Poole's Wild Canford Heath

Edward Griffiths enjoys a walk on a surprisingly wild heath that is a stone’s throw from both Poole and Bournemouth

- Edward Griffiths

POOLE Borough Council’s Canford Heath Nature Reserve is one of the largest heaths in Dorset. Around 3,500 years ago, Bronze Age settlers cleared the birch and oak woodland which covered much of south east Dorset to create fields and pastures, and you will pass several of their burial mounds or barrows on the heath. Although building encroachment on the southern area of heath between 1962 and 1986 greatly reduced its size, it still covers 850 acres, equivalent to 532 Wembley-sized football pitches. Sand and gravel have been excavated at several sites and the pits left behind used for landfill but these are now being carefully restored to heathland habitat.

The diversity of the heath’s habitat favours a variety of wildlife. Wetter areas of bog are home to cotton grass, bog asphodel and sundew flytraps, whilst adders, rarer smooth snakes and sand lizards all live amongst the common heather, bell heather, bristle bent grass and gorse. Keep your eyes peeled for rare Dartford warblers which are here all year enjoying this beautiful wild heath, as will walkers.

1 THE WALK