Looking upstream, 40 miles to the source in Wiltshire.
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Looking downstream, 20 miles to the sea at Christchurch.
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Bear Mead on the South bank of the Dorset Stour is
a beautiful place,
25 acres of meadow and pasture, old hawthorn hedgerows dotted with
big ash trees, and the river gliding by. Wimborne Minster and
Charborough Park tower can be seen in the distance, the bells
heard on Sundays, and there are often spectacular sunsets across
the flat floodplain. Deer, swans, herons,
moorhens and coots are seen every
day. There is private fishing (a 7 pound chub was caught recently)
and no right of way crosses Bear Mead. The occasional canoeist paddles
upstream from Eye Mead bridge towards White Mill bridge. The nearest road or
house is 700 yards away.
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Swans on the Stour at Bear Mead
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Some flowers on Bear Mead riverside and meadow.
(see lots more...)
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Because much of the river's course is across clay soil the
water level varies greatly. In summer low water level makes the river
a diverse and important habitat, supporting many rare plants. In winter
the river sometimes floods, and is therefore bordered by wide flood plains.
To preserve the rich riverbank flora, cattle and sheep are not allowed
and the lush pasture grass is cut by machine in June. Part of Bear Mead
is devoted to a plantation of oak saplings from Sherwood Forest.
The history of Bear Mead is intruiging.
In 1813 the area was affected by the Inclosures Act, owners had to
erect heavy wire and post fences before ownership was awarded. Today's
mature hedges were probably planted then. Use was all pasture or meadow.
Nearby is the site of a now-vanished and little-known
watermill called Lake Mill. Fishing Rights are let to
Salisbury & District Angling Club (who call the beat
"Bear Mead Fishery").
Contact the warden and webmaster on 
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1. Five fields called "Bear Mead" on the Stour about 1 mile west of Wimborne
Points of interest: The Southern bank in Field 1 has been protected
with stone blocks and angular flints, to prevent erosion. About 1965
River Authorities scoured the river and placed the blocks for protection.
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2. A modern arial photo of the same area.
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3. The "panhandle" on the Eastern border of Bear Mead,
including the remnants of a mill stream
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In medieval times, water was taken from the Stour to feed Lake Mill Stream,
which wound its way across Eye Meadows before returning to the Stour
just below the present Weir. The Old Mill (now disappeared) lay where the
A31 Lake Gates roundabout now is, on OS reference 9955-9912. The stream has
now silted up (or been filled) where it takes from the Stour. The curious
"panhandle" shape of the legal boundary remembers the day when the Mill
Stream was important enough to be used as the Parish boundary. The two
islands shown on the 1847 Tithe Map have now united
and joined the South Bank, but are covered with large trees that may date
back 200 years. The "zag" in the boundary where it crosses the Mill Stream
may reflect the existence of field 431 in 1840.
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4. North of the Stour in Wimborne Minster parish,
traced from an 1847 Tithe map at Dorset Record Office.
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5. Eye Mead in Wimborne Minster parish,
traced from an 1847 Tithe map at Dorset Record Office.
Points of interest are: The islands, which have today welded themselves to
the South bank,
and the curious "Lake Mill Stream" which meanders across
the fields only to rejoin the Stour again.
The major and minor loops of the Stour surround an Island Meadow giving
rise to its old name "Eye Mead".
Latest thoughts
The area covered by fields 2373-2379 is called "Eye Mead"
meaning Island Meadow.
The island effect was created by the minor loop of the Stour,
which has today almost silted up. The peninsula on field 2373 where the two
Stours re-met, and the oxbow, show the water in the minor loop once had a
sturdy flow. Today the minor Stour short-cuts the peninsula, which has
welded to the South shore . Lake Mill was located near the little
island and field 2377, at OS reference 9955-9912 where there is a low
earth platform. The section bordering 2378 was important enough to form
the Corfe Mullen Parish boundary. Rodney Legg says "Traditional
agriculture used to encourage the flooding [of these meadows] in winter
as this prevented the ground freezing and brought on an early crop of
grass." The first 40 yards of the loop (2381-2378) appears to have been
filled in, not silted up, could this be to block the loop entirely
and prevent flooding of the A31?
