Dedicated by the Prince of Wales in 1890, the park was constructed on land donated by Lord Wimborne.

The park was built on former meadows and marshes near the town centre and Poole Harbour

The park is a whopping 110 acres, 60 acres of which are covered by the park's large man-made lake and ponds.

Several designs were submitted to Poole council for consideration, and two were chosen. The borough's surveyor, John Elford, determined that both were impractical and designed his own.

The park originally had a bandstand, but it was replaced with a fountain in the 1930s.

Poole Park Railway, circling the freshwater lake, was opened in 1949 and is still running to this day.

Bournemouth Echo: Poole Park

Between June 1963 and February 1994, Poole Park Zoo had a short run as a tourist attraction.

The small zoo, which was once home to two Himalayan black bears, fell out of favour as awareness of animal welfare increased.

In 1997, the park was designated a Conservation Area and, in 2007, dredging was undertaken to create several small islands and raised reed beds.

Bournemouth Echo: Poole Park

An indoor ice rink for children and a new restaurant were also constructed as part of the project.

A Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £260,000 was announced for Poole Park on January 7, 2015.