Gun Powder Store • Poole

 Remains of a powder store at Baiter Park, Poole.

The building had a footprint of 22 x 18 ft.

• Following the appointment of a committee of burgesses on June 14th 1775 'to order the building of a store house or magazine for depositing and keeping gunpowder landed and bought into said town (Poole) at any place on the point beyond the windmill' • 

The power store aimed to protect Poole Quay from explosions by having ships deposit their powder reserves before entering the quay area.

At the time Baiter Park was a spit of land, a virtual island, connected only by a low laying causeway that might be submerged in high tides. The windmill mentioned stood a couple of hundred yards from the site of the powder store and acted as a marker for those entering port. Not far on the other side of the store stood the town gallows.  A deterrent to anyone coming into the town with ill intentions. 

The site of the windmill is now under a seafront car park.

In the 19th century an isolation hospital was built here. At a time when Poole had no central hospital, it gave the town somewhere to isolate people who came off the ships carrying contagious disease. This wasn't a new idea, as there are also stories of the island being used during the years of plague to isolate and bury the dead. Its possible there was a pest house here at that time.

Today the car park over looking Poole Harbour is a great day park up for campervans, with designated large spaces for mohos.

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Powder Store : ///coach.third.feared

Approx site of the gallows: ///words.frame.charm

Isolation Hospital: ///linked.shell.songs

Approx site of windmill: ///mash.nasal.played