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6. South of the Stour in Corfe Mullen parish,
traced from an 1813 Inclosure map at Dorset Record Office.
Interesting points are: location of Lake Mill, Fortis Ford and
trackways A,B and C, all now disappeared.
The A31 trunk road had not then been thought of, and the now disused
S & D Railway had not been built.
"Little Wood" and "Great Wood" are intriguing names in a now treeless area,
Bear Mead is a name now disappeared, and "Lake Mill Stream" is now
stagnant because of infilling at the upper Stour end.
7. an aerial photo of the same area
8. The same area on a modern map
9. Fishing around Wimborne
(Fishing Rights are let to
Salisbury & District Angling Club)
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5lb 2oz chub caught by Simon Cooper from Devon 27 Feb 05
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Chub caught by Paul Forshaw from Devon
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"Following our river side chat on Saturday I enclose a picture of
my
personal best perch at 3lb 6oz caught at Bear Mead on 23.2.08."
Ralph Pond
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Remains of a pike left by the river bank about 8 Feb 2009. It survived
the flood on
the 10th, and was quickly stripped to the bone. The author has preserved
the skull.
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Ralph Pond from SADAC caught a pike at Bear Mead on 5 Oct 2010
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Info collected from Dorset Records Office 27 Nov 02
about Bear Mead and Corfe Mead land
North of the River Stour, Tithe Map 1847
No Landowner Occupier Name Cultvtn A--R--P
2378 George BANKES Charles John LOUCH High Meadow Pasture 18-2-37
2380 George BANKES William JACKSON Island Pasture 00-1-00
2381 George BANKES William JACKSON Island Pasture 00-3-06
2395 John RAINDLE Himself Chard Mead Pasture 07-3-36
2398 William MACKRELL James TOREY Mitchell Meadow Pasture 02-2-35
2399 Henry HILL John RAINDLE Mitchell Meadows Pasture 05-0-17
2400 Matthew RAINDLE Himself Mitchell Meadows Pasture 05-2-32
2401 George CLAPCOTT John FRAMPTON Mitchell Meadows Pasture 03-1-26
South of the River Stour, Tithe Map 1840
No Landowner Occupier Name Cultvtn A--R--P
431 George HATCHARD Himself Bear Mead Meadow 00-0-24
432 Matthew RANDALL Himself Barn Mead Meadow 01-2-04
433 John RANDALL Himself Bear Mead Meadow 01-2-04
434 William BOUND Himself Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-13
435 William CASTLEMAN Thomas MARTIN Bear Mead Meadow 01-2-00
436 William CASTLEMAN Thomas MARTIN Bear Mead Meadow 01-2-11
437 John CARLTON Himself Bear Mead Meadow 02-1-23
438 Wm Jn BANKES esq Wm HART Geo TOPP Bear Mead Meadow 06-1-18
439 Charles BANTING Samuel EATON Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-13
440 Augustus KEMP esq Thomas MARTIN Corfe Mead Meadow 02-2-08
441 Wm BEAMINSTER Henry JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 00-3-33 "part of Field 5"
442 Jn Willett WILLETT esq William BOUND Corfe Mead Meadow 12-2-11
443 George WESTON Ann WAREHAM Corfe Mead Meadow 05-2-01 "part of Field 5"
444 Fred COVENTRY esq George SHINER Corfe Mead Meadow 02-0-00
444a Fred COVENTRY esq William BOUND Corfe Mead Meadow 01-0-32
444b Fred COVENTRY esq William BOUND Corfe Mead Meadow 01-1-10
444c Fred COVENTRY esq William HARRIS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-1-02
445 Fred COVENTRY esq William HOLLOWAY Corfe Mead Meadow 02-2-13
445a Eleanor BARFOOT Herself Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-00
445b Jn Willett WILLETT esq Eleanor BARFOOT Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-09
