of a new restaurant and an indoor ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
for children.
Attractions
Facilities include two children's play areas, tennis courts, a bowling greenBowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
and miniature golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
. A cricket field
Cricket field
A cricket field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground on which the game of cricket is played. There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet to 500 feet...
and pavilion inside the park are home to Poole Town Cricket Club and water sport activities such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and rowing take place on the lake.