Canford Cliffs
Area guide: Branksome Park
Branksome Park is located in the southeast of Poole, close to the boundary of the town with Bournemouth. Since the turn of the 20th Century those who wanted larger areas of land, were seen to make the move from Bournemouth into Branksome Park. With some excellent schools nearby, privacy but not isolation, blue flag beaches within walking distance and Westbourne village close by; the area remains ever popular with home buyers searching from outside of the area.
The Branksome Park Conservation Area, designated in 1981, protects part of this beautiful sylvan landscape, ensuring the character and personality of the area will survive into the next Century. Branksome Park Conservation Area is quite distinctive. Its spacious sylvan character is derived from its division into large building plots in the 19th century by the Bury family.
There are few public green spaces in the Conservation Area as most of the areas of woodland are contained within private gardens. Residents can enjoy The Chine, including the bowling green/tennis court area and the public land where Leicester Road meets Western Road and Martello Woods.
For families, nearby schools include Lilliput First School, Buckholme Towers and Talbot Heath. There are also good school bus links to Dumpton and Bryanston in the Dorset countryside.
The area is well connected to central Bournemouth, located just a short drive away. Bournemouth railway station offers direct train services to Winchester, Southampton Airport Parkway and London Waterloo.
Local Property
Branksome Park was designed as a Victorian seaside suburb with buildings plotted and designed within the densely planted and naturally wooded area. The area’s most famous resident was perhaps J.R.R. Tolkien, who retired to Lakeside Road in the late 1960s.
Known as one of Poole's most affluent areas, it offers a range of house prices from small 1960s flats costing just under £200,000 to large mansions valued at well over £3 million.
The varied architecture within Branksome Park is a testament to its gradual development over more than 100 years. Many houses are oriented at quirky angles within their plots which is a significant local characteristic. Most of the older buildings have followed the trends of their age adapted mainly from the Arts and Crafts movement.
Where plots have been redeveloped today, there are some outstanding super-homes commanding prime property prices. The popular Cerne Abbes town house development on The Avenue and the new luxury contemporary house developments on Lakeside Road are good examples of the area’s property evolution where heritage and modernity sit side by side.
