The new Plant Explorers play area opened March 2021
The new Jungle Adventure play area opened May 2021
Play
Theme principle
Improving the existing play areas and introducing a play landscape for all ages and abilities throughout the park.
Theme News 2021
May 2021
The new play areas are open!
The smaller of the two playgrounds in Poole Park, the one next to the Ark Café, has been completely refurbished and re-opened on 12th March as the Plant Explorers play area.
The larger play space at Westfield has also been completely refurbished and was re-opened on 28th May as the Jungle Adventure play area.
Three areas of more natural play have also been added around the park, featuring carved elements that link the Jungle and Plant Explorer’s themes of the play areas.
Download the Play Strategy for Poole Park (updated July 2016, pdf 350kb)
In 2016 a Play Strategy was written to set out the vision for play and a design brief for the different spaces:
- Westfield play area (the large playground nearest to the lagoon and town centre entrance)
- Cygnet play area (the smaller playground next to the Ark Café)
- Natural play landscapes
- Outdoor fitness equipment.
Vision for Play
There is potential for play opportunities right across the park, with a destination playground in the larger (Westfield) play area, and a smaller playground which can continue to focus on play for younger children.
The new play areas will be bespoke, providing a thematic link to Poole’s history and the local area. They will be accessible for all ages and abilities, encouraging informal social use between generations.
Opportunities for playable landscapes outside of the formal play areas have been developed in conjunction with the interpretation strategy to provide wayfinding, fun trails and to build on the heritage of climbing on leaning trees.
August 2021
New Outdoor Gym Equipment installed
Following the review and public consultation last year, work on this project was completed in August – in Poole Park we have reduced the number of exercise stations around the lagoon, new equipment has been installed and existing equipment will be refurbished. We have also created a new exercise station overlooking the cricket pitch.
At Whitecliff and Baiter it was thought that the exercise stations were too spread out, so a single location has been created at Baiter, with new equipment.
