April 2015 Stoborough Heath & Creech Heath

We enjoyed warm sunny weather, starting at Sunnyside Farm at Ridge and went along the oldrailway towards Blue Pool, then out onto Creech Heath.We saw an interesting, as yet unidentified fungus (or was it), as well as both species of deer that liveon the Isle of Purbeck (several Sika bounding by, and one of the much rarer Roe). The calls of therecently arrived Chiff Chaffs were ever present right from the start. We also saw at least 2 Brimstone butterflies, and a Comma.

The Furzebrook Railway (Pikes Tramway)

This track was used for transporting clay from where it was mined to the wharf where it could be shipped via Poole Harbour to its final destination, one of which was the Wedgwood factory (I seem to remember). The original railway was contructed by the Pike Brothers about 1840 and ran from Furzebrook to the river Frome. It was originally horse-drawn with the loaded waggons run by gravity to the wharf, and the horses hauling the empty waggons back up the incline.

From 1866 to 1957 seven steam locomotives, named Primus through to Septimus were used.More information can be obtained at the The Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum in Norden

 

 

  
   

 

 

 

 

 

 
         
         
   

Please Click here for previous walk reports and photographs.