Compton Acres consist of 10 acres of beautiful gardens located in Canford Cliffs, Poole. Firstly, despite containing one of the worst secondary schools in the country, Poole is a beautiful seaside town. Famous football manager Harry Redknapp also lives there in one of the beautiful houses, or should I say, 'mansions' along the front.
Now for a bit of History; Compton Acres was founded in 1924 by Thomas William Simpson. After having undergone refurbishments in the past eight years, it now has over 1,000 different new plants and seven distinct gardens: The Italian Garden, The Wooded Valley, Rock and Water Garden, Heather Garden, Japanese Garden and the Plants of Interest and Sculpture Trail.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to visit either of the two cafés on sight, however when my best friend GiGi* went with her grandmother, she said that the blueberry pancakes are 'to die for'. Sunday Lunch is also of good value, with the starting price of £10.95 for adults.
When I went there for the first time, I was on a date. David* and I had been dating for several months and I would rate it in my top 10 favourite date places around Dorset that he took me. I think Compton Acres is a perfect place to just wonder around aimlessly with your other half, and definitely to be considered if you're lost for a place to go on a date! One is offered a map, however it is generally overlooked. Agreed, if push comes to shove it's a nice fall back to have, but I believe that Compton Acres is a paradise that one should willingly get lost in. The beauty of the place is breathtaking, especially on a warm sunny day, which has become more commonplace on the South West Coast. There are lots of little bridges, benches, and secretive paths to discover... In some ways I felt a bit like I was in one of Lewis Carroll's novels (but instead of running after a rabbit I was hand in hand with a gorgeous 6'1" opera singer in the year above - lucky me!).
*All names in this blog are fake in order to ensure the privacy of my friends and conceal their identities. However, the characters are all real people and the events actually happened
