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What's the story here?

Parkstone Yacht Club is located on the north shore of Poole Harbour, off the North Channel between Salterns Marina and Poole Town Quay. It has 232 berths and supports draughts of 2.0 metres. Parkstone Yacht Club runs the marina and has very few designated visitor berths, so visitors are accommodated in vacant owner berths.




The haven provides deep-water pontoon berths, with marina depths of 2.0m LAT. Approaches through Poole Bay and Poole Harbour provide depths of at least 6 metres CD, and the North Channel, leading to Salterns Marina and Parkstone Yacht Club, provides at least 2 metres throughout. The final ¼ mile to the marina's entrance has a maintained depth of 2.0 metres. However, the entrance channel may have become shallower following a suspected bank collapse, and periodic silting and dredging may affect the available depth. Owners of deeper-draft vessels (>1.8 m) should therefore check the exact water levels during spring low tides when making a booking.




Because availability depends on resident movement, you must contact the club office +44 (0)1202 743610 - Ext 0, or Berth Master +44 (0)1202 738824, : Ch. M / 80 [Parkstone Yacht Club], or Berth Master on : Ch.37 (M)[Parkstone Haven], office@parkstoneyc.co.uk, or Bosun: bosun@parkstoneyc.co.uk prior to arrival to confirm a berth. If you cannot reach anybody outside normal office hours, try contacting the Club Steward at the Bar +44 (0)1202 743610 - Ext 226.




Visitor berthing charges at Parkstone Yacht Club for the 2026 season are structured by vessel length (LOA), with mandatory Poole Harbour Dues charged separately:

Flat Rate Visitor Berthing [2026]

• • 8 metres: £40.88


• • 9 metres: £45.99


• • 10 metres: £51.10


• • 11 metres: £56.21 per metre


• • 12 metres: £61.32 per metre

For other sizes, visitor berthing scales at £5.11 per metre per night. Visiting boats must also pay Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) Harbour Dues unless holding a valid seasonal harbour permit: daily £1.07 per metre, weekly £4.48, monthly £17.26. Clear berths by 12:00 noon on the day of departure. Electricity hookup is available on the pontoons (billed or metered via the Haven Office).

How to get in?

The approaches to the entrance, with its tidal flow, are detailed in Navigating Poole Harbour . Within the entrance, take the Middle Ship Channel, the main fairway leading up to the Port of Poole, north close east of Brownsea. Then branch off into the North Channel opposite Brownsea Castle, where the Bell Buoy (No.15) south cardinal, Q(6)+LFl.15s, marks the dividing point.




Follow the North Channel as it passes to the east and then north of the Middle Ground and Parkstone shoals, as it skirts the mudflats opposite that extend from the east and north side of the harbour. The breakwaters and tall buildings of Salterns Marina, one mile above the entrance to the North Channel, will be readily conspicuous from the outset, and Parkstone lies ⅓ of a mile beyond this.



Break off the North Channel for the marina entrance immediately above the lit NC11 green starboard buoy, Fl.G.3s. The final ¼ of a mile to the marina entrance is clearly marked by closely spaced unlit port and starboard marker buoys.




A pair of yellow channel diamond transits behind the wave screen, front on the southern breakwater and rear on the end of a NE finger on pontoon D, also mark the channel. Proceed along the channel and enter the haven with caution, rounding the wave screen at the head of the western breakwater. The speed limit in the marina is 4 knots.




The marina's entrance opens to the east and is marked by flashing lights on the heads of the outer breakwaters, port and starboard. The tidal stream across the mudflats can create a slight cross-set at the breakwater entrance during strong ebb/flood tides. Once inside the breakwaters, the water is calm and sheltered.




Vessels approaching from the west, Town Quay, should branch off the Middle Ship Channel and enter the North Channel to the west of Parkstone Shoal, close west of the Diver (No. 25) west cardinal, Q(9)15s. Then pass between the lit NC13 green starboard, Fl.G.3s, and lit NC14 red port buoy, Fl.R.4s, buoys of the North Channel and proceed to the NC11 buoy.




