Ferndown

Ameysford is a village in Dorset, England. There is an electoral ward of the same name which is a suburb of Ferndown.

Ferndown Upper School is a comprehensive school and sixth form located in Ferndown, Dorset, England. Opened in 1972, it has grown to accommodate a broad and successful curriculum including a specialism in STEM (science, technology and maths) and the Arts.

Ferndown Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the edge of Ferndown in Dorset, England. It is currently owned by the Wimborne Estate and leased to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC), who manage it to preserve the site's rare wildlife. The site was notified as an SSSI in 1984.The area of the site is 64.7 hectares (160 acres), and comprises a significant amount of heath—primarily the dry heath Calluna vulgaris and Erica cinerea, but locally dominant are the damp or humid heath Erica tetralix and Molinia caerulea. Rare heathland species include the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis), smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), heath grasshopper (Chorthippus vagansand) and the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata). Other local heathland species at Ferndown Common include the silver-studded blue butterfly (Plebejus argus), European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) and European stonechat. In the south-east of the site there are several small ponds, which support at least 14 species of dragonflies, most of which are heathland species. Also resident in the ponds are large populations of the widespread, although in decline, common frog (Rana temporaria) and palmate newt (Triturus helveticus).The site is very flat, although there are several small clay or gravel pits, and an extensive network of boundary banks which date back to the Inclosure Acts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There is also a steep escarpment running down to the Stour Valley, which in the past was a well-used travel route. Some cultivation of the land was attempted during the Second World War, as evidenced by areas of ridge and furrow. Ferndown Common was designated as a town green in 2003.

St Mary's Church is a Church of England parish church in the town of Ferndown.

West Moors is a village in Dorset, England, on the northern fringe of the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, just outside the larger settlements of Ferndown and Verwood. The parish of West Moors had an estimated population of 7,400 in 2004, increasing to 7,561 for both the parish and electoral ward at the 2011 Census. The parish council was renamed West Moors Town Council in 2020.West Moors rose to local prominence with the building of the Southampton and Dorchester and Salisbury and Dorset Junction railway lines in the late 19th century and although main line services were later diverted via Bournemouth, West Moors railway station was served by a branch line railway until 4 May 1964. The only remnants of these lines through the village are the original level crossing gatekeeper's cottage on Station Road, and the Castleman Trailway footpath following the original trackbed leading to Ringwood to the east and Poole to the west. This however, was recently resurfaced and the central reservation was removed, rendering the southernmost of the two tracks largely unusable, and causing it to lose its former authentic look. The village expanded with the development of the military fuel depot located outside the village but within the West Moors civil parish. The depot is home to the Defence School of Petroleum, and also to the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service Training Centre. In April 2017 the Royal Air Force relocated their Fuels Training school from RAF Halton to MoD West Moors. In July 2018 it was announced that after over 80 years the Military would move from West Moors, under project Wellsley the RAF would relocate to MoD Worthy Down in January 2019 and the Army would have moved by April 2020. In the past many military families were housed in their own housing estates, however most jobs are now undertaken by civilian personnel and the military housing sold off. More recent population increases have been due to the influx of commuters, both to Bournemouth and Poole, and to more remote destinations such as Southampton, and London. West Moors has a mixed population, with a relatively high proportion of elderly people. There are two first schools, one middle school, two youth clubs; including the west moors scout group, and a skatepark. There are various shops including one butcher, one baker and two pubs. There is also the West Moors Social Club which has entertainment nights. Moors Valley Country Park is just outside the parish boundary (3 miles from the village), and is easily accessible from the Castleman Trailway. The village's sports facilities include two football pitches (Fryers Playing Field). The tennis courts have recently been refurbished into an artificial floodlit grass football facility and a multi-use area that can be used as two tennis courts (tarmacadam surface) or other sports. There is also a playpark on Fryer’s field and on the other side of the village (Shaftesbury Road) there is another slighter smaller play park.

West Moors is a closed railway station in Dorset. Opened in 1867, it became the junction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway and the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway. Although passenger services were withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Report, the line remained open until 1974 for freight trains serving the Royal Army Ordnance Corps fuel depot at West Moors. The track was lifted in 1974.

Longham United Reformed Church is a Grade II listed United Reformed church near Longham near Ferndown in Dorset, England.

Trickett's Cross is an estate situated on the outskirts of Ferndown, Dorset, England. It lies at the junction of two primary routes, the A31 road and A348 road. It has a church and a youth centre which runs clubs, such as scouts and a Jitsu club.

West Parley is a village and civil parish in south-east Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour between Bournemouth and Ferndown and off of the B3073 road. The parish of West Parley covers an area of 4.52 square kilometres (1,120 acres). It is also about 4 miles (6.4 km) to the closest major town of Bournemouth. West Parley has a primary school, a post office, a garden centre and a church. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 3,585.

Dudsbury Camp (or Dudsbury Rings) is one of a series of Iron Age earthworks in Dorset, starting from Hambledon Hill, and including Hod Hill, Spetisbury Rings, Buzbury Rings, Badbury Rings and Dudsbury Camp. The Iron Age port at Hengistbury Head forms a final Iron Age monument in this small chain of sites. The fort is located near the village of West Parley.

All Saints Church is the parish church of Hampreston, Dorset, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

Holt Heath is a 4.88 square kilometres (1.88 sq mi) common situated four miles north-east of Wimborne Minster in east Dorset, southern England, close to the village of Holt. The reserve includes dry and wet heathland, bog and ancient woodland. The common has several nature conservation designations: national nature reserve, Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is owned by the National Trust and managed in association with Natural England. The heath is one of the few places where all six native British reptile species occur, and it also supports many other heathland animals, plants and birds. Rare heathland birds such as Eurasian Hobby, nightjar, Dartford warbler and woodlark have been recorded as breeding on the reserve.As a common, historically it was grazed by livestock owned by local people; as with other heathlands it was this grazing which created and maintained the open habitat. Grazing ceased in the mid-20th century, leading to long-term deterioration in the structure and composition of the habitat. Plans are under way to install cattle grids on the minor roads crossing the heath, and then to begin grazing again.