THE GREAT HEATH an URBAN LIVING LANDSCAPE for DORSET PAGE 4 Acknowledgements CONTENTS PAGE 5 Introduction
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THE GREAT HEATH AN URBAN LIVING LANDSCAPE FOR DORSET PAGE 4 Acknowledgements CONTENTS PAGE 5 Introduction PAGE 6 Aims PAGE 7 Habitats PAGES 8 & 9 The Great Heath Map PAGE 10 Focus on Nature Parks © Nicky Hoar Wilkinson Katie © PAGE 11 Opening the Door to The Great Heath PAGES 12 & 13 Getting Around The Great Heath PAGE 14 Events is “helping all the PAGE 15 wildlife live with Greenspaces all the people.” PAGE 16 Conservation Volunteers Year 3 pupil, Somerford Primary PAGE 17 Key Volunteers School PAGE 18 © Ian Julian Opportunities for Young People © Amy Lewis PAGE 19 Wildlife Champions PAGE 20 Forest Schools PAGE 21 Wildlife Recording PAGE 22 & 23 Wildlife Gardening Plaques PAGE 24 Waking up the Sleeping Beauty Heath © Lynsey Wellstead PAGE 25 Explore The Great Heath PAGE 26 Feedback PAGE 27 What Next? 2 thegreatheath.org thegreatheath.org 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Great Heath once covered INTRODUCTION most of south-east Dorset, from Purbeck to the New Forest, The outstanding achievements of The Great Heath broken only by river valleys and Living Landscape project would not have been small settlements. Now it is a possible without the National Lottery players and diverse landscape of heathland, the Heritage Lottery Fund, along with the generous farmland, woods and wetlands support of the Erica Trust, Colin Panter, Natural © Jane Adams entwined with the conurbation England, the Brockington legacy, The Fine Foundation, of Poole, Bournemouth, Dorset Wildlife Trust members and the local DORSET Christchurch and east Dorset. community. WILDLIFE TRUST This was a partnership project led by Dorset Wildlife Trust and involved Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Poole Harbour Commissioners, Borough of Poole, Dorset County Council, The Erica Trust, Bournemouth Borough Council and Christchurch and East Dorset Councils. Many volunteers helped in various capacities, from surveying to administration and conservation work. You deserve a HUGE pat on the back and a big THANK YOU from all of us. Thank you to EVERYONE who came along to any of our events, talks, walks and work parties, applied for a wildlife gardening plaque, or just spread the word of The Great Heath (TGH) project. You are the reason When a significant area of The TGH was such a success - keep enjoying, conserving Great Heath came up for sale by and learning! the Canford Estate, Dorset Wildlife Trust formed a partnership to secure these precious wildlife habitats and THANK YOU green spaces. The partners took this unique opportunity to give nature a future across the conurbation by creating Dorset’s first urban‘Living Landscape’ for people and wildlife. See map on page 8. Main © Andy Fale. Inset © Rob Skinner. Rob © Inset Fale. Andy © Main And so The Great Heath was born to work in partnership for wildlife and people in Dorset. The Great Heath Team. L-R: Sally Fear, Katie Wilkinson, Nicky Hoar, Bev Lagden. Inset: Megan Lowe. © Andy Fale © Nigel Brooks 4 thegreatheath.org thegreatheath.org 5 We want The Great Heath Living Landscape to be rich in wildlife and highly valued, enjoyed and nurtured by people. The Great Heath sites include heathland, AIMS woodland and meadow, wetland, harbour and HABITATS marsh, stretching from Lytchett in the west through Upton, Corfe Mullen, Broadstone hectares secured for and Ferndown to Parley in the east. CONSERVE 589 wildlife and people Purchase land to secure nature sites for wildlife and people. The nature of The Great Heathland, formed by nature Heath is incredible, with some of the most and man living in harmony for important wildlife habitats in the country right thousands of years and now home on our doorsteps. to some of the rarest wildlife in the country - including Ferndown “I want to be able to pass on a Living Common, Parley Common, Upton Landscape for my grandchildren.” Heath, Dunyeats Heath and the Denise Cuthbert, Upton former heathland of Arrowsmith © Ian Julian Coppice. © Nicky Hoar ENJOY Improve connections and access to the countryside, creating a network of connected sites with high-quality access Parts of Poole Harbour - the and interpretation, linking and improving trails, largest natural harbour in Britain, including the Castleman Trailway and Stour an internationally important refuge Valley Way. for wildlife and a site of great strategic, commercial and leisure “The walk through Ashington Cutting to value for people. Includes Holes Happy Bottom Nature Reserve was a delight.” and Lytchett Bays. Michael, guided walk participant © Nicky Hoar © Ian Ballam LEARN Provide new opportunities for everyone to enjoy and learn about our local wildlife and play a part in its conservation. Woods and meadows at Happy Bottom, Ashington Meadow, Delph “There is so much to learn and discover.” Woods and Arrowsmith