THE rivers and marshes which surround Wareham on three sides have long been regarded as effective defences, but today they provide us with a range of habitats rich in wildlife. Only to the west is access to the town easier over what was, in former times, heathland. Worgret Heath extended closer to the town in the past but little remains today. Similarly, the heathlands to the north extended to the margin of the River Piddle flood plain; no longer do we speak of the Carey Heath to be found on old maps. To the south of the River Frome, Stoborough Heath remains much as it was.
The two rivers, Frome and Piddle, are both chalk streams rising on the…
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