Just off the centre of the town of Sturminster Newton, this local nature reserve of meadows, hedges, ditches and ponds is the last remnant of the grazing land associated with the Sturminster Livestock Market, once the largest in the south west. Now it is surrounded by housing and industrial units and it provides a haven for wildlife such as the internationally protected Great Crested Newt, numerous species of wildflowers and nesting sites for birds.

Nearest town Sturminster Newton
Look out for

Great Crested Newt, Ragged Robin, Meadow Sweet

Habitats Laid Hedgerows, Hay Meadows, ditches and ponds
Site designations

Site of Nature Conservation Interest and Local Nature Reserve

Nearest bus stop Butts Pond Road
Nearest train station Gillingham (9 miles)
Grid reference ST 789 147
Postcode DT10 1AZ
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Size 1.62 hectares
Parking Adjacent to the site
Accessibility Disabled access
Owner Sturminster Newton Town Council
Managed by Dorset Council (Area Greenspace Management Team - North)
How to get there Main entrance off Butts Pond Industrial Estate Road or Selwood Close, Sturminster Newton

Senior Countryside Ranger - North Dorset

Name: Graham Stanley
Email: graham.stanley@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Tel: 01258 456970
Full contact details