East Dorset: An introduction to Stephen's Castle Nature Reserve

The following Wilts & Dorset buses come through Verwood;

X6   Poole - Ringwood

97   Ringwood - Fordingbridge

324 Cranborne - Bournemouth

Car parking at the Hub

[1]. Starting from the Hub walk past the Police Station on your left to the main road, Station Road.

[2]. Turn right along Station Road, past Verwood Surgery. Cross the road at a convenient opportunity and walk on the left hand side of the road until you come to Edmondsham Road.

[3]. Turn left up Edmondsham Road and immediately right into Moorlands Road,passing Verwood Bowling Club on your right, the houses either side and a hall with car park on your left  till you face Verwood Concert Brass Band Hall.

[4]. Follow the footpath up the right-hand side of the Hall and go straight ahead onto the tarmac path beside the wooden fence of the nature reserve.

[5].A board marks Stephen's Castle nature reserve entrance where you turn left through a wooden gate to follow the structured stone path on a short circular route. Keep to the path to arrive back where you started.  Exit the reserve as you came. Then, turn left at at the back of the Brass Band Hall to follow a gravel track through trees by the side of the recreation ground to the main road, Station Road.

[6] Return to the Hub by turning right and re-tracing your steps along the road.

[7]. Alternatively, you could enter the recreation ground by one of the gates and walk back to Station Road.

A. Stephen's Castle

The 'castle' is an Iron Age barrow at the top of an old sand and gravel quarry. Legend has it that Stephen was a local tribal chief of great strength. He was supposed to have hurled the 'Stephen stone' , weighing 3 tonnes, half a mile into Ringwood Forest. The barrow was excavated by archaeologists in the early 20th century where human remains dating back to the Iron Age were found. Verwood once had a thriving pottery and brick industry and the heathland provided the raw materials for the manufacturing activity. Now it is a pleasant and popular place for walking and for wildlife enthusiasts and magnificent views from the higher ground.

B. The Hub

Lifestyle in Verwood is the name of the newly merged Leisure Centre, Hub and Potterne Park, which all together offer an extensive range of sport, leisure and entertainment to the local community. It is run by the charity Verwood Arts and Leisure Association (VALA)

The Hub offers fitness classes and courses,  for both adults and children and it Verwood's main centre for entertainment, including dance, cinema, shows, fairs and parties. Local groups perform here such as the Verwood Concert Brass Band, whose venue you pass on the walk.