Coppice. Robert Gomm, Ferndown © Nicky Hoar © Nicky Hoar 6 thegreatheath.org thegreatheath.org 7 1: UPTON HEATH 2: DUNYEATS HEATH, ARROWSMITH THE GREAT HEATH MAP COPPICE & DELPH WOODS DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST © Nigel Brooks Bates MBE © Tony 3: FERNDOWN COMMON 4: PARLEY COMMON 5: LOWER COMMON 5 © Crown copyright and database right 2013 Ordnance Survey 29185. New Forest National Park & SSSI boundaries - © Natural England copyright 2013. AONB. boundary provided by Contains Ordnance Survey data. Wild Purbeck NIA New Forest 4 National Park 3 7 DORSET 2 WILDLIFE TRUST 1 © Chris Dresh © Tony Bates MBE © Tony © Ken Dolbear MBE 6 8 NATURE PARKS 6: LYTCHETT BAY 7: CORFE BARROWS 8: HOLES BAY Stour Valley Way DORSET Castleman Trailway WILDLIFE TRUST Wild Purbeck Land Purchase Sites - Nature Parks Nature Improvement Area Land Purchase Sites The Great Heath Living Landscape Boundary DORSET DORSET WILDLIFE WILDLIFE River Allen Living Landscape TRUST TRUST © Jane Adams Logos denote site owners/managers. © Tony Bates MBE © Tony © Paul Morton 8 thegreatheath.org thegreatheath.org 9 3 23 SITES FOCUS ON NATURE PARKS nature with new OPENING THE DOOR parks interpretation and CORFE BARROWS created improved access, TO THE GREAT HEATH including; Linking eight nature areas around Corfe A Living Landscape brings us closer to our Mullen and Broadstone, Corfe Barrows 8 neighbouring wildlife, giving both nature and people a Nature Park is a special place for local new boardwalks future. communities and visitors to explore and enjoy the countryside, its history and its To help people get up close and enjoy The Great wonderful wildlife. © Nicky Hoar 2 Heath sites, we have created new information new ramps boards, improved access and web pages. Each one Formed by nature and man living in has a clear map showing paths and bridleways and harmony for thousands of years, the area how to connect to other sites and trails. is home to some of the rarest wildlife in the country and its Bronze Age barrows bear 3 new bridges New web pages and leaflets have accessibility witness to its long association with people. gradings for walkers, pawprint icons for dog owners, Woodland, heathland, meadows and and information about the wildlife and importance of pastures can be discovered on footpaths, each site. See page 25 for more information. bridleways and trails, including part of the disused Somerset and Dorset Railway, and Public Footpath Viewpoint Permissive Footpath Water there are links to the Castleman Trailway. © Jane Adams Castleman Trailway Protected Habitat Footway/cycleway Nature Reserve Dunyeats Hill (SSSI) Access Land Other Sites Access Point dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Woodland/Trees © Crown copyright and database rights 2016 Ordnance Survey 100019790. You are permitted to use this Delph data solely to enable you to respond to, or interact with, the organisation that provided you with the data. You are not permitted to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. Woods Corfe_Barrows_NaturePark This map is not denitive. E S LO TFIELD C OR P ES AVENUE EEV The term ‘Nature Park’ reflects the SL N E E R value of the area to both people and G 49 wildlife. It is not a statutory designation 3 A E V I R but a public expression of the intention D Dunyeats Hill D L © Nicky Hoar E I Nature Reserve F E of the partnership to work together to I R E R U E YOU ARE N M E manage the area for its special features V A HERE D L E I EF and value to people and wildlife. I R D R A E O M R S © Nicky Hoar K IN L F L O G R E P P U L L I H L E V A R Broadstone G ome Middle elc to School .. W . D s D ROA o d EATS g a DUNY s on le N Approx 125m © Nicky Hoar © Nicky Hoar 10 thegreatheath.org thegreatheath.org 11 GETTING AROUND New waymarking 16 miles of the Castleman Trailway, (made from local 64 miles of the Stour Valley Way & wood) and code of 10 miles of other trails waymarked The 16.5-mile Castleman conduct signs, plus Trailway is at the heart of The TLE M new bridges, gates Great Heath and a fantastic S A A N and surfacing at key way to discover many of C points, help people The Stour its sites. Following the old T to enjoy it, whether Valley Way is Southampton to Dorchester R Y on horse, bike, foot a designated A A railway line, this gentle route I L W or wheelchair. footpath that for walkers and riders is now follows almost much easier to use, thanks all of the 64- © Ian Julian to The Great Heath’s access mile course of improvements led by Dorset the magnificent County Council. river Stour. The Stour Valley Way has been improved with new gates replacing some of the stiles, new oak benches and new waymarking for the entire At Old Ham route from Hengistbury Head in Lane, The Great Dorset to Stourhead in Wiltshire! Heath Volunteers helped to replace © Nicky Hoar a stile and an eroded bank with © Bev Lagden steps, an access ramp and a medium-mobility Ian Bennett, who has Hereditary Spastic kissing gate.