It's hard to believe that just over a century ago that one of the world’s most expensive places to live was just a beautiful undeveloped peninsula at the opening of Poole Harbour covered in sand dunes. 

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Among its few residents were the dwellers of shanties and huts that had been built without permission on the peninsula.

Sandbanks is true to its name as it  was formed by the sand washed up into vast piles 100ft high by the changing tides. The pinunsula was firstly known as, ‘Parkstone-on-sea’, and over timea becam known as  ‘Sandbanks’.

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Records show that in 1870 there was a Lifeboat station situated on the headland. This was joined by a hotel in 1880 which was built on the southern peninsular known today as the Haven Hotel. 

Lord Wimborne was the owner of the hotel and he understood the importants of protecting the penisula from erosion but didn't want the burden of the cost so he sold some of the land to the Poole Harbour Commission for a small fee in return theysmall fee, if they paid for the coastal protection which worked for both parties.

This transaction has meant that we have this preserved part of the coastline here today. But it wasn't straight forward for the Harbour Commission to help fund the nessisary coastal protection they had to sell plots of land on the forth coming development.  40 plots of land went up for auction in June 1896, selling for £125.

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By 1911 Sandbanks became more accesable with the news roads but it was only after WWI that the area really gained in popularity, help after WWI that the area really gained in popularity, helped by the opening of the steam-driven chain ferry to Studland in 1926.

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Always a popular destination for visitors and holiday makers Sandbanks beach from Victorian times.  With beach huts lining the seafront and the addtion of a Cafe and Pavillion. In time with the popularity growing and the new roads the small motor park of the 1920s/1930s increasing grew larger.  The dunes which surrounded the buiding at the beach soon were removed to make way for more public attractions like gardens, play areas a new pavillion, beach huts and crazy golf.

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