The River Path The River Path
The Stour in Bournemouth
by Stuart Clarke
Countryside Officer,
Bournemouth Borough Council
The River Stour forms the northern boundary of Bournemouth. Within the Borough there are several countryside areas adjacent to the river that are owned and managed by Bournemouth Borough Council. Beginning in the north-west and heading downstream, these are: Millhams Mead (the picture above shows the bridge over Millhams Stream), Stour Valley Local Nature Reserve (LNR), Sheepwash, Iford Meadows and finally the Wick Meadows at Hengistbury Head where it eventually merges with the River Avon and flows into Christchurch Harbour. This equates to a land area of approximately 70 hectares.
Throughout this part of its course the river tends to be wide and sluggish and is bordered by typical bankside trees such as willows and alder. There is a noticeable tidal effect as far upstream from Christchurch Harbour as Iford Bridge. These low-lying areas within the river valley have escaped the pressures of urbanisation and have, in large part, retained their rural character. The Stour Valley LNR can seem a world apart from the adjacent conurbation.
Here there is a rich variety of habitats including: hay meadow, marsh, woodland, hedgerows and ponds all within walking distance of a large number of people. In fact, the vast majority of people who visit live in the immediate locality and use it to exercise their dogs. The other major users are, of course, anglers.
Management of the LNR is geared towards conserving and, where possible, enhancing the ecological value, but the needs of the people who use it are always taken into account. It is a delicate balancing act between providing such things as footpaths and seating while still retaining an informal countryside feel. The majority of the LNR comprises grassland that is cut annually for hay by a local farmer. Until 1989, the meadowland was rather open and featureless but a programme of hedge planting has significantly increased the aesthetic value of the area as well as providing habitat for a whole variety of wildlife. In fact almost 1500 metres (1 mile) of hedge has been planted, the first length of which was laid last winter.
All of the proposed management for the LNR is set out in a comprehensive Management Plan. The plan is currently in the process of being updated and will be available for Public Consultation in the near future. LNR status was given in 1995 and it fully justifies this designation. A botanical survey in 2000 revealed almost 400 plant species, many of which are quite common and widespread. Some though are more local in distribution, for example flowering rush, grass vetchling, corky-fruited water-dropwort and clustered clover.
Butterflies are a feature of the Reserve with 26 species recorded to date. The year 2000 was a special one as far as butterflies are concerned with 2 species recorded for the first time. These were the Essex skipper and the rare white-letter hairstreak. The caterpillar of this species feeds only on elm leaves and of course elm has been devastated by Dutch elm disease. Measures are therefore being taken to ensure elms are not lost from the Reserve. This has included the planting of disease-resistant species of elm that are still palatable to the butterfly larvae.
The variety of aquatic features are ideal habitat for a number of dragonfly and damselfly species which can be seen on the wing throughout the summer months. Of particular note is the nationally rare scarce chaser which here can almost be classed as abundant.
The area attracts large numbers of birds, with different species being in evidence at different times of the year. The river and its banks and the woodland and hedgerow habitats are particularly important as nesting and feeding areas. Breeding birds include: kingfisher, reed warbler, sparrowhawk, garden warbler, great-spotted woodpecker and bullfinch. The Stour Valley is a route for migratory birds and spring and autumn can be exciting times. Regular passage migrants include: redstart, whinchat, common sandpiper, hobby and probably most spectacular of all, osprey.
Small mammals abound and until recently this would have included the water vole, but unfortunately, as in so many other areas they are no longer found. There is little doubt that a major factor in the loss of the water vole from this area has been predation by mink. On a much brighter note, a real success story has been the return of the otter to the lower reaches of the Stour. Although rarely seen, the otters' presence is revealed by their spraint (droppings) that is used by the animals as a means of territory marking and for communication. It has a distinctive appearance and a pleasant sweet aroma! The main diet of otters is fish and in the Stour there are plenty to choose from. Eels, roach and chub are particularly common but there are also pike, perch, barbel, dace, stone loach and minnows among others.
The presence of top predators such as otter and kingfisher indicate a healthy aquatic environment. It is up to us all to ensure that the River Stour and its associated habitats retain their ecological and aesthetic value.
This article first appeared in Confluence News 12, Spring 2001.
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