Mill Ham Island Nature Reserve by Jane Franklin

Mill Ham Island

This little visited area offers a retreat for otters on a small 'island' bordering one side of the River Stour. A pleasant spot for river watching.

Location

Child Okeford

Blandford Forum

Dorset

DT11 8DU

OS Map Reference

ST8239912627

View on What3Words

manager.treating.concluded

Know before you go

Size

1 hectare

Entry fee

N/A

Parking information

Roadside parking by railway bridge.

Bicycle parking

Grazing animals

None

Walking trails

A narrow path leads through to the river bank on the other side. In late spring and summer, much of the reserve is covered by tall dense vegetation with quite a lot of nettle.

Before you go, please read our reserve safety and visitor information

Please click here for more information and guidance about dogs on Dorset Wildlife Trust nature reserves.

Access

Go through pedestrian gate across a field then over a bridge and the stile into the reserve. A narrow path leads through to the river bank on the other side. In late spring and summer, much of the reserve is covered by tall dense vegetation with quite a lot of nettle. There are steep, unprotected banks to the River Stour and care should be taken at all times. Avoid walking there at times of heavy rain and high water levels.

Dogs

No dogs permitted

See above for more information about dogs on nature reserves.

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

Summer for riverine plants and dragonflies

About the reserve

This small ‘island’ borders one side of the River Stour and provides a pleasant spot for some river watching. There is scrubby woodland on steep banks down to the river where, on sunny days, reflections of overhanging trees and dapples of light play on the calm surface. On the other side there is a wet, reedy area where the river’s old course once ran. In the summer months, listen for the song of willow warbler or see if you can spot the vibrant metallic blue of a banded demoiselle flitting above the water.

Location
Four miles west of Sturminster Newton, turn east off the A357 signposted to Child Okeford and park by the railway bridge. Take the public footpath across the fields to a bridge across the river and on to the reserve entrance in the next field.