Poundbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Poundbury |
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 Queen Mother Square, with Strathmore House (right) |
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 Poundbury
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| Population | 4,100 |
| OS grid reference | SY671549 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DORCHESTER |
| Postcode district | DT1 |
| Dialling code | 01305 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Poundbury is a special new town built on the edge of Dorchester in Dorset, England. It's an interesting project led by the Duchy of Cornwall, which is a special estate owned by the King (when he was Prince of Wales).
The town was designed by architect Léon Krier. Its look is based on traditional English buildings and a style called New Urbanism. This style focuses on creating towns where people can easily walk and live close to shops and jobs. In 2021, about 4,100 people lived in Poundbury.
Poundbury is expected to be finished around 2025 and will have about 6,000 residents. Many businesses and people work on building and developing the town. People often praise Poundbury for its traditional look and smaller buildings that feel friendly to people.
Contents
Why Poundbury Was Built
Poundbury was created following ideas from King Charles III (when he was Prince of Wales). He had strong opinions about how towns should be planned. He believed that many modern towns built after World War II were too spread out and focused too much on cars.
Designing a People-Friendly Town
The town is built to be quite dense, meaning buildings are close together. The goal is to create a community where homes, shops, and businesses are all mixed together. This means there are no separate "zones" just for houses or just for shops.
Planners wanted to design Poundbury for people, not just for cars. They aimed to make it a high-quality place to live. To keep the town looking neat, all the pipes and wires for things like water and electricity are buried underground in special tunnels. A management company helps look after the shared areas of the town.
Sustainable Living and Traditional Looks
Poundbury is designed to be a sustainable development. This means it tries to be good for the environment and use resources wisely. It even aims to be carbon neutral, which means it balances the carbon it produces with the carbon it removes.
The project is similar to the New Urbanism movement, which focuses on creating walkable, mixed-use communities. The town's center has a classic architectural style, while other areas look more like traditional local buildings. You can see old-fashioned features like iron fences, grand entrances called porticos, and public squares with gravel. Some windows are even "bricked-up" for decoration, just like in old buildings.
Poundbury's History
In 1987, the land where Poundbury now stands was chosen as a good place to expand the town of Dorchester. At that time, King Charles III was the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. He was very interested in architecture and town design. He even wrote a book about his ideas.
The Duchy of Cornwall saw this as a chance to try out the Prince's ideas. Instead of selling the land to a regular house builder, the Duchy decided to plan the development themselves. They hired Léon Krier, a famous architect, in 1988 to design the new town.
Construction began in 1993 and is expected to finish around 2025. When it's complete, about 5,800 people are expected to live there.
Royal Visits to Poundbury
In June 2023, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Poundbury for the first time since their coronation. During their visit, they unveiled special bronze pictures of themselves in Queen Mother Square. They also opened the Duke of Edinburgh Garden and unveiled a statue of the King's father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Jobs and Businesses
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Poundbury has a thriving economy. In 2010, it added over £330 million to Dorset's local economy. This is expected to grow even more in the future.
Many people who live in Poundbury also work there. In 2017, there were 185 businesses in the town, providing 2,345 jobs. These businesses include a large supermarket, a company that makes parts for airplane wings, and even a chocolate factory!
One well-known company that used to be in Poundbury was Dorset Cereals, which makes breakfast foods. They employed over 100 people at their special factory there. There is still space for many more businesses to open in Poundbury.
Schools in Poundbury
Poundbury has two primary schools nearby for younger students. One is called The Prince of Wales School. The other, Damers First School, moved into a new building in Poundbury in 2017.
People of Poundbury
In 2021, a census showed that 4,100 people lived in Poundbury. Most of the people (about 89.5%) were born in the United Kingdom. The rest (10.5%) were born outside the UK.
The town is mostly made up of White people (93.7%). There are also people from Asian, Black, and mixed ethnic backgrounds living in Poundbury.
Things to See and Do
Because Poundbury looks so unique, many architects, government officials, and planners from all over the world come to visit it.
Queen Mother Square
The Queen Mother Square is a main attraction in Poundbury. It's surrounded by interesting buildings. One of them is Strathmore House, named after Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was King Charles III's grandmother.
In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, unveiled a statue of the Queen Mother in the square. Also in 2016, a pub called the Duchess of Cornwall Inn opened. It was named in honor of Queen Camilla, who was then the Duchess of Cornwall.
Festivals and Parks
Every August, the Dorset Food & Arts Festival takes place in Queen Mother Square. Thousands of people come to enjoy local food and art, and the festival also raises money for charities.
In 2018, King Charles III (when he was Prince of Wales) officially opened Poundbury's first church, the Dorchester Community Church.
In May 2022, he also opened a huge play area in Poundbury's largest park, called the Great Field. This park is now looked after by the Dorchester Town Council.
Images for kids
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Queen Mother Square
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Fire station by Calder Peel
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Brownsword Hall (front) by John Simpson
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Brownsword Hall (side)
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Peverell Avenue West / Ringhill Street (Whistling Witch)
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Peverell Avenue West / Peninsula Way
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Peverell Avenue East / Woodlands Crescent
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Holmead Walk / Chaseborough Square
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Bridport Road / Beechwood Lane
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Moraston Street / Weir End Road
