Pinecliff Gardens occupies the clifftop between Branksome Chine and Canford Cliffs Library, and it is one of the quieter viewpoints on the Poole side of the bay. The garden faces south and is screened from the wind, so it holds the sun well after the breeze has got up along the rest of the front. Locals know it; visitors usually find it by chance while walking the coast path from one chine to the next.
How the gardens began
The old Borough of Poole laid out the site in the late 1920s as two rockeries and two sunken garden areas. That layout is still in place, and some residents still call it the Sunken Garden, although the paths and planting have been renewed several times over the decades. Upkeep has since passed largely to volunteers from the Canford Cliffs residents' association, who hold regular gardening sessions so the beds stay tended and the space stays open to all.
What to see and do
For families, the wildlife-themed play area is the attraction: oversized carved wooden insects sit among the planting for children to climb over. For everyone else, the view is the point. Hengistbury Head and the Isle of Wight lie to the east, the Purbecks and Old Harry Rocks to the west, and the full curve of Poole Bay fills the gap between them. There are benches and a picnic area if you want to stay a while, and a flight of steps drops from the gardens to Canford Cliffs beach for anyone carrying on to the sand.
Practical details
There are no gates and no entry fee at Pinecliff Gardens; toilets are on site and dogs can go anywhere in the grounds. Parking is available in the pay car park on Western Road nearby, or arrive on foot from Pinecliff Road or up the beach steps below. It makes a calm pause on a longer clifftop walk. For more of the coast and countryside around the bay, see our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.