Canford Heath, a suburb of Poole
Canford Heath is a suburb and electoral ward of Poole, not a separate town. Since 2019, it has elected three councillors to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. That council, known as BCP, handles planning for every home here.
The name covers two things at once. It means the housing development built across the heath in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. However, it also means the open heathland itself, which is the largest heath in Dorset.
The place first appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Cheneford. Scholars read the name as either “Cana’s ford” or “jackdaws’ ford”. The word heath joined it in 1811, to tell the area apart from Canford Cliffs.
A housing estate beside protected heathland
Building began in South Canford Heath in 1963. Work on North Canford Heath followed in 1973, and the first combined school opened in 1970. As a result, most homes here date from a single thirty-year spell of planned building.
Canford Heath also ranks as the largest lowland heath in the United Kingdom. Much of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated in 1988. It also forms part of the Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area. Rare species such as the smooth snake, the sand lizard and the Dartford warbler live there.
In 1991, the then Secretary of State, Michael Heseltine, revoked planning consent for building across the whole heath. Consequently, the estate has kept a clear edge where the houses stop and the protected land begins. The Tower Park leisure complex sits nearby. In 2009, the BBC filmed an episode of Springwatch at the heath’s Hatchpond.
What an installation here tends to involve
Homes built between the 1960s and the 1980s share broadly similar construction. For that reason, an estate house often gives an easier choice of wall than an older terrace. Even so, a survey still confirms the wall, the pipe route and the drain point for each address. What installation typically costs is a useful starting point before that survey.
If your garden backs onto the protected heath, mention it when you get in touch. Similarly, note whether your home is a flat or a house. A flat can raise questions about shared walls and consent from a freeholder. Where a unit can go on a flat covers the questions a freeholder or managing agent is likely to raise.
Heath fires have broken out here several times, including in 2006, 2015 and 2022. Therefore, it makes sense to keep the outdoor unit clear of fences and dry planting. The installer can advise on a sensible spot during the survey.
Coverage from Poole
Canford Heath is about 4.3 miles by road from the centre of Poole, around 10 minutes’ drive. Because it sits inside the Poole built-up area, a Canford Heath address is well within reach. Pages on fitting air conditioning in Broadstone, Corfe Mullen air conditioning installation and installing a system in Colehill cover nearby places.
For national elections, Canford Heath has been part of the Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency since 1997. Before that, it sat in the Poole constituency. Meanwhile, the local community has grown around two pubs, several churches, a supermarket and five schools.
Getting matched in Canford Heath
Send one enquiry and we match your address with one pre-qualified installer who works here. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Get in touch at /contact/, and see the installation service page for more on the work involved.