Upton & Lytchett Minster

Upton & Lytchett Minster are neighbouring settlements on the edge of Poole’s urban area. Upton is largely residential, with housing estates and local shops centred around its historic market place. Lytchett Minster is more rural, characterised by scattered farms, woodland, and smaller villages. The area is bordered by the A35 trunk road and includes sections of the heathland that typifies this part of Dorset.

The landscape is defined by Lytchett Heath and the Minster River, which flows through the parishes. Lytchett Minster’s 12th-century church, dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, stands on a prominent hill. The area’s proximity to Holes Bay and the Poole Harbour estuary influences its low-lying, often damp terrain, supporting wetland habitats.