Poole Park

The park was constructed on land donated by Lord Wimborne 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, of which 60 acre include the park's large man-made lake and ponds. Poole Park Zoo was operated from June 1963 until it fell out of favour in February 1994. Although small, at one time it boasted a Himalayan black bear. The park was designated a Conservation Area in 1995, and in 2007 a £2 million project was undertaken to dredge the lake and create five small islands and two raised reed beds. The project also involved the construction of a new restaurant and an…

Facilities include two children's play areas, tennis courts, a bowling green, miniature golf and Poole Park Railway (a ridable miniature railway). A cricket field and pavilion inside the park are home to the Poole Town Cricket Club, and water sport activities such as sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, rowing and model yacht racing with Poole Radio Yacht Club take place on the lake. Every Saturday morning Parkrun—a free timed 5 km running event—is held at 9:00 am, starting near the water fountain. The run uses flat tarmac paths and flat hard compact gravel within the park. Poole Parkrun regularly hosts over 900 runners each week. On Christmas Day 2019 Poole parkrun set a new attendance record…