The Parish Today
Green Spaces and Heathland.
Our parish is blessed with a wonderful, varied landscape. We have woodland, heathland, country parks, streams and river valleys. These green spaces are in total larger than the residential area and give this parish its distinctive character. Practically all the green space is open access. Two of the heathlands, Avon Heath and Lions Hill are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (S.S.S.I’s) The Crane River Valley in Moors Valley Country Park is also an S.S.S.I.
Both Moors Valley and Avon Heath provide many recreational/educational facilities for the young and old. Lions Hill is an unspoilt heathland for walking and wildlife and the Castleman Trail way offers 16 miles of cycling, walking and horse riding trails.
Heathland is a very special feature of this parish. Lowland heaths help define the distinctive landscape of the South East Dorset region. Heathland has worldwide recognition as a rare and fragile habitat and we are part of something very special. Our two heaths are home to rare and endangered snakes, (adders and smooth snakes especially), both sand and common lizards and to rare and endangered birds such as the Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Nightjar. The casual walker out enjoying a stroll does not easily see these, but they are there to be seen and heard with a little patience. Our local heaths have a crucial role in contributing to their survival.
Heathlands support a very characteristic and interdependent range of animals and plants above and beyond those rare species mentioned. Heather, of course is the predominant vegetation, but it has to compete with gorses and invasive trees. Management of these internationally important heaths is a big challenge. We have greenery all year round and the autumnal display of rolling purple heather in full flower is quite spectacular.
Other wildlife thrives in this parish, which include, roe deer, squirrels, foxes, badgers, owls, many other birds, bats. slow worms (in fact, these are legless lizards), grass snakes, newts, frogs and toads, Very little of this wildlife is furry and cuddly, although it can with care be observed and enjoyed by all. This parish has a proprietorial pride in having them share our territory. Not many parishes can share this distinction. This Parish is privileged to be able to offer such a wealth and variety of important open spaces.
St. Ives First School.
Central to the Parish, we are blessed with an immaculate village school and whilst the number of children of first school age within the catchment area is decreasing, the school attracts around 20% of its pupils from outside its area
due to its excellent reputation. A strong and vibrant St. Ives School Association consistently provides a variety of activities to include scrumptious Strawberry Fayres, an annual spectacular firework display and delightful amateur dramatics throughout the year. The school swimming pool facility, with a little support from our Parish council, is also open to, and much enjoyed by, the community in the summer months. The pupil’s responses to our Like/Dislike questionnaire showed very clearly how much they love their school.
Shopping and Services.
Although not all at a central point, the Parish is supported by a greatly valued post office, an attractive High Street with a pre-school facility, a chemist and hairdresser. Within the boundaries are a petrol station, garage, small convenience store, hotel, motel, two public houses, the doctors surgery, St Leonards hospital, the RSPCA and boarding kennels and cateries. The mobile library visits the parish at various locations and the Vision Wimborne Dialaride service is available for people in wheelchairs or those having difficulty in using public transport. In, addition, we have good recycling facilities by way of the kerbside collection on a two weekly basis and the ability at present to use the recycling centre at Verwood Road.
Recreation and Leisure
All Saints Church and church hall besides catering for the parish spiritual needs, hosts, two choirs, a flower guild, 3 yoga groups and a toddler group as well as The Mothers Union and a Sunday school. We are fortunate to have recreational and educational interests for both the young and more mature. The village hall has good facilities and currently offers some 36 activities with organisations such as Age Concern, providing service to the community. We have a well-supported Tennis Club, which would be the envy of many parishes, and a very popular and respected Bowls Club. The Play area in Braeside is programmed for upgrading and there is also a Football/Recreation field in Horton Road. In addition we have the Ex Servicemen’s Club, which, is open to the whole community for social gatherings.
Home Security
The excellent Home Watch group set-up within the parish continues to work towards a safer environment keeping members informed of the many aspects and services and methods they can adopt to protect themselves against crime.
Reproduced from the 2007 Parish Plan - Produced by the Parish Plan Steering Group.