Updated 14 Feb 2010
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Bear Mead on the Dorset Stour
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2007. Looking North, River at 292.
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Mill Stream unblocking.
Before 1840 an arm of the Dorset Stour left the main river
at (50.794131° -2.015107°) (SY 9903 9940) and flowed
about 3kms before rejoining the river again.
Known as the "Old Mill Stream", it carried enough water to drive a Mill
with waterwheel, now vanished.
(50.791647° -2.006463°) (SY 9964 9914)
Between 1847 and 1901 the Mill Stream became blocked for
50 metres at its separation from the river.
This blockage (thought to be artificial) stopped regular flow along
the Mill Stream, which by 2000 was rapidly changing into an overgrown
ditch.
Since 2007, the damage caused by the original blockage has been repaired,
by excavating and deepening the old channel.
There is now good flow from the river down the Mill Stream for river
heights of over 250, regularly seen between November and March.
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2007. Looking South, River at 292.
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1811. early Ordnance Survey
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1840. Corfe Mullen Tithe map.
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1847. Wimborne Tithe map.
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Sometime between 1847 and 1901 the full-flowing Mill Stream was filled
in (and ceased flowing) over a distance of about 50 metres near the
point of joining with the Stour. Abbreviation "C.S." means "Centre Stream",
meaning the line taken by the parish boundary. "Def." means "defaced",
referring to loss of boundary information caused by the filling in of
the Mill Stream. Surveying for the 1901 O.S.
may have been done around 1880, so the filling-in may have been carried out
about 1870.
This may have been to prevent flooding of the
old road,
where the present elevated Julians Road passes close to the Mill Stream,
just North of Lake Gates roundabout.
The blockage is now unnecessary to keep Julians Road dry.
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1901. Ordnance Survey map 25 inch.
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1928. Ordnance Survey map 25 inch.
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2002. Map with deeds on purchase of land.
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Compiled, formatted, hyperlinked, encoded,
and copyright © 2009, John Palmer,  All Rights Reserved.
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