SANDS GOOD
The English resort town hailed as top family holiday destination – thanks to 13-flume water park & island hideaways
THE prehistoric town of Poole has been named one of the UK's top family holiday destinations.
The coastal resort has a number of child-friendly attractions and local campsites that boosted it into the country's top 5 staycation spots.
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The scores came from a , that rated more than 45 destinations across Britain for their quality of campsites and number of children's activities.
The scores were calculated against other factors like the average cost of a three-course meal, traffic, and the number of National Trust sites nearby.
Poole in Dorset was chosen by the judges as one of their favourite destinations for a summer break, thanks to its location on the south coast near Bournemouth.
According to the AA, Poole has a total of 59 campsites in or around the town, along three miles of Blue Flag beaches.
These include Branksome Beach, Canford Cliffs Chine, and the Sandbanks Peninsula - which regularly make the lists of best beaches in England.
Other activities include Poole Park, which is set near the town's harbour and has a boating lake, several play areas, and water sports facilities.
Poole is also home to Splashdown Water Park - one of the UK's top-rated attractions.
voted the water park as one of the best in the UK thanks to its selection of water rides.
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Splashdown has a total of 13 water rides for families and thrill-seekers to enjoy.
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There's the Baron's Revenge, which has an 8m near-vertical drop in complete darkness, and there's also a water slide called The Screamer, which takes parkgoers on a 40m descent in under five seconds.
There are calmer rides too including the Mississippi Drifter where visitors are sat in an inflatable tyre as they're swept along a series of whirlpools.
Other activities include a sun terrace where visitors can relax and a toddler pool for the park's youngest visitors.
Tickets to the park cost £17 for two hours, or £19 for three hours.
Poole is also a stone's throw away from island hideaways like Brownsea Island.
Accessible from Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island is the largest island in Poole Harbour and is owned by the National Trust.
The island is a wildlife haven and is home to red squirrels, and a variety of exotic birds.
There's a natural play area with walking routes and holidaymakers can even book a night's stay on the island at its historic campsite.
Entry tickets onto the island cost £9.50 for an adult, and £4.75 for a child, all visitors must pay for the ferry crossing too.
Other nearby islands include Furzey Island, Round Island, and Green Island.
Overall in the AA's study, York nabbed the top spot for a family staycation, with a final index score of 6.18.
The northern city scored highly with its popularity and also has 72 campsites and is also home to the National Railway Museum too.
Portsmouth took second place with a score of 5.81, while Birmingham was awarded third place with a score of 5.44.
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Meanwhile, anyone interested in soaking up the sun in Bognor Regis can stay at Butlin's for as little as £3pp per night.
These outdoor pools are also great places to enjoy the sun in the UK this summer.
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