Wareham and Stoborough

Wareham Quay, by South Bridge

This walk starts by Wareham's South Bridge, from where we started our previous walk around Wareham and the river Stour. You cross the bridge, and on the way enjoy a nice view down river, with the Old Granary on the left and the line of moored boats ahead. It was interesting to see how the Black Headed Gulls dominated the middle of the river, while the ducks were all grouped by the banks.

You initially follow the south bank, with lovely views to the south over the water meadows. There are a series of drainage channels which put us in mind of the "rhines" of the Somerset Levels e.g around Allerton Moor.

After passing a sailing club, the route turns right along a lane, following the Purbeck Way, which soon passes through this lovely field of buttercups on the way towards Stoborough Green. The Purbeck Ridge is on the horizon.

You then cross the two roads leading south from Wareham, the B3075 and the A351 to reach Stoborough Heath. You  cross the heath, following a twisting, but very well sign-posted path, to eventually reach the Wareham to Corfe railway line. A sign insists that this is an operational line and threatens extensive fines for leaving the path gates open, but the fact the the rails are shinier on the crossing than either side strongly suggests that it is only operational in some notional world. There are said to be plans to extend the existing steam railway which runs from Swanage to Corfe on to Wareham and this would surely be an excellent thing.

Instead of crossing the railway however we turned right along a path through woodland which was graced with an excellent showing of purple rhododendrons.

There is then a walk of half a mile or so along a road (the walk description called this "some little distance" - it is anybody's guess how long that might be) to reach Stoborough. A right turn onto the road to the RSPB nature reserve at Arne takes you back into the country.

We met a woman and her daughter here who told us that the field opposite their house was often visited by a small herd of deer in the early evening and after jesting that we would look out for them, we were amused to see them (or another herd of course) in the next field. We did not see the white deer that she mentioned.

Conditions: very warm.

Distance: about 6 miles.

From: Walkingworld [ID 4935].

Map: Explorer OL15 (Purbeck and South Dorset).

Rating: Three stars. Some nice bits, but too much road.

Sightings

We saw a Small Copper and a Common Blue in the buttercup field. The latter kindly let me take a nice photo.

And on Stoborough Heath, just as we were lamenting a general lack of flowers, we came on this Early Purple Orchid.