Blue pool, Dorset

Just a few minutes from Wareham, hidden within the Furzebrook Estate lies the blue pool.

This hasn’t always been a beauty spot, 300 years ago it was once an industrial clay pit.
Back in the 17th century, workers hand-dug this enormous pit to extract Purbeck Ball Clay, a high-quality clay used by British pottery companies.
When the clay ran out, the pit was abandoned.
Over time, rainwater slowly filled the excavation, creating what we now know as The Blue Pool.
The site opened to visitors in 1935, and today it’s protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest thanks to its rare plants and wildlife.

So... why does the water change colour?
It’s actually an optical illusion.
Tiny particles of clay remain suspended in the water.
As sunlight hits those particles from different angles, the light is scattered differently, making the pool appear blue, turquoise, green, grey—or even reddish depending on the weather and time of day.
It’s one of the very few places in Britain where you can witness this unusual natural phenomenon.

Locals used to call it the bottomless pool and they believed it was so deep it reached the underworld itself and warned children not to stray close as it was said the pool would pull you in ! of course it isn’t bottomless and is in fact around 30 meters deep

he reserve has over 30 acres of woodland trails to explore.
One of the biggest attractions is the UK’s longest rope bridge, stretching around 50 metres through the trees.

Also be sure to check out the art deco cafe. #dorset #traveldorset #bluepool #wareham #beautyspots