Sandbanks Ferry is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the entrance of Poole Harbour in the English county of Dorset. The route runs from Sandbanks to Studland and in doing so connects the coastal parts of the towns of Bournemouth and Poole with Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck. This avoids a 25-mile journey by road on a return trip.
Sandbanks Ferry in March 2003
Arriving at Sandbanks Ferry Terminal in Poole in February 2008
Sandbanks Ferry, looking towards Sandbanks
Sandbanks Ferry on the Poole side in February 2006
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley (ria) formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement stretching to pre-Roman times. The harbour is extremely shallow, with one main dredged channel through the harbour, from the mouth to Holes Bay.
Aerial view of the harbour entrance, looking west-north-west. The large island just inside the entrance is Brownsea Island; to its left are Furzey Island and then Green Island.
The Poole Logboat was excavated from Poole Harbour and is over 2,000 years old. It is on display in Poole Museum.
View across the harbour looking west from Lilliput, Poole
Green Island, one of the islands within Poole Harbour
