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Discussion on SY9899
Bear Mead is the area South of the river, East of the bridleway and West of the Old Mill Stream. It is an old name meaning 'wooded meadow', and consists of floodplain under grass, divided by mature hedges of hawthorn and blackthorn mixed with bramble and ivy, with many mature ash and some oak trees. Very flat about 19 metres above sea level, Bear Mead floods between October and March about twice per winter, but to only about 40cms, which drains away in about 3 days. Many roe deer are seen, and swan, kestrel, buzzard, cormorent and little egret are common. Otter and mink have been seen. The Stour is Dorset's largest river and can rise and fall rapidly from rainfall on its large catchment area. The fishing boasts large roach, trout, pike, dace, chubb, bleak, eel and perch. Bear Mead came under new ownership in 2002, and is being used as a small private Nature reserve and oak plantation.