More commonly known as Canford SANG or just the ‘SANG’ (Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace) was opened in the summer of 2019 as a greenspace area to ‘relieve pressure from sensitive heathland’. The park quickly became one of the most popular spots for a dog walk, matched only by Upton House Country Park.
How to Find Canford SANG?
The entrance is from the traffic light junction on Magna Road (A341) in Poole. The entrance is signposted, but the signs are pretty small.
Once along the entrance road, there are three car parks to choose from (the third one is for the SANG extension). Generally, the one on the right down the slope is best for Phase 1. To find the Phase 2 carpark, continue along the lane past car parks on the left and right, through an open metal gate and along the lane for another 1/4 mile.
What Is it Like?
The SANG has a circular gravelled pathway that is bordered by the banks of the River Stour. Wildlife is abundant including , otters, swans, kingfishers, deer and badgers.
The park is being created in phases. Phase 1 included a 1.6 mile circular walk. In late Spring of 2023, phase 2 was opened to increase the circular walk to approximately 2.4 miles. Phase 3, when it is opened, will increase the park up to its full, very large, size. In addition to the main park there is the SANG link, a pathway that leads back to Magna Road. There has been significant tree planting in this space so, hopefully, it will develop into a shaded, woodland area.
The large, secure dog training pen is goodfor taking the ‘at home’ learning to the next level. As with all public dog training pens, people will just let themselves in with their dogs (the signage could be clearer), and so diligence is needed.
There are several semi-contained areas within the park for the next level of recall, before moving on to the full 15 hectares of open space.
Caution is still needed during training, as always. The park can be extremely busy and the boundary isn’t completely secure. There is stock fencing on two sides, with several five-bar gates with space underneath for the escape artists. The other side is bound by the river. During the summer months, the river is shallow and so ideal for first-time swimmers, and for training water retrieves. However, in the winter the river is fast flowing and very dangerous. Two dog ‘swimming’ areas have been created with steps. In other places, the banks are high and very steep.
Since opening there has been more and more building work area the site with the AFC Bournemouth training ‘shed’ an extremely prominant feature. If plans go ahead, the SANG will be completely surrounded by housing in the near future.
Accessibility
Whilst the pathways are hard-standing and mud-free, with the gates, the gradients, the rough surface, and the new height restrictor on the entrance road accessibility for pushchairs or wheelchair and scooter users is surprisingly poor!
Being part of the flood plain right next to the River Stour does mean the park floods every winter, often being closed (with the exception of the SANG link) for weeks or even months at a time. The main training pen is often locked up throughout the winter, and the park often closes without notice. The SANG’s Facebook page is sometimes updated when the park is shut or reopened.
There have also been rumours recently that the park has closed when the AFC Bournemouth training group has VIP visitors, but this is unconfirmed.
Facilities
On a sunny August weekend, the whole park does get hectic. Parking is free yet despite the size of the car parks, it does fill up during the summer months. There are plenty of poo bins throughout the site. There is a basic coffee van at the park’s midpoint but no toilets. There is a Polygon Pets Self Service dog wash in the main car park and some recently installed children’s play equipment and some fitness machines.
Suitability for training
Overall
Give it a miss
Worth a look
Must Visit
In conclusion, Canford SANG is one of the better spots in Poole to walk your dog. It has lots of space, water, areas of longer grass, hard standing paths and plenty of poo bins. Hopefully it will continue to develop and with some vision and good management it could become somewhere really special that is accessible to everyone.