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Bournemouth's Countryside Sites
Hengistbury Head Local Nature Reserve
A 400 acre coastal site very popular with tourists and local residents alike, with a great variety of habitats and interesting geological and archaeological features. Over 1 million visitors a year.
Stour Valley Local Nature Reserve
Situated to the north of Bournemouth the reserve follows the course of the River Stour for 3km. There is a variety of habitat types dominated by hay meadows with areas of marsh and woodland.
Turbary Common Local Nature Reserve
A heathland sited inthe north-east of the Borough. The area supports a remarkably diverse flora and fauna with, for example, all six native species of reptile present.
Kinson Common Local Nature Reserve
A small site with a wide variety of habitat types including dry and wet heathland. There are two Bronze Age barrows which remain in relatively good condition.
Millhams Mead
Half a mile north of Kinson. Mainly grassland over a disused land-fill site with an area of mature Oak and Hazel woodland, part of which is managed as a coppice. For information about joining the new local community group - the Millhams Meaders, click here.
Town Centre Woodlands
Planted in the early 19th century, Bournemouth soon became known as the city of Pines, due to such extensive planting of Pine trees. There are approximately 233 acres of woodland within the Borough of Bournemouth.
A recent bid for grant aid under English Nature’s Wildspace! project has proved successful.
Wildspace! is an initiative that distributes lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund to help local communities to improve, care for and enjoy Local Nature Reserves.
Bournemouth has been awarded £19,000 that will benefit Hengistbury Head, Turbary Common and Kinson Common LNRs. A prerequisite of the grant aid is that Millhams Mead shall be designated as Bournemouth’s 6 th LNR.
The project, which will run for 4 years, comprises a number of initiatives: At Hengistbury Head support will be provided for the local ‘Friends of’ group and there will be an emphasis on environmental education. This includes the organisation of an annual Environment Festival on the site. In north Bournemouth the main expenditure will be on improving access. In particular a waymarked route will be created linking existing LNRs and other Open Space.
An information board and a leaflet outlining points of interest will be produced for Millhams Mead and support will be given for the formation of a ‘Friends of’ group for the site.
For further details on this, contact stuart.clarke@bournemouth.gov.uk
Countryside Officers:
Mark Holloway and Richard Hesketh
Ranger's Office, Hengistbury Head
Tel : (01202) 420909
e-mail : mark.holloway@bournemouth.gov.uk / richard.hesketh@bournemouth.gov.uk
Mark Miller and Anne Marie Ford
The Barn
e-mail: mark.miller@bournemouth.gov.uk / anne-marie.ford@bournemouth .gov.uk