EXPLORE: Stanpit Marsh Nature Reserve

In among the hustle and bustle of the area in which we live we have some hidden gems of nature, one of these is in Christchurch. Less than a mile from the town centre and easily assessable by car, bus, walking or bike you come across Stanpit Marsh Nature Reserve, a site of special scientific interest (SSI) and home to many species of animals and plants.

Nestled on the edge of Christchurch Harbour where both the Avon and Stour rivers meet, Stanpit Marsh is a 65 Hectare site which became a nature reserve back in 1964 before becoming a SSI in 1986. It is made up of sandy scrub, salt marshes, salt pans, reed beds, freshwater marsh and even an original prototype of a Bailey Bridge dating back from WW2.

The Marsh is home to over 300 species of plant life, 14 of which are endangered and the wildlife includes many butterflies and dragonflies and just over 300 species of birdlife. Some species use the marsh for nesting but many use the marsh as part of their spring and autumn migration. The views from the marsh are outstanding with Hengistbury Head prominent from the rivers edge on the Marsh. The other aspect that catches the eye is the colourful beach huts peppering the landscape across at Mudeford Spit, while along the river the wading birds are joined on the river by many pleasure craft crossing into the wider harbour as they meander along the river with gentle ripples reaching both banks of the shore.

The actual entrance to the Marsh can be found at the far corner of the field adjacent to Stanpit car park (What3words flops.ripe.sounds) which itself is reached from the BCP car park on Stanpit, BH23 3ND (free at time of this article) or by parking in the car park of Two Riversmeet BH23 3LX (pay and display). Morebus also run frequent services passing very close to the Marsh on services 1a, 1b, 1c X1 and X2 (alight at Purewell, Two Riversmeet or Stanpit)

As soon as you pass through the gate you find the Stanpit Marsh Visitors Hut immediately on the right, here you will find an excellent resource of material found on the marsh and also a list of recently viewed visiting birds (PHOTO). The centre is often manned by volunteers who between them can offer you a wealth of their experience and also advise on things to look out for at the time of your visit.

On the day of my visit the visitors hut was closed (closes at 16:00) but a board is left outside by the entrance which is full of useful ‘sightings’ information. On this particular day, sightings had included the Mediterranean Gull, Kestrel, Lapwing and a Cattle Egret to name just a few. But it’s not just creatures of the air that are recorded, other sightings included a Grass Snake and Slow worms. In and around the visitor centre the area is mainly of woodland which again attracts nesting birds to the Marsh.

Leaving the area of the visitor centre, the walk around the Marsh is generally flat ground, the pathway is made of sand and gravel so suitable footwear is advised. During our walk we noticed that one person was in a motorised wheelchair which was pleasing to see as this shows the Marsh is accessible to all. However please be aware in the winter months the area can get flooded so please be cautious. Well behaved dogs are welcome but they must be on a lead at all times.

Soon after you leave the visitor centre you come across one of the original prototypes of the Bailey Bridge, designed by local resident Sir Donald Bailey. It was designed and used during the war as a means to quickly construct a lightweight bridge across a small expanse of water carried onto site by the troops. Plaques each side tell you more about the structure zFollowing the path, you start to head back to the wooded part of the Marsh, here on my visit we were lucky to see one of the few remaining swans with their cygnets just 10 metres away from us, a lovely sight to see. As we crossed over a few small wooden bridges spanning streams we came across some dragonflies’ boasting beautiful colours of vivid blue with delicate transparent wings.

On many occasions you will see ponies on the Marsh - these are semi-wild so yes admire them but equally give them some distance. The advice is not to feed them, they are privately owned and looked after on a daily basis. They are friendly and provided you do not scare them or make any sudden movements they will happily walk right past you.

The route continues across the banks of the Stour offering a shallow shingle bank, here you get outstanding views of Hengistbury Head which lies just opposite as well as uninterrupted views of Christchurch Priory.

Every visit I make to the Marsh I stop and look at a rusty shell of a boat, there is no plaque to explain what it is so perhaps nobody knows. Some say it’s just an old fishing vessel, others say it was dumped years ago. I have even heard it’s an old smuggler tender, though I have to admit I think the latter is the least likely.

Shortly after you come to the end of the walk. The walk is only a total of around 2km so very easy going but the immense and various types of nature you see on the walk does make for a very pleasant visit. You exit the walk again in the park you joined but at the opposite end.

When visiting, if you have them, we strongly recommend taking some binoculars. These will help you really get up close to nature

As well as appropriate footwear, it’s also advisable in the heat of the summer to apply sunscreen, as the walk is open to the heat of the day. If late in the day or as we move into autumn some insect repellent may be a good idea to keep the mosquitos at bay

As I made the short journey home, I pondered on how many of us realise what wonders of nature lie just a few minutes from our own doorsteps.

You can learn more about the Marsh by visiting the volunteer’s website which itself is an excellent source of material www. friendsofstanpitmarsh.org.uk