Turbary Common is a surviving fragment of the lowland heath that once stretched across much of southeast Dorset. Today, at around 36 hectares, it's the largest area of heathland left in north Bournemouth, a mix of wet and dry heath, scrub and wooded valley just off Turbary Park Avenue. Its rarity earns it serious protection: the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, folded into the wider Dorset Heathlands Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area and Ramsar site.
Wildlife
The heath is quietly rich in specialist wildlife. Dartford warblers, small, dark birds tied closely to lowland heath, breed here, alongside long-winged conehead crickets and all six species of native British reptile, including sand lizards. Towards the eastern edge of the common, a waterlogged valley mire supports carnivorous sundew and bog asphodel, and draws scarce dragonflies through the summer. Conservation grazing helps keep the gorse and scrub in check so the heather and open heath don't get crowded out.
The valley mire restoration
The valley mire had been quietly damaged for years by surface water and landfill drainage pipes discharging straight through it, which pushed out the bog specialists in favour of common reed. A project funded by Wessex Water and finished in 2025 rerouted those pipes to a downstream wooded area, cut a new 170-metre channel to let water flow and filter naturally, and cleared the encroached reedbed, along with a new footpath connecting to Turbary Park Avenue.
Visiting
There's no admission charge and no gates to speak of, you can walk in from the surrounding streets any day of the year. Paths are a mix of sand and hard surfacing, some of them wheelchair accessible (a few gates need a RADAR key), though low-lying sections can turn muddy after rain. Dogs are welcome under close control, given the ground-nesting birds, reptiles and occasional grazing livestock on site. It's a genuinely quiet, unmanicured corner of the conurbation, a good pairing with nearby Redhill Common, another surviving fragment of the old Turbary heath. Find more green spaces and walks in our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.
