A new Poole Focused Maritime Museum.

Poole Maritime Trust was started in 1972 and is a charity run by volunteer Trustees.

We have been collecting, recording and storing material of all sorts, now estimated at over40,000 pieces. an important archive.

Historic paper, photographs, on glass plates, negatives and photos, a good selection of ship and boat models, many of them local or with local interest, physical material, such as navigating instruments, Poole made marine electronics, famous Poole made outboard engines, collections of objects found in the Harbour, over 4,500 books many of them centred on Poole, We have, on offer to us, if we have the space to display them, other local groups and people's projects and collections to do with the Harbour including much that went on in wartime Poole 1939-1945. We would like to display locally built boats of many types from Poole Canoes, to racing sailing dinghies., designed and built in the area. Poole has a long and splendid maritime history which should be available to the public in great detail.

In the nearly empty basement of Upton House we could use the rooms for displays, for continuing our research, a space for the public to look at the material and carry out their own investigations. We need space for recording, storage and cleaning of items ready for display. An area for teaching with a demonstration area for schools and a meeting room, for talks and study. The Trust would continue to offer the monthly talks and lectures that we have now and we have support from archaeological societies and well know archaeologists locally, who are prepared to donate material and give talks and lectures.

We are certain that we can increase the footfall to Upton House hugely and provide a maritime centre which will bring in thousands of people to increase the knowledge of the history and life of Poole and its wonderful Harbour.