Poole is a coastal town and seaport located on the south coast of England. It serves as a civil parish within the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset. The town is situated approximately 21 miles (34 km) east of Dorchester and adjoins the town of Bournemouth to its east.
With an estimated population of 151,500, Poole is the second-largest town in the ceremonial county of Dorset. It forms part of a larger conurbation with Bournemouth and Christchurch, which reached a total population of 400,196 according to the 2021 census.