Broadstone is a suburb and

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, England. It is located from Hamworthy railway station and from Bournemouth International Airport. The ward had a population of 10,289 at the 2021 census. Since 1840, Broadstone has grown from a small farm to a suburb of 10,000 people. Centred on the main road (the B3074), 'The Broadway' is a busy hub of shops, churches, schools and housing. Broadstone is notable for its large recreation fields and

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

park, as well as an annual Christmas parade and lights. The Broadstone Heath possesses some of the original heathland which covered the Poole Basin.

History

In 1840, "Broadstone Farm" was built, and a railway line bypassed it in 1847. Its first church was built in 1853, which later became the

Scout Association The Scout Association is the largest organisation in the Scout Movement in the Scouting in the United Kingdom, United Kingdom. Following the rapid development of the Scouting, Scout Movement from 1907, The Scout Association was formed in 1910 ...

hall. The first

Broadstone railway station Broadstone railway station () was the Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR), located in the Dublin suburb of Broadstone. The site also contained the MGWR railway works and a steam locomotive motive power depot. A Luas t ...

was built in 1872; initially named "New Poole Junction", it became "Broadstone" in 1890. Broadstone First School originated as a

Dame school Dame schools were small, privately run schools for children aged two to five. They emerged in Great Britain and its colonies during the Early modern Britain, early modern period. These schools were taught by a “school dame,” a local woman ...

, founded in 1871. At the turn of the century,

lavender oil Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. It is commonly used in aromatherapy, perfumery, and as a flavoring or fragrance in consumer products. A standardized oral ...

started being produced. This ceased in 1935 when the factory burnt down, but much

lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...

can still be found in the area. Rapid expansion of the town has since occurred, with the development of the Pine Springs

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision (land), subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to count ...

and the opening of additional schools to cope with the increase in population.

Toponymy

Legend has it that a number of "broad stones" were laid across a local stream to enable people to cross over without wetting their feet. This stream flows in the valley between Clarendon Road and Springdale Road, and the stones were located close to the Brookdale Farm. The Stepping Stones pub (now renamed 'The Blackwater Stream' since its takeover by

J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a British pub company operating in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based ...

) was named in honour of this, and displays a large stone outside its

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

. Rumoured to be the original, it was stolen decades ago and has since been replaced by a replica. There are also two stones outside Broadstone United Reformed Church, supposedly also originals from the stream.

Notable residents

The

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

biologist, naturalist and philosopher

Alfred Russel Wallace Alfred Russel Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 pap ...

, who independently proposed the same evolutionary theory as

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

, lived in Broadstone during the last few years of his life. He built his own house, named Old Orchard, near what is now Wallace Road. His remains are buried in Broadstone Cemetery, next to those of his wife, Annie. His grave was restored by the A. R. Wallace Memorial Fund in 2000. It features a fossil tree trunk mounted on a block of Purbeck limestone. Annette Brooke, a Liberal Democrat MP for Mid-Dorset and North Poole from 2001 to 2015, currently resides in Broadstone. The current Liberal Democrat MP Vicki Slade also resides there. Bryan Telfer, a commodore in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and veteran of the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

is buried in Broadstone Cemetery. Victor Watkins who lived in Broadstone was the first Scout in England to gain the Kings Scout Award. He is commemorated with a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

on 29029 Nepalese Restaurant at 205 Lower Blandford Road, Broadstone, Poole. Stuart Hibberd, the chief announcer of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

(or "voice of the BBC") for 25 years who announced the deaths of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

and

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

, died in Broadstone in 1983.

Education

Broadstone follows the

three-tier education Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types as they progress through the education system. Terminology In a three-tier local educa ...

model and contains two first schools (Broadstone First and Springdale First) and a

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

(Broadstone Middle School). Corfe Hills School, an academy school, is also located in Broadstone and is one of the largest secondary schools in

. Its catchment area serves Broadstone,

Corfe Mullen Corfe Mullen is a village in Dorset, England, on the north-western urban fringe of the South East Dorset conurbation. The community had a population of 10,133 at the 2011 Census. It is served by six churches, four pubs, five schools, a libra ...

Wimborne Wimborne Minster (often referred to as Wimborne, ) is a market town in Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. It lies at the confluence of the River Stour and the River Allen, north of Pool ...

, Merley as well as other areas.

Politics

Broadstone is in the Mid Dorset and North Poole parliamentary constituency for elections to the House of Commons. Broadstone ward elects two councillors to

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which styles itself BCP Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. Th ...

. Before 2019, it was represented by three councillors on Poole Borough Council.

Councillors

The ward is currently represented by two Liberal Democrat councillors.

Clubs and associations

Broadstone is the centre of many clubs, societies and organisations for the South East Dorset area including The Lytchett archery club, Broadstone Football Club, the Broadstone Golf Club, Broadstone Horticultural society, Broadstone Tennis Society, Dorset Caledonian Society, Broadstone Scout Group, Broadstone Youth Centre and the Broadstone Cricket Club. Other local offices include the

British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. ...

, the Rotary club, and the Broadstone Wessex Bowling Club.

References

External links

Broadstone Village - Broadstone Businesses, offers and community events
* {{Dorset Areas of Poole Wards of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole