In 100 years Ferndown has grown from a modest village on the heath into a thriving town boasting the fifth largest population in Dorset and the largest of any non-coastal town with a population of nearly 20,000. Located evenly between the market towns of Wimborne and Ringwood, Ferndown enjoys the benefits of excellent road links to the M27 and M3 towards London via the A31 eastbound and to the A35 towards Devon westbound. The nearest railway station is Bournemouth, 7 miles (11 km) away. It is also only 4miles from Bournemouth International Airport which provides flights to destinations in the UK and in Europe.
Ferndown is renowned for its 18 hole championship golf course, alternatively there is Ferndown Forest Golf club which is an 18 hole pay and play. Just down the road at West Parley you can also find Dudsbury Golf Club, Hotel and Spa.
About a quarter of a mile from the town centre you can find King George V Playing Fields. This well-maintained recreation area includes many facilities to suit all ages. A large children`s playground with equipment for children with special needs, 6 tennis courts, 4 football pitches, cricket pitch, excellent bowling green, boules area, croquet practice lawn and a fully equipped Skateboard Park. The Ferndown Leisure Centre, situated next to Ferndown Upper School, has two heated pools, a sports hall, a fully equipped Gymnasium, Squash Courts and a rifle range.
Ferndown Community Centre is one of the town’s main attractions, home of the Barrington Theatre in the main shopping centre at Penny’s Walk, which also includes a large Tesco supermarket. Also on the fringe of Ferndown twixt with West Moors you can find a Sainsbury Superstore.
Also there are large areas of woodland and heathland around Ferndown including Holt Heath and Slop Bog with designated trails ideal for dog walking.
Ferndown offers a good range of housing stock from one-bedroom flats to large detached residences within some of the most popular and sought after areas in the County. Extensive development in the area over the last few years has provided a good choice of modern property including some prestigious apartment blocks.
The popular village of West Moors is on the Northern fringe of Poole and Bournemouth conurbation within East Dorset with the nearest town Ferndown, only two miles away. The area is surrounded by Forestry Commission Woodland and offers a superb range of properties.
There are good first and middle schools as well as a low crime rate, attracting a mix of both young and old alike.
The village high street offers a wide array of everyday shops and facilities including a Tesco Express, Co-Op, two public houses, two butchers, one Baker just to name a few. With Ferndown having the larger stores of Tesco and Sainsburys.
In addition, the Castleman Trailway which is a historic footpath following the original trackbed of the former 19th Century Southampton and Dorchester Railway line passes through West Moors as well as other adjoining villages providing excellent safe off-road walking and cycling facilities.
The parish of West Parley extends in a Southerly direction from Ferndown flanked by green belt to the east and west, and bounded by the river Stour to the south. Compared to Ferndown West Parley is officially a village with a smaller population of only 3500 approx. The thriving seaside resort of Bournemouth lies 5 miles to the south.
West Parley is a parish in its own right. It has a parish council, two churches, a village hall, a first school, two shopping parades, a surgery, a sports club and sports fields, a playground and three pubs. West Parley also has a quality 18 hole golf course at Dudsbury Golf Club where you can also find a Hotel, Restaurant and Spa.
The majority of the housing stock in West Parley mainly comprises detached bungalows and chalets in attractive tree lined roads along with some quality large properties on substantial plots. Just down the road from West Parley in a southerly direction and also bounded by the river Stour you can find the more rural parish of Longham surrounded by beautiful countryside.
The residential area of Ashley Heath is on the western edge of the New Forest between the thriving market town of Ringwood and Ferndown and is within 10 miles of the main town centre of Bournemouth and 16 miles from the cruise port of Southampton. A regular National Coach service operates via Ringwood with London under two hours away or via mainline railway stations at Southampton or Bournemouth.
Within the confines of Ashley Heath there is an attractive country park known as Moors Valley Country Park with an eighteen-hole golf course, miniature railway line, Go Ape and woodland walks throughout the adjoining Ringwood forest. In addition to this, the Castleman Trailway runs through Ashley Heath providing a beautiful and practical route for recreation or commuting to work.
Ashley Heath is famous for having Britain’s shortest High Street, it measures about 40m, currently comprising day nursery, pharmacy and hair salon. Just around the corner on Horton Road, you can find a useful local convenience store.
Adjoining Ashley Heath to the southern side you can also find the parish of St Leonards and St Ives along with Avon Heath Country Park, Dorset’s largest country park.
Generally, this attractive residential area boasts a good variety of quality detached properties, some with substantial plots enjoying a sylvan setting which along with easy access to major road links combines to make this a very desirable and popular location to live!
Avon Castle is an exclusive area which borders Ringwood. The area enjoys a sylvan surrounding and offers a choice of stunning, architecturally designed residences and character properties. The majority of these properties are set on large plots.
The River Avon meanders past the historic castle building and some of these amazing properties enjoy direct river frontage.
Avon Castle was built in 1875 as the seat of the Earls of Egmont. It was the house of a sporting and agricultural estate of about 1300 acres.
The estate was sold in the 1930s, a considerable proportion of it becoming a stock farm. Twice during subsequent years, the Castle and its grounds were part-owned by a hotel company until the 1950’s when building plans were adopted for private residential development.
The area enjoys superb transport links to the A31 and the market town of Ringwood is a short drive away.