Most berths are individual finger pontoons attached to the main walkways, with numbers increasing as they extend out from the central walkway; odds on the inside berths, evens on the outside. Berths as directed by the club office.

Why visit here?

First recorded as Parkeston in 1326, Parkstone takes its name from a boundary stone thought to have marked the edge of the medieval deer park on the Canford Estate. The settlement that grew around this landmark eventually became known as Parkstone, preserving a link to the area's manorial and hunting past.

The area remained a largely untouched backwater corner with scarcely any population until the early 19th Century. As the Century progressed, abundant deposits of clay suitable for bricks, earthenware and pipes brought pottery production to the area. In 1856, Southwestern Pottery established a factory south of Ashley Cross (see Poole Salterns Marina ) to produce bricks, stoneware drainage pipes and terracotta facing blocks. Bricks, floor and wall tiles, and pipes were in great demand at the time, especially in this area, as the Victorians began developing Bournemouth. The large-scale pottery factory and the jobs it created finally began to spur the growth of Parkstone and nearby Ashley Cross. Before the factory arrived, the area's population was 851 in 1841; by 1881, it had risen dramatically to more than 2,000.

Despite being a thriving industrial centre, the surrounding landscape remained a patchwork of heathland, woodland, trickling streams and leafy lanes. This varied scenery, together with panoramic harbour views, began to attract wealthy Victorians seeking a rural retreat. As affluent families moved into the area, they brought butchers, bakers, ironmongers, tailors, drapers, and other tradespeople to serve their needs. Shops and inns followed, forming the nucleus of high streets and ushering in urban planning. Parkstone Park, next to the club, opened in 1890, officially opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Many of its buildings date from the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

The British modernist writer Mary Butts, who was born that year and grew up in an 18th-century house at Salterns, would describe Parkstone's transformation by recalling her childhood landscape of 'ancient woods', 'delicate drifting lanes' and the 'pale sand and couch grass wilderness' of Sandbanks. These rustic qualities had first drawn people to the area, but the influx of residents would eventually destroy them. As Parkstone continued to grow throughout the 20th Century, it eventually merged into what Mary Butts would later lament as 'the dreadful juncture of Poole industrialism and the suburban extension of Bournemouth. A place which has lost centre, character, distinction, hierarchy. '

Today, Parkstone is divided into 'Lower' and 'Upper' Parkstone. Upper Parkstone, locally known as up-on-'ill, is so called because it lies mostly on higher ground, slightly north of Lower Parkstone's lower-lying area, known as The Village, which includes areas adjacent to Poole Harbour. Though far removed from Mary Butts's rustic idyll, Parkstone remains one of Poole Harbour's most desirable residential areas.

The foundations of the area around Parkstone Yacht Club and Salterns Marina date back to Southwestern Pottery. The club was established in 1895 on the site of the original 1864 wooden Parkstone Pier, which the factory built to connect with Poole Quay. Parkstone Marina grew out of Mitchell's Boatyard, established on the site of Southwestern Pottery's brick kiln, and it used their buildings on Pearce Avenue. Similarly, Salterns Marina, half a mile to the southeast, occupies the site of a larger pier built in 1867 to receive the factory's coal and export its products. A railway line ran from Salterns Pier to Parkstone Station until 1922, and it remained in place until 1967.

Today, Parkstone Sailing Club has 2800 members, split equally between dinghy and cruiser owners, making it the largest club in Poole Harbour. The Yacht Club has undergone an extensive update to its clubhouse, which opened in 2018, and hosts a range of events, including Poole Week, which takes place towards the end of August and is run entirely by the club. It also regularly hosts World and National Championships and maintains a full calendar of events throughout the year.

For boaters, it offers an easily accessible berth in Poole Harbour, away from the hustle and bustle. It's an ideal base for exploring the harbour's hidden recesses by dinghy or taking day trips to Studland or Swanage Bay. Close to the entrance, it also provides a convenient stepping stone to the Solent, the Dorset and Devon coasts to the west, or the French coast to the south.

What facilities are available?

