Poole's coat of arms, seen in St James' Church, includes three scallop shells. These are the symbol of St James and link Poole to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain, the saint's birthplace and shrine.
Santiago was a popular destination for Christian pilgrims leaving Poole Harbour in the Middle Ages
Records from 1428 show the ship 'Nicholas' had a licence to transport 80 passengers to Santiago de Compostela, 60 were allowed on board the 'Bernard' and 60 on the 'Michael'.