Poole (England)

Poole is a port city in Dorset county (southern England), located approx 33 km (21 ml) east of Dorchester and approx 180 mk (111 ml) southwest of London. By population (around 150,000) the town is ranked Dorset's second largest (after Bournemouth).

Poole is a major tourist resort vacation destination, featuring large natural harbour, rich history, beautiful beaches. As commercial port, Poole is an important cross-Channel port serving cargo and passenger ferries. British Royal Marines have a navy base in the harbour. The port serves large ferry boats connecting Poole with Cherbourg (France). Brittany Ferries operates regularly scheduled daily service (one roundtrip) with MS Barfleur, as well as freight line to Bilbao (Spain). Condor Ferries ship Condor Liberation serves seasonally connections to Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey) and France (St Malo). The nearest airport (16 km / 10 ml) is Bournemouth Airport (in Hurn) with scheduled Thomson Airways flights to major UK and European airports.

City's economy is based on manufacturing and leisure travel. Sunseeker (world's largest privately owned motor yacht manufacturer) is based here and employs over 1800 workers in its shipyards. Also here are located major manufacturers like Faerch Plast (food packaging), Hamworthy Heating (boiler manufacturer and supplier), Hamworthy Combustion (emissions control and clean-air combustion systems), Lush UK (handmade cosmetics), Mathmos (lava lamps), Kerry Foods (production, packing, distribution), TransDev (Power transmission and conveying), Eurac (vehicle components), Siemens, Southernprint (Wyndeham Group, offset printers), Ryvita (fresh-baked rye breads), Animal (clothing). Other major employers are Nuffield Industrial park, Mannings Heath park, Arena Business Park, Poole Trade Park, Branksome Business Centre.

Service industries include banking, tourism, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Bournemouth University, Arts University, Merlin Entertainment (world's second-largest theme park company after Walt Disney), Dolphin Shopping Centre (Dorset's largest indoor retail complex), shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfast rooms, Rockley Park (caravan site by Haven Holidays). Poole Harbour is one of UK's largest sailing boat locations with popular sailing clubs like East Dorset, Lilliput, Parkstone, Poole Yacht Club, Sandbanks Yacht Company, Royal Motor Yacht Club.