The pontoons provide power and water. All domestic requirements, including WiFi, are available within the marina area. The club has large changing rooms with shower and laundry facilities. Its clubhouse has a bar and restaurant.

The club's large concrete slipway is accessible at all states of the tide. It has a Wise boat hoist, a Manitou fork telehandler for stepping and unstepping masts, and an industrial pressure washer. A marine engineer is always on site.

Parkstone railway station is a 25-minute walk. The station is operated by South West Trains and is served by both the Weymouth express and the Poole stopping services.


Parkstone Yacht Club & Surrounds Dining Options
PYC Main Deck Restaurant & Bar: Visiting boaters who pay for a berth automatically receive temporary club privileges, granting access to the clubhouse facilities. Serves cooked breakfasts, lunches, and casual evening meals with harbour views.
+44 (0)1202 743610 (Ext. 8) | bar@parkstoneyc.co.uk
Address: Pearce Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8EH, United Kingdom.

PYC Upper Deck Bar & Balcony: Relaxed lounge bar offering drinks, lighter bar snacks, and panoramic harbour views.
+44 (0)1202 743610 (Ext. 8) | bar@parkstoneyc.co.uk
Address: Pearce Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8EH, United Kingdom.

Immediate Surroundings (5–10 Minute Walk into Lilliput). At the top of Pearce Avenue along Sandbanks Road, Lilliput village offers several dining options:
Koh Thai Lilliput: Vibrant Thai restaurant and cocktail bar known for Thai tapas and sharing plates (5–10 min walk).
+44 (0)1202 706078 | lilliput@kohnoi.co.uk
Address: 292 Sandbanks Road, Lilliput, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8HX, United Kingdom.

TJ's Fish & Chips: Traditional takeaway fish and chip shop in Lilliput village (5–10 min walk).
+44 (0)1202 707691
Address: 254 Sandbanks Road, Lilliput, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8HA, United Kingdom.

Nearby Waterfront Spots (Short Walk or Taxi):
South Deep Café & Restaurant: Waterfront restaurant and garden bar serving seasonal local seafood, cocktails, and coffee.
+44 (0)1202 733155
Address: Parkstone Bay Marina, Turks Lane, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8EW, United Kingdom.


The Cliff: Upscale gastro-pub featuring a large beer garden and classic British fare (short walk or taxi).
+44 (0)1202 492921 | enquiry@thecliffcanfordcliffs.co.uk

Address: 6 Ravine Road, Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset, BH13 7HX, United Kingdom.


Rick Stein Sandbanks: High-end seafood restaurant directly on the water overlooking Poole Harbour (5-min taxi).
+44 (0)1841 532700 | reservations@rickstein.com
Address: 10-14 Banks Road, Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset, BH13 7QB, United Kingdom.


Poole Harbour Useful & Emergency Contacts
Parkstone Yacht Club:
+44 (0)1202 743610 | : Ch. M / 80 [Parkstone Yacht Club] | office@parkstoneyc.co.uk | Website: Parkstone Yacht Club | Bosun: bosun@parkstoneyc.co.uk.
Address: Pearce Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH14 8EH, United Kingdom.


Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC / Harbour Master): For general harbour inquiries, harbour dues, and Vessel Traffic Services.
+44 (0)1202 440 200 | pooleharbourcommissioners@phc.co.uk | Poole Harbour Commissioners | Ch. 14 [Poole Harbour Control / VTS]
Address: 20 New Quay Road, Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset, BH15 4AF.


Harbour Control Officer: For any emergency within the harbour.
+44 (0)1202 440 230 | harbourcontrol@phc.co.uk | Ch. 14 (or 16) [Poole Harbour Control]

Poole Bridge:	+44 (0)1202 674 115	Customs & Excise:	+44 (0)1202 685 157
Police:	+44 (0)1202 552 099 (Ext. 3276)	Doctor:	+44 (0)1202 679 234
Dentist:	+44 (0)1202 672 138	Hospital:	+44 (0)1202 665 511
Chemist:	+44 (0)1202 678 001	Dolphin Taxi:	+44 (0)1202 777 879
Tourist Information:	+44 (0)1202 253 253

With thanks to:

eOceanic research