Gone but not forgotten….. this place was a little slice of Italy on Poole High Street. A sign of the times I guess that its now gone …..It was “Ginali’s” according to the wife….
But the walls of 87 High Street hold a fascinating history that stretches back much further than its days as a beloved restaurant. Long before it became a Grade II listed Georgian eatery with a gorgeous European-style courtyard, this site was originally built in 1704.
Known historically as the Barfoot Mansion, the original building was a classically proportioned property that encompassed both No. 87 and No. 89 High Street. Serving as a massive status symbol for the wealthy merchants who inhabited it, the grand manor boasted three storeys, an additional cellar room, and a layout that was seven bays wide.
Its very first resident was a local merchant and Member of Parliament named Samuel Weston, who lived in the mansion until his death in 1716. By the mid-18th century, the property was owned by a local merchant named William Barfoot.
Following the deaths of Barfoot and his wife, the grand house was eventually auctioned off at The Antelope Inn in 1775. Just two years later, in 1777, the vast mansion was subdivided, remaining split into separate properties to this day.
In the 19th century, the building took on an entirely new life when it became the ‘Poole Town and County Bank’. The bank was founded in 1821 and run by George Welch Ledgard, a former Newfoundland merchant who also resided on the premises. Ledgard was a highly prominent figure in the town, going on to serve as the mayor of Poole five times between 1820 and 1831. So, while we might miss the Italian charm and fantastic pasta of Ginali’s, the building itself remains a standing monument to Poole’s rich commercial heritage.
- taken|9 may, 2026
- camera|iPhone 12 Pro Max
- focal length|1.5399999618512mm
- aperture|f/2.4
- shutter speed|1/276s
- iso|25
- flash fired|no
- exposure bias|-0.67 ev
- location|Poole, United Kingdom