445c Jn Willett WILLETT esq Eleanor BARFOOT Corfe Mead Meadow 01-3-28
446 George HATCHARD Robert SHOREY Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-39
447 Rev Edward BRETT Robert SHOREY Corfe Mead Meadow 01-0-11
448 Chris WARLANDS George BROWN Corfe Mead Meadow 05-2-36
448a Jn Willett WILLETT esq George BROWN Corfe Mead Meadow 02-1-06
449 Ed,Hy+Chas CASTLEMAN Henry JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-3-30
450 Augustus KEMP Himself Corfe Mead Meadow 00-0-39
451 Fred COVENTRY esq George SHINER Corfe Mead Meadow 00-0-33
452 Henry BARTLETT Samuel EATON Corfe Mead Meadow 07-2-22
453 Jn Willett WILLETT esq Joseph KNIGHT Corfe Mead Meadow 00-0-37
454 Hubert ROBBINS Joseph KNIGHT Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-21
454a Rev Edward BRETT Joseph KNIGHT Corfe Mead Meadow 03-3-27
455 Rev James MAYO Matthew JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-1-31
456 Fred COVENTRY esq Isaac LAWS Corfe Mead Meadow 01-0-22
456a Jn Willett WILLETT esq Isaac LAWS Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-14
457 Rev James MAYO Matthew JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 02-0-07
458 William HARRIS Matthew JENKINS Corfe Mead Meadow 00-2-33
458a Fred COVENTRY esq James LITTLE Corfe Mead Meadow 00-1-26
467 Fred COVENTRY esq William BOUND Great Wood East Meadow 34-0-37
Tithe Awards 1813
Unto and for the said John Willett WILLETT as Lord of the Manor of
Corfe Moleyn Saint Nicholas and George WESTON his Lessee All that parcel
of Land No 443 containing five acres two roods and one perch bounded on
the East by the Allotment No 442 South East by the Allotment No 444
South West and part of the North West by the said Road marked D and the
Allotment No 441 and remaining part of the North West by the Allotment
No 440 The Fences for enclosing the said Allotment No 443 on the South East
and West sides I award and declare shall be made and for ever hereafter
kept in repair by and at the expence of the said George WESTON and the
future owners of the said Allotment for the time being.
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Surveyed Water Levels
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Readings taken with laser surveyor on 7 Dec 2003 at 1345 hours
OS spot height at SY 990-994 ("Marker 19") is 19 meters above mean sea level.
So the height of the Mill Stream is 129 cms on the unofficial scale.
Unofficial Scale Feature Surveyed height difference
(344 cms)--------- Marker 19--------------
difference 190 cms
(154 cms) -------- River Stour------------
difference 25 cms
(129 cms) -------- Mill Stream------------
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Wildlife seen at Bear Mead and Eye Mead
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BIRDS
Buzzards
Sparrowhawk
Kestral - adult male + others
Grey herons
Little Egrets
Kingfisher
(fisherman at Eye Bridge has had
2 kingfishers sitting on his rod!)
Cormorant
Mute swans - pairs and immatures - 30 seen together in Field 1
Odd couple - swan with damaged wing + unknown species of goose
Red-crested Pochard ducks
Mallard ducks
Coot
Moorhen
Redshank
Chinese goose, domestic species)
Pheasants
Lapwings
Green woodpeckers
Long tailed tits in a flock
Swifts
Magpie
Male Smew
Snipe
Wren
Chiff Chaff
Song thrush
Chaffinch
INSECTS
Hoverflies
Dragonflies (Red)
Damselflies (Blue)
Water boatman
Whirligig beetles
Tortoise shell butterfly
Peacock butterfly
Bumble bees
ANIMALS
Water vole
Field vole
Field mouse
Wood mouse
Deer - roe and sika
Moles (in molehills)
Otter
Stoat or weasel seen at a distance
Grey squirrels
Fox trotting across the field
Horse leech (found while ditch digging - ugh!)
