The Stour

Winterborne

The North Winterborne (as distinct from the South Winterborne in the catchment of the River Frome) is a chalk stream which rises around the villages to which it gives its name (Winterborne Houghton, Winterborne Stickland &c), and joins the Stour at Sturminster Marshall in Dorset.

Lower Winterborne Parish Council record that their river 'usually flows only during winter months, but the duration of flow depends entirely on rainfall during the year, e.g.

 In one particularly dry year in the mid-nineties, the river did not flow at all, and in another it flowed for just four weeks from mid-December to mid-January.

 During the extremely wet winter of 2000/2001 the river flowed from early August 2000 to July 2001.

 It started flowing in early September 2001 and, in Winterborne Kingston, stopped in early June 2002. In Winterborne Zelston the river is still flowing (at 27th July 2002).

In most years the river behaves itself and flows within its banks, but in years of exceptionally heavy rain it overflows into the adjacent water meadows and, occasionally, onto the roads. The winter of 2000/2001 was particularly bad, with a number of roads closed due to flooding and a handful of cottages affected by floodwater. To overcome these problems in the future, North Dorset District council have carried out extensive flood alleviation measures throughout the Parish and time will tell how effective these will be.

A public footpath runs alongside the river from an access point at Stony Lawn (off West Street), Winterborne Kingston to the Greyhound Inn, and another runs along the river valley from East Street, Winterborne Kingston right through to Winterborne Zelston. These paths support a wide range of flowers and fauna and are clearly shown on the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 117.'

From AJ Reed MBE, Chairman, Lower Winterborne Parish Council