Stephens Castle is situated in the town of Verwood along with Dewlands Common and Noon Hill, two other reserves with SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) status. Verwood once had a thriving pottery and brick industry which was sourced by the abundance of clay and fuelled by the gorse and birch found on the heaths. The arrival of the railway brought a change to the fortunes of the people of Verwood in 1866 by making lighter enamel goods more easily obtainable from around the country. This has resulted in the traditional management techniques being abandoned. Stephens Castle itself was formerly used as a mineral quarry which changed the topography dramatically.

Location

Stephens Castle is situated in the north of Verwood town, on the edge of Ringwood forest and the once extensive Boveridge heath. Verwood is situated in close proximity to the Bournemouth, Poole conurbation and also to Salisbury. This makes it easy to travel to either of these areas and as such Verwood is continually growing with new houses and flats being built at an alarming rate. Since the demise of the pottery industry Verwood was designated as a development area and the population over the past 50 years has grown from two thousand to over thirteen thousand. This will inevitably put even more urban pressures on nature reserves in this area.

Area

Stephens Castle has an area of 20 Hectares.

Designation

Stephens Castle is part of Verwood Heaths Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site has also been recognised as of European importance for its heathland vegetation and bird interest and is included in Dorset Heaths candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC), Special Protection Area (SPA). Part of the site is outside the SSSI but is still recognised as a site of Nature Conservation Interest by the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

Management

Stephens Castle is managed by the East Dorset District Council Countryside Management team who are based at Moors Valley Country Park.

Site Description

Stephens Castle overlies the sands and gravels of the Bagshot Beds, which give rise to the heathland vegetation dominated by small ericaceous shrubs. Locally, clay lenses within the Bagshot Beds impede the drainage allowing the formation of shallow peat. These areas support wet heath and mire vegetation. In the north west the site rises to a height of 85m above sea level and then slopes down steeply to a height of 45m above sea level in the southeast corner.

Habitats

The site contains several different habitats, dry, wet, humid heath and mire, each supporting their own specific species. There are many open sandy areas where sand lizards can be found. There are two pond areas and patches of wood which provide valuable shelter for birds, animals and insects alike.

Flora & Fauna

Stephens Castle contains all the key heathland species, Calluna vulgaris, Erica tetralix, Ulex minor etc. It also contains round and oblong leaved sundew, Drosera rotundifolia and Drosera intermedia. The south east corner of the site is home to huge swathes of Bog Asphodel, Narthecium ossifragum and the smaller of the two ponds has got Bladderwort, Utricularia spp growing in it which can be seen flowering in July. This is a protected insectivorous species that forms a network of underwater bladders which trap the food.