The Blue Pool is one of those places that photographs better than you expect and then turns out to be even better in person. A flooded former clay pit near Wareham that has somehow ended up turquoise. A 300-acre nature reserve with woodland walks, a rope bridge, an Art Deco tearoom and an ice cream at the end of it. I have been four or five times over the years and it holds up every single time.
This is the kind of day out that works for everyone. Small children are entertained by the fairy doors and the trail activities. Older kids want the rope bridge. Adults get the pool, the woodland, the peace of it, and a decent cup of tea afterwards. Nobody leaves wishing they had done something else.
What the Blue Pool actually is
The Blue Pool is a 300-acre nature reserve in the Purbeck countryside near Wareham, built around a flooded former clay pit that is now one of the most photographed spots in Dorset. Woodland paths wind around and through the reserve, with the pool sitting at the heart of it, visible from several different viewpoints as you walk.
The reserve has been developed thoughtfully over the years into something that works genuinely well as a family day out. The tearoom, the trails, the play area and the activities for children are all part of the experience, not an afterthought. It is not a theme park and it is not trying to be. It is a beautiful piece of Dorset countryside that has been made accessible and enjoyable without losing what makes it special.
A bit of history
The pool's history goes back to the 17th century, when the land was used to extract Purbeck ball clay, a high-quality clay that found its way into British pottery production for hundreds of years. When extraction eventually ended and the pit was abandoned, rainwater filled the excavation over time and the Blue Pool was the result.
The Art Deco tearoom dates from the early days of the site as a visitor attraction and is now a listed building in its own right. There is a small museum on site covering the history of the clay extraction and the reserve's development, which is worth five minutes if you have older children who are asking questions about why the water looks like that.
The pool and why it looks like that
The colour is the first thing everyone asks about. The Blue Pool is not always blue. It ranges from deep turquoise to green to grey depending on the angle you are looking from, the weather, and the light. Fine particles of clay suspended in the water scatter light differently as conditions change, which is why the same pool looks different from two viewpoints ten metres apart.
On a sunny day it is genuinely striking. The kind of thing you photograph and then show people expecting them not to believe it is not edited. It is not edited. That is just what the water looks like.
The pool is deep and the banks are steep in places. It is not somewhere to let small children near the edge unsupervised, which the signage makes clear. The viewpoints are well-positioned though, and you get a proper look at the colour without needing to get close to the water.
The walks and routes
The reserve has several different walking routes ranging from a short, easy loop to longer paths through the woodland that take in more of the 300 acres. There are pushchair-friendly options on the lower paths, and more uneven terrain on some of the higher routes with steps and steeper sections.
The paths are well-maintained and clearly signed. None of this is demanding walking. The kind of terrain where you think twice about footwear choice rather than route planning. But there is enough variety that you can spend an hour and feel like you have seen the place properly, or extend it to two or three hours if the weather is good and everyone is happy.
The best views of the pool come from the elevated paths on the eastern side of the reserve, where you get the full spread of the water below you. Worth doing the loop in that direction first while the legs are fresh and the light is good.
The rope bridge
The Blue Pool has what is claimed to be the UK's longest rope bridge, and it is the kind of detail that gets children immediately interested and adults quietly grateful for something to make the walk memorable.
It crosses through the woodland and gives you a slightly different view of the reserve beneath you. It is genuinely long. Some people take it quickly. Others take their time. Maple, when we next make it back, will have opinions about it.
For the kids: fairy doors, trails and the play area
The Blue Pool does well for children, which is part of why it works as a family day out rather than just a nice walk for adults. The Trail of Enchanted Doors is a woodland hunt for small fairy doors hidden throughout the reserve. The kind of activity that keeps children looking at trees and hedgerows rather than asking when they can have an ice cream. Pencils and trail sheets are provided.
There is also an alphabet trail aimed at younger children, a small play area near the tearoom with an obstacle course, and certificates awarded for completing the activities. Children who finish the trail get something to take home, which always goes down better than expected.
On specific dates through the year the reserve runs themed events: a Fairy Day in July with face painting, storytelling and an artisan market is the headline one, but there are also guided Nightjar Walks in late spring and summer for those interested in seeing something different after dark.
