Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve - Christchurch, Dorset, UK - National Parks of the World on Waymarking.com

The area Hengistbury Head has a very difficult and interesting history. Bill Rees describe the reserve in his excellent website listed below:

'Hengistbury Head is a scenic and historic headland near the town of Bournemouth on the south coast of England. It stands mid way between Poole harbour and Hurst spit and forms the main division between Poole and Christchurch Bays.

Hengistbury Head incorporates many different habitats and supports a wide variety wildlife and rare plant species. It is also a site of significant archeological importance. For many years it has been a site of scientific interest and a major tourist attraction. Each year it attracts visitors from all over the world. Hengistbury Head is also a major educational resource and is heavily used as the foundation and subject for a range of studies related to local history and the environment.

The winding Western path to Hengistbury Head leads visitors to the summit, known as Warren Hill. Below is Barn field with a thatched barn on the right and the main car park in the centre. During the very early part of the 20th century the western end of this area was used as an airfield. Since then it has been used variously as a wartime radar station and also suffered the ignominity of being a rubbish dump. Luckily today, this beautiful place is a very carefully managed recreational area.

Many visitors to Hengistbury Head enjoy hiking and rambling across its natural, yet accessible terrain. In the Summer the sandy beaches in particular, are a major draw for families. The lowland area to the West of Hengistbury Head is extensively use for kite flying and is also a popular picnic site.

Over a million visitors per year climb up Hengistbury Head to the grassy plateau of Warren Hill. Only a few know of her structure or of her long and rich history. Fewer still know why, or how, she has been so badly damaged in recent centuries by man.

Hengistbury Head is a truly important place, not only because of the archeological finds or its abundant wildlife but also because it allows us a glimpse of how careless and unfettered exploitation of natural resources can have a malelovent affect for centuries after the exploited resource runs out.

The initial formation of Hengistbury Head dates back approximately 60 million years although newer alluvial-based deposits have been laid down as well and the later of these date back less than 10,000 years. Until comparatively recent geological time Hengistbury Head was several kilometres inland.

Hengistbury Head forms a natural breakwater protecting a small natural harbour formed in it lee from the prevailing southwesterly wind. A long sand spit has formed trailing off the end of the Head. This sand spit forms the easterly perimeter of Christchurch Harbour. The sand spit is known under several names including Mudeford spit, Mudeford beach and locally as the Island. Without Hengistbury Head it is probable that most of the town of Christchurch and all of Christchurch Harbour would cease to exist. Poole bay and Christchurch bay would merge and become one.

Hengistbury Head had been subject erosion ever since the southerly chalk ridge, which stretched from the Needles in the Isle of Wight to the Old Harry rocks near Studland was breached by the sea. The sea invaded the river valley between the ridge and the Head and rapidly eroded the soft rocks to the south of the Head. This erosion was slowed, if not stopped, by the accumulation of hard iron stone boulders that were left from the erosion of the softer rocks in which they were embedded. The rate of erosion has increased rapidly since the mid 19th century when the Hengistbury Mining Company removed a great deal of the hard iron ore boulders (known as doggers) from the beach. They also dredged many tons of the doggers from the inshore waters around the Head. These doggers had formed a natural defence against the sea and their removal caused a very serious instability in the natural system that had developed and had kept the whole region relatively stable for at least 2000 years. Since the 1930's a great deal of time and effort has been put into rectifying the situation. A lot of money has been spent, mainly by Bournemouth Council in the construction of breakwaters and groynes. While these schemes have generally been successful, almost half of the Head, including one of the original promontories have been lost.

Hengistbury Head was arguably the premier port for the import of continental goods such as Italian wine in around 100 BC. Some have referred to it as the first truly urban settlement in England. The influence of the settlement at Hengistbury declined during Roman times and finally ended as they left. Hengistbury Head has not been subject to human habitation for a considerable time although abandoned plans for house building and leisure development did have a significant effect upon the Head during the early part of the 20th century.

The archaeological and ecological importance of Hengistbury Head was formally recognised after a detailed archaeological survey (1915) conducted by Mr. Bushe-Fox. This survey was conducted as a direct result of the campaigning of a local historian named Herbert Druitt. Druitt had tirelessly sought to protect Hengistbury Head from the ravages of developers. Without his intervention the Head would have probably been a total loss. Hengistbury Head was purchased by Bournemouth Borough Council in 1930 from Gordon Selfridge.

Selfridge had planned to build a mansion on the summit. At this time Hengistbury Head was suffering from catastrophic erosion, whether the rapid erosion caused Selfridge to abandon the development is unknown. Since then Hengistbury Head has been safe from the developers, although tourism has had a significant and detrimental effect upon the environment, especially where tourists have decided to leave the designated paths and scramble over the thin sandy escarpments. Many places on Hengistbury Head have crumbled and have been left denuded of vegetation.

Hengistbury Head has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) along with most of Christchurch harbour and the lowland marshes of Stanpit that lie at the junction of the rivers Stour and Avon as they enter Christchurch harbour.

Hengistbury Head is a beautiful timeless place. In the grand scheme of things Hengistbury Head is doomed to be washed into the sea, but the timescale of her final demise is very much in our hands. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy its windswept vista and admire the truly magnificent views across both Christchurch Harbour and out across the Solent. Try and treat her with care. Then maybe our great-great-grandchildren can enjoy this natural spectacle as we do today.

Kind Regards
Bill Rees'

Park Name: Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve Historic/Cultural Park: yes Natural Park: yes Recreation Area: yes Wildlife Refuge: yes Park Website: [Web Link] Type of Listing: Entrance Fees in Local Currency: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Dates of Access: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008 Hiking: yes Camping: no Bicycling: yes Off-Roading: no Swimming: yes Boating: yes Rock Climbing: no Fishing: yes Other Activities: Bird watching Other Park Type not listed above: Not listed Other Type Detail: Not listed Hours available: Not listed Horseback Riding: Not Listed Snorkling/Scuba: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/31/2013 Lyngerup.dk visited it 07/20/2011 Brandewijn visited it

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