Poole is a large English coastal town, Borough, port and tourist destination, situated on the shores of the English Channel, in the ceremonial county of Dorset. The town has a population of 141,128 and is part of the South East Dorset conurbation. Poole is famed for its large natural harbour, claimed to be the second largest in the world. Maritime trade has a long history within the town, reaching its apex when the town was granted exclusive rights to fish off Newfoundland by Queen Victoria in the 19th century. During the Second World War the town was one of the central departing points for the D-Day landings of the Normandy Invasions. The town is one of the principal centres of sailing and yachting in the United Kingdom. Poole is home to the headquarters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker. The Special Boat Service (SBS) also operate out of the harbour. During the summer months the town serves a large number of tourists who visit the waterfront, the town centre and the nearby Sandbanks beach and Brownsea Island. Other prominent employers in Poole include Barclays Bank, Hamworthy Engineering, Poole Packaging, Penske Cars, Ryvita, cosmetics company Lush, and the clothing company, Animal. Poole is also home to other famous institutions like Bournemouth University, The Arts Institute at Bournemouth and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (it is often misconceived that these are Bournemouth landmarks because of their names but this is not the case).
Poole Harbour (said to be the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney) has been a working port for many hundreds of years, though the port has declined as the shallow water cannot take any container ships. Today the port is the home of Sunseeker, manufacturers of luxury yachts, and the departure point for ferries (Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries) to France and the Channel Islands. The harbour is noted for its ecology: supporting saltmarsh, mudflats and an internationally important population of wintering waterfowl. The Harbour is home to Brownsea Island, a nature reserve owned by the National Trust and the birthplace of the Scouting movement and first ever Scout Camp. During the Second World War the quayside and harbour was one of the central departing points for the D-Day landings of the Normandy Invasions. There is a plan to expand the port and enlarge the capacity and facilities so that larger ships, even cruise ships can dock in Poole. This is all part of the rejuvenation of the town, alongside new developments and amenities including the new town bridge (over to Hamworthy), which will be built over the next few years. More on Poole. 

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