Wildlife
The reserve supports more wildlife than you might expect from the size of it. Dragonflies and damselflies over the water in summer. Grey squirrels throughout the woodland. Around twenty ducks on the pool at any given time, apparently quite comfortable with visitors. On the right evening in late spring or summer, nightjars, which is what the guided walks are designed around.
It is not the same as a nature reserve where you need binoculars and patience. The wildlife here is visible and approachable and adds to the experience of the walk without requiring any specific effort to find it.
The tearoom and ice cream
The Art Deco tearoom sits at the entrance end of the site and overlooks the pool. It is a proper tearoom, not a kiosk, with a menu that runs from sandwiches and cream teas to hot meals, using locally sourced ingredients where possible. The building itself is worth a look: the original 1930s styling has been maintained and it feels like a place that has been there a long time, because it has.
The ice cream at the end is the unofficial tradition for anyone who has been here with children. It is the correct way to finish the visit and the children will remind you of this regardless of how subtle you try to be about whether you are going to get one.
The tearoom does not allow dogs inside, but there is outdoor seating where dogs are welcome.
Picnics
The picnic option is one of the things the Blue Pool does best, and we have taken advantage of it on several visits when the weather has cooperated. There are grassed areas near the pool and throughout the reserve where sitting down with a packed lunch is perfectly comfortable and genuinely pleasant.
On a warm day with the pool in view and the woodland around you, a picnic here is an easy argument for why Dorset is a good place to live. Bring a decent picnic blanket and make an afternoon of it rather than a quick walk and a cup of tea.
What to wear
This is not a hike. You do not need hiking poles or a full pack or anything technical. But the paths at the Blue Pool include some uneven ground, steps, and sections that can get soft and slippery in wet weather, and comfortable walking shoes will make the difference between enjoying the walk and spending it watching your footing.
Out of habit I wear the Salomon Speedcross 6 here in spring and summer. The grip is reassuring on the woodland paths even when conditions are dry. In autumn and winter, when the ground softens after rain, the Salomon X Ultra 360 Mid GTX gives a bit more ankle support and keeps your feet dry.
Beyond footwear, you do not need much. A bag for snacks and water if you are there for a while, sun cream in summer, and enough layers if the weather is uncertain. Leave the rest of the kit at home.
What you need to know before you go
Address: Furzebrook Road, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5AR
Getting there: Well signposted from the A351 between Wareham and Corfe Castle. Easy to find.
Opening: Open daily. Check bluepooltearooms.co.uk for current seasonal hours before visiting.
Admission: No advance booking required. Pay on arrival by cash or card.
| Ticket | High Season (1 Mar – 31 Oct) | Low Season (1 Nov – 28 Feb) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (16+) | £9.75 | £7.75 |
| Child (5–15) | £4.95 | £3.95 |
| Under 5 | Free | Free |
| Membership | From £27.50 (year-round access) |
Parking: Free, large car park on site. Never had a problem getting a space on any visit.
Dogs: Welcome on leads throughout the reserve. Tearoom indoor seating is dog-free but outdoor seating is fine.
Accessibility: Pushchair-friendly routes on the lower paths. Some sections have steps and steeper ground. The site has information on accessibility at the entrance.
Picnics: Allowed and actively encouraged. Grassed areas throughout the reserve.
Is it worth it?
Without question, and I say that having been four or five times over the years without ever leaving thinking it was not worth the trip.
The Blue Pool works for a reason: it has a genuine main attraction in the pool itself, enough to do that the visit fills naturally rather than feeling stretched, and the tearoom and ice cream at the end that make it feel like a complete day rather than just a walk. Families with children get the most from it. The trails and activities are well done and the variety of things to look at and do means children stay engaged without needing to be managed.
For adults it is simply a beautiful piece of Purbeck countryside that takes a couple of unhurried hours and rewards that time. The views of the pool from the higher paths, the woodland in the right light, the peace of it compared to busier Dorset attractions, it earns the admission price comfortably.
The free parking and the picnic option keep the overall cost manageable for a family day out. A family of four in high season with a picnic from home costs under £30 all in, which is hard to argue with for a full afternoon out.
Compton Acres in Poole and Moors Valley Country Park are on the Dorset days-out list too if you are looking for more of the same calibre. Different in character, more formal gardens or open forest than woodland, but the same spirit of a genuinely good day out that does not need a long drive to justify it.
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