Parkstone

This article is about the suburb. For the ward, see Parkstone (ward).

Parkstone
Commercial Road, Lower Parkstone
Parkstone is located in Dorset
Parkstone
Parkstone
Location within Dorset
Population10,779 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSZ0391
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPOOLE
Postcode districtBH12/BH14
Dialling code01202
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
50°43′N 1°57′W / 50.71°N 1.95°W / 50.71; -1.95

Parkstone /ˈpɑːrkstən/ is an area of Poole, in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole district, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. It is divided into 'Lower' and 'Upper' Parkstone. Upper Parkstone - "Up-on-'ill" as it used to be known in local parlance - is so-called because it is largely on higher ground slightly to the north of the lower-lying area of Lower Parkstone - "The Village" - which includes areas adjacent to Poole Harbour.

Because of the proximity to the shoreline, and the more residential nature of Lower Parkstone, it is the more sought-after district, and originally included Lilliput and the Sandbanks Peninsula (now part of Canford Cliffs) within its official bounds. Lower Parkstone is centred on Ashley Cross, the original location of Parkstone Grammar School, near to the Parish Church of St. Peter.[2] Despite the residential reputation, Parkstone was the site of several industrial undertakings, the largest being George Jennings South Western Pottery, a manufacturer of salt-glaze drainage and sanitary pipes, which had its own steam locomotive, that ran on a private branch line from Parkstone Station. Much of this area was agricultural until the 1920s and 1930s.

Upper Parkstone includes large areas of smaller artisan housing, the shopping district along Ashley Road and the parish church of St. John's, Heatherlands.[3] There are larger properties, however, and the views from this higher part of the suburb across Poole Harbour to the Purbeck Hills are quite remarkable. Many photographs taken over the years from the Seaview viewpoint (overlooking much of Poole centre and Harbour) exist as postcards, and can be used to chart the changes to the area.[4]

Parkstone is just south of Alder Hills.

Parkstone Bay is in the far west.

  1. ^ "Poole ward 2011". Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  2. ^ part of The Parish of Parkstone St.Peter and St.Osmund, with Branksea St.Mary
  3. ^ now daughter church of the parish Church of the Good Shepherd
  4. ^ Viewpoint Residents Association, includes photographs of the area Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine