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Photos

Description

Snail Creep Wood has been in the vendor’s family for several generations and forms part of a much larger forested area known as Puddletown Forest, a short distance east of Dorchester. Access is through a wooden five bar gate.

Situated over fertile loamy sandy chalk soils, the mature canopy to the north and west consists predominantly of ash, sycamore and oak standards with an understory of hazel coppice, field maple, hawthorn and regenerating sycamore. Moving eastwards you will find Scots pine, beech, cherry, rowan, and large holly groves. Rhododendron and laurel are prolific in places.  Come spring the ground comes to life with woodland flora including foxglove, primrose, fern and a spectacular display of   bluebells in late April/early May. There are some wonderful veteran oak, beech and horse chestnut throughout, offering some nice spots to sit and read some of Hardy’s works, immersing oneself in the historic association of the woodland. With a varied and undulating topography of rolling bunds and banks, there is also several interesting sinkholes, thought to be naturally occurring swallets. Random iron fence posts can be found dotted about, adding further clues to its past.

The southern boundary is adjacent to the historic novelist and poet Thomas Hardy’s birthplace (now a National Trust property). Just beyond the boundary is a stone column dedicated to Hardy. The path running though the woodland from south to north is historically known to have been used as a smugglers’ trail where contraband goods were transported under the cover of darkness on horseback and carts that came from the coast. This trail was also cited in writings of Hardy’s novel ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ as the path that Dick Dewy navigated from his home in Upper Mellstock to go nut collecting with his beloved Fancy Day.

Snail Creep hosts a range of feathered creatures including owl, woodpecker, treecreeper, long tailed tits, and an array of harmonious songbirds. At dusk, on warm, still summer evenings, the churring song of nightjars can be heard throughout the wood from the nearby heathland, the nightjars arriving in the UK from Africa during the spring and migrating back south in September. Woodland mammals known to visit the woodland include deer (muntjac and roe), badger, fox and squirrel.

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If It Were Mine

I would certainly consider some story telling here, there is a lovely feel to the place that makes one wish if only the trees could talk!  Occasional overnight stays with family and friends, perhaps near the western side of the wood where there are lovely open views. The large holly stems would make excellent logs for the hearth if seasoned, its dense wood burns for hours. Further historical research into the woodland and the local area is a prospect.   

Please remember some management operations require approval and/or a licence.

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To View This Woodland

You are welcome to view this woodland at any time during daylight hours. We do ask that you download a copy of these particulars and take them with you, mainly so you can correctly identify the boundaries and access points.

Download

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Residential Planning Permission

You are extremely unlikely to get residential planning permission for this woodland.

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Directions & Access

• From Dorchester, head eastwards along the A35 towards Pool, Blandford and Ringwood.
• Continue along the A35 passing The Gingerbread Café at a layby on the left, the road will then turn into dual carriageway shortly after.
• As the road turns into dual carriageway you will pass under a bridge, take the turning left 100 metres after the bridge sign posted for Higher Blockhampton and Lower Blockhampton.
• Continue along Cuckoo Lane and crossing back over the A35 over the bridge.
• Turn left just after the bridge sign posted back towards Dorchester and the A35.
• Continue towards the slip road for the A35.
• After 50 metres and just before the A35 slip road there is a discreet turning on the right over a drop kerb onto a tarmac lane running parallel to the A35 (do not rejoin the A35 as you will be heading back towards Dorchester in the wrong direction).
• Drive a few metres up this lane and you will arrive at a wooden five bar gate on the right (point A on the plan below) indicated by our Woods4Sale boards.
• Please park in a suitable place not obstructing any through traffic.
• Open the gate (please close it behind you) and you have arrived within Snail Creep Wood.

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Boundaries

• The boundary HAB is indicated by a post and rail fence.
• The boundary BC is indicated by the wire fence, CD is an earth bank and an earth bund, indicated by yellow paint on occasional wooden posts and trees.
• The boundary DE is indicated by red paint on wooden posts.
• The boundary EF is indicated by green paint on occasional trees with the track and monument beyond, FG is a wire fence with residential gardens beyond.
• The boundary GH is indicated by the wire fence and wooden posts with marker tape and occasional white paint.

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Sporting Rights

The sporting rights are owned and included in the sale. They are not let.

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Mineral Rights

The mineral rights are owned and included in the sale except as reserved by statute.

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Rights Of Way

There is a public footpath running north to south through the woodland, from approximately point A to point F on the plan.

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Fencing Liabilities

There are no known fencing obligations.

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Restrictive Covenants

There are some restrictive covenants to protect the woodland and the environment. Please click on the button below to view these.

Read More

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How To Buy

This woodland is being sold on a fixed price basis. We require the following information in writing before we mark a woodland as sold and take it off the market (please ensure you have funds in place before doing this):

• The name and price of the woodland
• Confirmation you have viewed the woodland
• Full name (including middle names), address, phone number and date of birth of all legal purchasers
• Please confirm how you will be funding the purchase and that you have cleared funds available
• The full contact details of your instructed solicitor (including name of company, contact name, email address, telephone number and full address)

Please click on the button below for more information.

Buy This Woodland

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Maps & Plans

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Note

Plans, areas and particulars are for reference only. We cannot guarantee their accuracy and they do not form a part of any contract. Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves as to the condition of the land.

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