Introduction

Kinson Common is owned and managed by Bournemouth Borough Council Parks and Countryside section. 
The entire site is a Local Nature Reserve covering 16.34Ha but only 10.43 Ha is SSSI. It forms part of the Kinson and Turbary SSSI and is subject Bournemouth Borough Council Bylaws. The SSSI area and the common as a whole comprises of many different habitats; including dry heath, valley mire, mixed woodland, meadow and watercourses.

There is a very active Friends of group, whose members use the heath daily and are a vital source of local knowledge and support while out patrolling.

If you would like more information about the Friends group, click on the link on the right of this page.

Heathland Habitat

Compartments 2 and 6 contain dry heath comprising of Ling, Calluna vulgaris, Bell heather,  Erica cinerea, Bristle bent,  Agrosti curtisii and Common cows wheat,  Melampyrum pratense. Compartment 3 contains a small area of wet heath with cross-leaved heath, Erica tetralix and Purple Moorgrass,  Molina caerulea. It also has tiny valley mire system with Sundews,  Dorsea roundifolia, bog asphodel,  Narthecium ossifragum and white beaked sedge, Rhynchospora alba. Kinson is home to the Common Lizard, Lacerta vivipara a few juveniles were seen in compartment 2 this season. Bird life is abundant here due to the woodland, scattered trees and scrub and the odd nesting box, species such as Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus and Greater spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major have been seen.