History of Poole

Early history

The first inhabitants in the area can be traced back over 2000 years to the Iron Age Period. The nomadic people were known as the Celtic Durotriges and they originally lived in the hilltop settlements, such as Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings and the woods and forests along the Stour Valley. As they became established, they started to explore the surrounding areas and eventually moved onto the lower vales and heathland around the River Frome. They travelled down the rivers and harbour channels in boats carved from huge logs. A giant 10 metre boat carved from a single oak tree and dating back to 295 BC is the oldest archaeological find in the Poole area. The world famous Poole pottery can also be traced back to this period as it is known that these Iron Age Men started making an assortment of pots, tiles and clay pipes. The Durotriges established cross-channel trading with a seafaring tribe from Brittany known as the Veneti.

The Roman invasion in AD43 saw the Roman Second Legion land at Poole and a number of other harbours on the south coast. This was followed by the capture of the Hill Forts of Maiden Castle, Hod Hill Badbury and many other encampments. The Romans founded Hamworthy, an area just west of the Poole, and continued to use the harbour during the occupation. Their control over the area lasted for over 400 years until they were finally displaced by the Saxons. They defeated a Romano-British administration that remained after the Legions had been withdrawn to support the defence of Rome. Many of the town names in Dorset have Saxon origins including Sandford, Wareham and Upton. Pooles name comes from the Celtic bol and Saxon pool. Wareham was an important stronghold of the West Saxon Kingdom and was the target of marauding Danes who burned the town on numerous occasions.

Saxon rule

A significant battle occurred in 876 when Alfred the Great attacked a Danish fleet at Arne and chased them out past Poole. It finally ended when a vicious storm wrecked 120 ships on the shore at Studland beach. Over the next few centuries, the Danes and Saxons continued to fight and it wasn't until 1015 when King Canute prevailed and occupied Brownsea Island that the fighting ceased.

Poole grew rapidly into an important port exporting wool; as a result, the town was made Port of the Staple in 1433. At this time, there was a great deal of friction between England, France and Spain and there were frequent raids on coastal towns. In 1405, the French and Spanish attacked Poole in revenge for English raids from Normandy through to the Bay of Biscay. The town was un-fortified and the church and town cellars were burnt.

Port expansion

The port at Poole continued to grow, thanks partly to the transatlantic trade which developed during the 17th century. It went on to overtake Bristol as the busiest port in England. The town also prospered during the industrial revolution and it was granted exclusive rights to fish off Newfoundland by Queen Victoria.

At the beginning of the 19th century, 90 per cent of workers in Poole were employed in harbour activities. This changed as ships became too large for the shallow waters and the port began losing business to deep water ports at Plymouth and Southampton. The town also suffered after the defeat of Napoleon when the French and Americans began fishing the same waters, resulting in many local merchants going out of business.

Town rejuvination

The town suffered from considerable bombing in WWII and many people moved out. Many old buildings were lost and it wasn't until the 1960s that a Special Precinct was created to preserve a 15-acre area which included some of the most notable buildings in the historic centre of Poole. A preservation plan was developed and implemented which over the next ten years or so expanded into a full-scale rejuvenation of the town. The largest of these projects was a large re-development of the town centre and shopping areas. Today, Poole has a strong identity with a good industrial and commercial base and an ever increasing importance as a holiday destination.