The coastal, seaport town of Poole is in Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is situated 34 kilometers (21 miles) east of Dorchester, adjoining Bournemouth to the east.

The first written mention of the town by name was in the 12th century, just as the town was beginning to be noticed as an important port as the wool trade was growing quickly. In the 18th century, it was one of the busiest ports in England, and during World War II, it was one of the major departing ports for the Normandy landings on D-Day.

In the 1st century, after the conquest of England, the Romans arrived at Poole and occupied Hamworthy, an Iron Age settlement just west of where the town centre is today.

In the second half of the Anglo-Saxon period, Poole was made part of the Kingdom of Wessex. The settlement was mostly a place to catch fish and a harbour was perfect for ships to anchor on the way to River Frome and the Anglo-Saxon town of Wareham. Twice during this time, Poole was the target of two large-scale Viking attacks. The first was in 876, when Guthrum and his fleet passed through passed through the harbour on the way to attack Wareham. The second was in 1015, when Canute started his conquest of England in Poole harbour which he used as a base while pillaging Wessex during his raids.

During the Industrial Revolution, Poole became urbanized as Poole experienced mercantile prosperity at the same time many of its citizens lived in overcrowded poverty. As they entered the 19th century, 90% of all workers in Poole worked in harbour and port industries. As ships became bigger and bigger, it became clear that the ships were too big for the shallow harbour.

Currently, Poole is a resort town due to its large natural harbour, Blue Flag beaches, and the Lighthouse Arts Center. It offered passage to cross-Channel passengers as well as freight services, connecting Guernsey and Jersey, the two largest Channel Islands, with Saint-Malo, Brittany, a French port town.

The coastal, seaport town of Poole is in Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is situated 34 kilometers (21 miles) east of Dorchester, adjoining Bournemouth to the east.

The first written mention of the town by name was in the 12th century, just as the town was beginning to be noticed as an important port as the wool trade was growing quickly. In the 18th century, it was one of the busiest ports in England, and during World War II, it was one of the major departing ports for the Normandy landings on D-Day.

In the 1st century, after the conquest of England, the Romans arrived at Poole and occupied Hamworthy, an Iron Age settlement just west of where the town centre is today.

In the second half of the Anglo-Saxon period, Poole was made part of the Kingdom of Wessex. The settlement was mostly a place to catch fish and a harbour was perfect for ships to anchor on the way to River Frome and the Anglo-Saxon town of Wareham. Twice during this time, Poole was the target of two large-scale Viking attacks. The first was in 876, when Guthrum and his fleet passed through passed through the harbour on the way to attack Wareham. The second was in 1015, when Canute started his conquest of England in Poole harbour which he used as a base while pillaging Wessex during his raids.

During the Industrial Revolution, Poole became urbanized as Poole experienced mercantile prosperity at the same time many of its citizens lived in overcrowded poverty. As they entered the 19th century, 90% of all workers in Poole worked in harbour and port industries. As ships became bigger and bigger, it became clear that the ships were too big for the shallow harbour.

Currently, Poole is a resort town due to its large natural harbour, Blue Flag beaches, and the Lighthouse Arts Center. It offered passage to cross-Channel passengers as well as freight services, connecting Guernsey and Jersey, the two largest Channel Islands, with Saint-Malo, Brittany, a French port town.

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