UK Family Holiday in Poole, Dorset

Sandbanks, Poole.

Now that the school summer holidays have begun, many families will be planning to take a much needed break. UK destinations are becoming increasingly popular, especially with all the restrictions and uncertainty surrounding overseas travel.

Since having a child of our own, we have begun to explore more places in the UK and recently discovered Poole in Dorset. It quickly became our favourite coastal town, due to its vast sandy beaches, stunning harbour and charming neighbourhoods. It being a relatively straightforward, two hour drive or train journey from London is a huge bonus.

Where to stay:

Westbourne Shopping Arcade

View of Alum Chine Beach

Just west of Bournemouth, away from the day-trippers, arcades and funfair rides are several neighbourhoods which have plenty of AirBnbs and guest houses, ideal for young families. Westbourne is a charming neighbourhood with a lovely shopping arcade and a great selection of independent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Including the famous Chez Fred which serves deliciously fresh fish and chips. Just a 20 minute walk south of here is Alum Chine beach, which has an adventure playground, car park, toilet facilities and an Italian restaurant, great for takeaway pizzas. We stayed in an a lovely AirBnb 5 minutes from the beach, where the local streets are mostly quiet, residential roads.

Beach huts at Branksome Chine

A westerly ten minute stroll along the promenade brings you to Branksome Chine beach. This is probably our favourite spot of the coastline, lined with attractive beach hut rentals, beautiful cliffs and generally less busy than Bournemouth and Alum Chine. All along the coastline, the water is clean and has a shallow tide - great for small children!

Branksome Chine Beach

Sandbanks Beach

Further west are the affluent neighbourhoods of Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks which joins the spectacular Poole harbour. Naturally, accommodation close to the beaches are more pricey however, if you are are prepared to stay a 5-10 minute drive north from these beaches, there are some divine neighbourhoods which surround the East side of Poole Harbour:

View of Poole Harbour, from Evening Hill

Lilliput is a quiet, affluent residential neighbourhood full of impressive modern bungalow conversions. Grab a coffee and a pastry from the superb Patisserie Mark Bennett on Sandbanks Road and stroll down to Evening Hill, where you can enjoy incredible sunset views across Poole Harbour.

Whitecliff Harbourside park. Suitable for children of all ages!

View of Poole Harbour at Whitecliff Harbourside Park

A 15 minute walk up Sandbanks Road, North of Lilliput, is the equally charming neighbourhood of Whitecliff which has a lovely harbourside park, with its pleasant playground and great views of the water. We didn’t realise it was possible to feel calm at a playground, but the sea air certainly aids this.

On the opposite side of Sandbanks Road is the very cool Coast. Surf + Moto which serves great coffee, brunch, pizza and cocktails on it’s terrace. This place really captures the feel of coastal living, with Olero surfboards hanging from the ceilings and gift shop full of interesting lifestyle books, independent clothing brands and surf and biking accessories.

Just a ten minute walk from Whitecliff is the buzzy Ashley Cross neighbourhood. A great selection of independent cafes, bars and restaurants flank the three sides of the village green, which is perfect for a little picnic on a sunny day.

Ashley Cross Green

Explore further:

For longer stays, there are so many more things to do for families including catching a ferry from Sandbanks to the natural beauty of Studland Bay and further exploration along the world heritage site Jurassic Coast.

There is so much to do in this part of the South Coast, it is ideal for coastal mini-breaks or longer holidays. For explorers of all ages!