Pippistrelle bat
Frogspawn
FISH
Chub (7 lbs +) caught by fisherman
TREES & PLANTS
Big trees are mostly ash in hedges
oaks in hedges (only 3)
Dog rose in hedges
Hawthorn
Brambles
Blackthorn
Ivy
White willow
Grey Poplar plantation
Holly (small)
Honeysuckle
Yew tree (one, very small)
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REF. 1
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From: "Place-names of Dorset" by A D Mills,
Part 2, page 19, Parish of Corfe Mullen.
Bear Mead (v. bearu "wood" or baer "woodland pasture")
Source 1839 TA71 (Tithe Awards, in PRO and in DRO)
Also "Great Wood" 1742, "Little Wood" 1742, "Corff Mead" 1657.
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REF. 2
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From: "Place-names of Dorset" by A D Mills,
Part 2, page 166, Parish of Pamphill
(before 1894 was in parish of Wimborne Minster).
Eye Bridge and Mead. SY995995.
"Eye" is first mentioned in 1253 ref Col C D Drew.
Eye Mead is encircled by the River Stour and its tributeries.
"I(e)g" (West Saxon) meaning "an island"
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REF. 3
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From: "The Old Roads of Dorset" by Ronald Good, Page 42:
"....On the West side of Wimborne the story is interesting but complicated.
Historically it begins with the Roman Road from Badbury to Hamworthy which
ran South-East from near Cowgrove to a point a little West of Lake Farm,
where a minor loop of the river comes close to the present main road [A31].
Next, Ogilby [1675], in his description of the road from Wimborne to Poole
(see p 56) mentions and depicts a road running Westward from near Canford to
"Lakeford". Again, South of Cowgrove, and approached by Weir Lane, there is
an old ford just West of, that is to say, above, the spot at which the river
loop just referred to leaves the present main stream. Finally, South of
Pamphill there is a broad, hedged, approach to the river where a ford is
marked on 6" OS and where, until the Second World War there was a substantial
iron foot-bridge, Eye Bridge, though there does not seem to be any sign of a
road running to it from the South side. The clue to the explanation of all
this is that although Lake is now half a mile or so from the river both the
Roman road and Ogilby suggest strongly that there was a ford at Lake and if
so this can only have been on what is now the subsidiary loop of the river.
It therefore looks very much as if between the time of Ogilby, 1675, and
Taylor's map, 1765 (see p 53), which shows the river as it is now, the Stour
changed its course here, being either naturally or deliberately diverted
along its present more direct line from just East of Cowgrove ford to a
point South of Stone Park leaving the former, much longer, bed of the river
to become gradually reduced by silting and filling. If this is indeed so
then with the loss of Lake ford another crossing became necessary across
the new river south of Pamphill, and this is provided at Eye Bridge. Two
more points should be noticed. The Roman Road is shown on maps as changing
its course hereabouts, but this is not wholly convincing, and if the Southern
leg of the road is produced a little further north beyond its apparant
termination it comes very close to the presumed site of Lake ford. Second,
our idea that the river has changed is strongly supported, and some may
think even proved, by the fact that the old river loop was until 1933, and
is still partly, a local government and parish boundary like the main bed
West and East of it....."
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Publication date: 1890 |
Citation:'England - Dorset: 034/NE', Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 - Epoch 1 (1890). |
www.british-history.ac.uk |
Date accessed: 02 March 2012. |
Supporting documents: Historical Legend - Scale 1:10560 County Series
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********
**
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Seven keys for Bearmead have been copied and given
to the co-wardens Alan and Susan Jones
for their use.
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Compiled, formatted, hyperlinked, encoded,
and copyright © 2004, John Palmer, All Rights Reserved.
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