Because of the proximity to the shoreline, and the more residential nature of Lower Parkstone, it is the more sought-after district,[citation needed] and originally[when?]

[2] Upper Parkstone includes large areas of smaller artisan housing, the shopping district along Ashley Road and the parish church of St. John's, Heatherlands.

Many photographs taken over the years from the Seaview viewpoint (overlooking much of Poole centre and Harbour) exist as postcards, and can be used to chart the changes to the area.

The "Upper Parkstone Estate" was a significant area of land vested in the local authority by the Great Canford Award of 1831, but it was slow to develop into the bustling neighbourhood of today.

In January 1885 a plot of land amounting to 6 acres 2 rods and 35 poles (approximately 2.5 hectares) was set aside as a public open space in plans presented to the council as a result of an invitation to a number of local architects for proposals laying out the estate.

Though some small blocks of flats have been built along this thoroughfare over the last 20 years, surrounding areas such as Rossmore have changed little during that time.

A few older cottage-style dwellings can still be found as reminders of when the area was agricultural, including several pairs of 'Lady Wimborne' houses: yellow-brick cottages with steep gables built by the Canford Estate, whose lands stretched from Longham to Lilliput.