Moving to Poole

[househuntinginthesouth]

Hello,

Can anyone advise on what Poole (and Bournemouth) is like to live in? Which areas to look at, any areas in particular to avoid?

What's the area around Poole hospital/town centre like (Oakdale/Longfleet area)?

Thanks in advance

Sorry can’t answer any of your questions but wanted to say how jealous I am! We are here on holiday at the moment and it’s stunning! Would LOVE to live here!

Aww, lovely!

You can check out the monthly crime stats for Poole here: www.police.uk/search?q=poole

Considering the population size I don't think they are particularly high.

There are nice bits around the area but the town itself was grim when I lived there 8 years ago. Just closed-up units and betting shops.

Upper Parkstone isn't great either. All the Chines and Westbourne are lovely but expensive.

So Longfleet road itself is very busy and wouldn’t recommend living ON it. But surrounding Heckford Park is not too bad, limited parking most houses don’t have drives. Oakdale is fine. Ashley Cross and into Lower Parkstone/Penn Hill also nice but get more expensive. Avoid Upper Parkstone and anything on the other side of Ashley Road.
Branksome into Westbourne ranges from student accommodation to very nice/expensive!

Agree Ashley Cross, Whitecliff, Lilliput, Penn Hill and everything south of Bournemouth Road is good. Ashley Cross is a real social hub these days in the evening so might not be for everyone.

I love Poole and the surrounding beaches, but I’ve never lived there. I’m about an hour away. One of my colleagues lives there though and likes it. Won’t move closer to work as he likes it there so much. So that’s a good sign. Not much help though.

If you want to share where you are likely to work, if schools are important, budget/house size, we might be able to make more specific recommendations?
Feel free to PM me if you don’t want to post on the thread?

I live in Upper Parkstone....the Poole end and south of ashley road....it's a good area with great school catchment
I can walk to dr chemist and Waitrose and to Ashley Cross

Lived here over 30 years ...ask me anything I'll answer honestly

Ps I love it

@User5827372728

Sorry can’t answer any of your questions but wanted to say how jealous I am! We are here on holiday at the moment and it’s stunning! Would LOVE to live here!

Yes me too!

I love Poole. We lived there for a few years (Lower Parkstone) and would move back like a shot if the jobs were there.

I'm not going to lie, Poole town centre is pretty ropey shopping-wise - we used to go into Bournemouth although I think some of the shops there have also closed down. But it's such a lovely base for walking in Purbeck, fireworks on the Quay, beaches out of season etc. You just have to set that against hideous traffic in the summer holidays (avoid Sandbanks like the plague) and Bournemouth being a magnet for hen/stag dos.

We go back every year (we're in Poole at the moment) and we're counting the years until retirement when we can move back down...

I have always been told that the places t avoid are Turlin Moor, West Howe and parts of Creekmoor and Hamworthy, but as I don't go to any of them it's difficult to tell whether that is accurate. I've also been told not to get too close to Herbert Avenue in Upper PArkstone.

As a teen I lived in Library Road and that area of Upper Parkstone, with Shilitto Road, Davis Road, etc, gives you big houses for your money. Quite hilly though and the back gardens are often narrow and levelled. It seemed ok at the time as an area.

Thanks so much.
Does anyone know what Canford Heath is like? Near Magna Academy? Looks quite handy near Tower Park, School, supermarket, leisure centre etc nearby, but I checked police website and crime looked really high (as in equally as bad as an area we were told to stay well away from-won't say which as don't want to offend incase anyone lives there) however this may be as that police department covers a wide area?

You should be able to zoom in and see exactly where the crime areas are and what the type of crime is. You may find that a lot of it is specific to Tower Park or the leisure centre and unlikely to be a factor in your life.

Hiya, I’m not sure if you’ve already moved or not - I’ve just come across this post! We live in Poole and I used to live on Canford Heath - I wouldn’t recommend it to be honest… There are some nice bits but also some very rough bits and they overlap quite closely. I’d second what everyone else is saying - if budget allows, Lower Parkstone, Whitecliff, Lilliput or Ashley are nice, and if that’s a little too expensive Branksome is nearby and ok, and so is Broadstone near-ish to Tower Park. They all have good school catchments; Branksome and Broadstone you get more house for your money as they are further from the sea, and some pet are slightly less affluent areas but still really nice.

There's a lot of anti-social behaviour and petty theft around Upper Parkstone.

Where are you moving from? I used to live in Poole and found it really funny what locals consider “rough”. Areas like Canford Heath and Boscombe are thought to be rough but I think they’re absolutely fine compared to places I’ve gone to in London. Personally I think you could move to anywhere in that location and be safe.
I lived in Parkstone which is a nice area. The only thing I didn’t really like about living in Poole was that there didn’t seem to be many green spaces, but you do have the beach.

Yes just came on to say there is an increasing crime problem in Upper Parkstone unfortunately but houses there remain to rise in price. Parts of Oakdale and Creekmoor are nicer but a bit further out. The nicest areas as mentioned are Bh14 and Bh13 postcode - Canford Cliffs, Branksome Park (Branksome is a different area to Branksome Park) Sandbanks, Lilliput, Ashley Cross, Lower Parkstone and Penn Hill. Very pricey though.

Magna has a good reputation now but is very strict. Poole High in the town centre has massively improved and also in huge demand but the catchment area for that has just changed, it now excludes BH12 - Upper Parkstone, Branksome etc and also excludes Canford Heath. Magna School covers Canford Heath I think and St Aldhems Academy and St Edwards cover BH12 - Upper Parkstone, Rossmore and Branksome. I know a few people who are actively avoiding Aldhems though, it’s never had a great rep. There are the grammar schools in Poole though which give another option.

Heckford Park is quite popular but feels quite hemmed in, parking is tricky as it’s pretty much town centre. There are some lovely big houses on one end of Canford Heath near the grammar school but the other parts aren’t that great from what I’ve heard.

Poole is lovely, I'm very envious!

Central Poole around Branksome Road and Poole Hospital residential clean and not bad . Nearby, park harbour, Quay , Dolphin shopping Centre and walking distance to all local amenities. Much better than the filthy decayed boarded up and rat infested Bournemouth

Longfield Road is good nice , clean residential area, near Branksome. Also walking distance to Dolphin Shopping Centre, The amazing Poole Park, the Quay/ harbour, with many doctors , a fine coastal town surgeries, dentists, the Poole Hospital and all local amenities , within walking distance. Living here is like a breath of fresh air after suffering 2 years at the decaying filthy rat infested, Lands down area of Bournemouth .

Housing in Hamworthy, Poole , Wareham …and any other advice welcome, thanks !

Hello,

I’m looking to relocate to the south coast while staying within an hour’s drive from my elderly mother in the Shaftesbury (North Dorset) area.

Specific location not important currently as I’m long term sick and currently unable to work, but I have been looking at being within reach of at least a small to medium sized town, hoping my health may improve sufficiently to pick up a part time job and maybe even something approaching a social life !!

I have been been looked around Wareham but it seems like there is nothing in the area within budget except this, which looks nice but the Hamworthy area seems to have mixed reviews online… I’m particularly anxious about property crime as a single disabled woman, and will likely be living on the ground floor too.

Any constructive advice welcome, many thanks !

😊🤞🤞🙏

You probably need to tell us how much you have to spend as that will dictate where you move to.

Re crime, Dorset is amongst the safest counties in Britain, so I wouldn't worry unduly.

Thanks. My budget is up to £950,000 / month for one bedroom minimum. I’m looking for properties with small garden for my little dog :)