Poole Harbour
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for Poole Harbour at grid reference SZ020880
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History
A 10 metre log boat dated at 295 BC, found preserved in the mud off Brownsea Island, is the earliest known artefact from the harbour. Poole was used by the Romans as an invasion port for the conquest of southern England, who established the settlement at Hamworthy, now the western half of Poole. A Roman Road ran north from Hamworthy to Badbury Rings, a Roman transport hub. At the time of the Norman Conquest Poole was a small fishing village.
The port grew and in 1433 Poole was made Dorset's Port of the Staple for the export of wool. Medieval Poole had trading links from the Baltics to Italy. In the 17th century the town began trading with North America, in particular Newfoundland, and the town became very wealthy. In the 18th century Poole was the principal British port trading with North America. At the start of the 19th century 90% of Poole's population's employment was directly dependent on the harbour, but this dropped to 20% during the century as the railways reached the town, and deep hulled boats moved up the coast to Southampton, which had a deeper harbour and is closer to London. With regular dredging of a channel through the harbour it has regained some importance.
Geology
The harbour is in a band of weak gravel and clay which is easily eroded by the rivers and sea. This band is bordered by two bands of chalk, the Purbeck Hills and Isle of Wight to the south, and the Dorset Downs and South Downs to the north. The clay extends west up the Frome valley to Dorchester, and would originally have extended east beyond Portsmouth in Hampshire.
Before the last ice age the River Frome continued to flow east through what is now the Solent, joining the Stour, Beaulieu, Test, Itchen and Hamble, before flowing into the English Channel to the east of the present day Isle of Wight. A relatively resistant chalk ridge ran continuously from the Purbeck Hills to the Isle of Wight, which the rivers could not break through. When the glaciers of the north of the island of Great Britain melted, the south of England sank slightly, flooding the Solent valley and Southampton Water to form their charactoristic rias (flooded estuaries). Between 7,300 and 7,400 years ago, the increased erosion from the sea and the increased flow caused by the change in the climate broke through the chalk hills cutting the Isle of Wight from the mainland and leaving Poole Harbour as the estuary of the Frome.
Ecology and nature conservation
Much of the north side of the harbour is a built up area, including the town of Poole, and the conurbation which continues 10 miles eastwards along the coast. The west and south sides of the harbour and part of the Purbeck Heritage Coast and are important wildlife havens, as are the five large islands in the harbour which are home to the rare Red Squirrel. The harbour is an area of international importance for wildlife conservation and borders 3 National Nature Reserves, including the internationally important Studland and Godlingston Heath NNR, and a number of local and non-statutory nature reserves run by organisations such as the National Trust and RSPB. The mouth of the harbour is partially blocked by Sandbanks, a spit on the north, which is built up and part of Poole, and by Studland to the south, which is another important wildlife area.
Four rivers drain into Poole harbour, the largest being the River Frome, which flows from the west through Dorchester and Wareham. The harbour is very shallow in places and has extensive mud flat and salt marsh habitats, as well muddy shores, sandy shores and seagrass meadows. The area is an extremely popular recreation and tourism area, and local authorities and organisations have to carefully manage the tourism to prevent damage to the habitats.
The south shore of the harbour, include Wytch Heath and Godlingstone Heath have traditionally been open heathland of little agricultural use. During the 20th century there has been some afforestation with conifer plantations. Around Wareham Forest in the west this has been for commercial forestry, but on the southern shore the plantations conceal the Wytch Farm oil wells.
Holes Bay
The largest stretch of water that connects to Poole Harbour is known as the Holes Bay. The entrance to the bay is a small inlet from the main Harbour and is designated as a Harbour quiet area. Although it is a separate bay, it is often considered part of the greater Poole harbour area. The bay lies north of the Poole town centre. The Holes Bay is currently the location of the RNLI training school, attached to their Poole headquarters. Uses of the Bay include fishing, kayaking and small leisure craft. A large marina known as Cobbs Quay can be found on the west side of the bay. On its east side the bay runs parallel to the A350.
External links
- [UK Harbours Directory: Poole]
- [Poole Harbour Study Group]
- [Poole Harbour Weather]
- [Map sources] for Poole Harbour
References
- Clark, G & Thompson, W.H., 1935. The Dorest Landscape. London: A & C Black.
- Cochrane, C, 1970. Poole Bay and Purbeck, 300BC to AD1660. Dorchester, Longmans.
- Hutchings, M., 1965. Inside Dorset. Sherborne: Abbey Press.
- [Poole Harbour Commission, The history of Poole Harbour] (accessed 9 November 2004)
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