Plan your visit
🛝Family🎠Play🦅Birds
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome
Getting here
50.92743, -2.30498
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾
- 🐦70+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Woodpigeon and Great Tit
- ☀️Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay
- ☕Poets Corner — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🐦70+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Woodpigeon and Great Tit
- ☀️Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay
- ☕Poets Corner — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food
- £Free to visit — no entry charge
- 🐕Dogs welcome
☕Café🅿️Parking· Paid🛝Playground🚻Toilets🐄Farm visit
🛝Family friendly
Very strong match
playground, café, toilets; Urban park — family destination
Free
🎠Playgrounds
Very strong match
playground, toilets, café, parking
Free
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Carrion Crow +67 more · last seen 2025
Free
🧺Picnic day out
Strong match
café, toilets, car park; Urban park — open green space
Free
Birds — Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Carrion Crow +67 more · last seen 2025
Free
🦋Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral +38 more · last seen 2025
Free
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km2 signed routes nearby · 11 public paths nearby
Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Wessex RidgewayWalking route▾
Named routeRef WRRegional walking route
Stour Valley WayWalking route100 km▾
Named routeRef SVWLength 100 kmRegional walking route
Ham Lanepublic footpath · 140 m▾
Public pathpublic footpathLength 140 mPath type: track
Colber Bridgepublic footpath · 28 m▾
Public pathpublic footpathLength 28 mPath type: footway
Coach Roadpublic footpath · 348 m▾
Public pathpublic footpathLength 348 mPath type: footway
19 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Route 25Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 25National Cycle Network
North Dorset TrailwayCycling route▾
Named routeLocal cycle route
National Cycle Network 250Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 250National Cycle Network
North Dorset Cycle WayCycling route▾
Named routeRegional cycle route
Main RouteCycling route47 m▾
Named routeRef 25Length 47 mNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt
Main RouteCycling route1.4 km▾
Named routeRef 25Length 1.4 kmNational Cycle NetworkOn-roadSurface asphalt
1 signed route nearby
Signed route nearby
Wessex Ridgeway TrailMountain bike route▾
Named routeListed length 207km
2 public paths nearby
Public paths
North Dorset Trailwaybridleway · 5 m▾
Public pathbridlewayLength 5 mSurface gravelPath type: track
North Dorset Trailwaybridleway · 1.3 km▾
Public pathbridlewayLength 1.3 kmSurface gravelPath type: track
Photos

The Railway Garden, Sturminster Newton
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
Useful places within 5 km
Wildlife to spot
37,721 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot
37,721 records · National Biodiversity Network🐦Birds48 species
summerautumnwinter
2025▾
Woodpigeon · Goldfinch · Carrion Crow · Great Tit · Chaffinch +43
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Great TitParus major
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- JackdawColoeus monedula
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- MagpiePica pica
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- GreenfinchChloris chloris
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- SwallowHirundo rustica
- House MartinDelichon urbicum
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Herring GullLarus argentatus
- CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- JayGarrulus glandarius
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- SwiftApus apus
- RavenCorvus corax
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- WhitethroatCurruca communis
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
🦌Mammals2 species
springautumn
2025▾
Hedgehog · Brown Hare
- HedgehogErinaceus europaeus
- Brown HareLepus europaeus
🐸Amphibians2 species
summerautumn
2026▾
Great Crested Newt · Common Frog
- Great Crested NewtTriturus cristatus2025
- Common FrogRana temporaria
🐝Insects19 species
springsummer
2025▾
White-legged Damselfly · Southern Hawker · Banded Demoiselle · Hornet · Emperor Dragonfly +14
- White-legged DamselflyPlatycnemis pennipes
- Southern HawkerAeshna cyanea
- Banded DemoiselleCalopteryx splendens
- HornetVespa crabro
- Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator
- Beautiful DemoiselleCalopteryx virgo
Turnip · Bittersweet · Snowberry · Eiriaidd · Meadow Buttercup +7
- TurnipBrassica rapa
- BittersweetSolanum dulcamara
- SnowberrySymphoricarpos albus
- EiriaiddLeucojum aestivum subsp. aestivum
- Meadow ButtercupRanunculus acris
- CuckooflowerCardamine pratensis
- Bulbous ButtercupRanunculus bulbosus
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
37,721 records · National Biodiversity Network🐦Birds48 species
summerautumnwinter
2025▾
Woodpigeon · Goldfinch · Carrion Crow · Great Tit · Chaffinch +43
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Great TitParus major
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- JackdawColoeus monedula
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- MagpiePica pica
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- GreenfinchChloris chloris
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- SwallowHirundo rustica
- House MartinDelichon urbicum
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Herring GullLarus argentatus
- CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- JayGarrulus glandarius
- NuthatchSitta europaea
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- SwiftApus apus
- RavenCorvus corax
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- WhitethroatCurruca communis
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
🦌Mammals2 species
springautumn
2025▾
Hedgehog · Brown Hare
- HedgehogErinaceus europaeus
- Brown HareLepus europaeus
🐸Amphibians2 species
summerautumn
2026▾
Great Crested Newt · Common Frog
- Great Crested NewtTriturus cristatus2025
- Common FrogRana temporaria
🐝Insects19 species
springsummer
2025▾
White-legged Damselfly · Southern Hawker · Banded Demoiselle · Hornet · Emperor Dragonfly +14
- White-legged DamselflyPlatycnemis pennipes
- Southern HawkerAeshna cyanea
- Banded DemoiselleCalopteryx splendens
- HornetVespa crabro
- Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator
- Beautiful DemoiselleCalopteryx virgo
Turnip · Bittersweet · Snowberry · Eiriaidd · Meadow Buttercup +7
- TurnipBrassica rapa
- BittersweetSolanum dulcamara
- SnowberrySymphoricarpos albus
- EiriaiddLeucojum aestivum subsp. aestivum
- Meadow ButtercupRanunculus acris
- CuckooflowerCardamine pratensis
- Bulbous ButtercupRanunculus bulbosus
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Glow-worm
Glow-worm
Lampyris noctiluca
Lampyris noctiluca
Rose ChaferCetonia aurataRose ChaferCetonia aurataHarlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridisHarlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridisBox BugGonocerus acuteangulatusBox BugGonocerus acuteangulatus2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctataMeadow GrasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelusMeadow GrasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelusHornet HoverflyVolucella zonariaHornet HoverflyVolucella zonaria7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctataBrown HawkerAeshna grandisBrown HawkerAeshna grandisBlack-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa coccineaBlack-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa coccineaBroad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressaBroad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressaScarce ChaserLibellula fulvaScarce ChaserLibellula fulvaBloody-nosed BeetleTimarcha tenebricosaBloody-nosed BeetleTimarcha tenebricosaCommon SorrelRumex acetosaCommon SorrelRumex acetosaMeadow FoxtailAlopecurus pratensisMeadow FoxtailAlopecurus pratensisPolypodium vulgarePolypodium vulgarePolypodium vulgarePolypodium vulgareLamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. montanumLamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. montanumLamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. montanumLamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. montanumWater FigwortScrophularia auriculataWater FigwortScrophularia auriculataEvents & activities nearby
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