poole

Around two hours from London, on the south coast, a day trip to Poole is possible, but a weekend will give you the chance to explore the many coastal and historic attractions found nearby. One of the best ways to see several sights in a short time is to head to Poole’s historic quay, where you can jump onboard one of Sea Safari’s RIB speedboats for a 90-minute tour of the famous Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. Sail past Brownsea Island, home of the Scout movement and a nature reserve for red squirrel, wading birds and sika deer. Then motor on past Studland’s fabulous sweeping, sandy beaches to the Isle of Purbeck and into the bay at Swanage, home of the Swanage Steam railway.Visitors with more time to spare can explore all these sights at leisure by open-top bus and other cruises from Poole Quay, or head further west. A 20-minute train ride from Poole town centre to Wool will bring you close to two of Dorset’s most famous attractions: Monkey World, the world-famous chimpanzee rescue centre, and Bovington’s Tank Museum, where you can see more than 200 vehicles and explosive Tank Action Displays. Just up the road from here is Cloud’s Hill, an isolated cottage, once the home of TE Lawrence.Nearby attractions include Lulworth Castle — where you can walk in the footsteps of kings and queens, picnic in the grounds and, at times, watch jousting displays — and Lulworth Cove, a natural horseshoe-shaped harbour.