Manor Farm – Dorset Stour
Manor Farm is a membership-controlled stretch on the Dorset Stour, run by Christchurch Angling Club. It’s a varied bit of river, with shallow runs, deep pools, two weirs and plenty of cover.
Run by Christchurch Angling Club · checked 12 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club

River Stour (Dorset)
Manor Farm – Dorset Stour
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Ensbury gauge
Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.
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We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready
The lowdown
- A proper mixed river stretch, with enough variety to keep you busy. One swim might give you a shallow run, while the next drops into a deeper pool.
- There are two weirs to fish around, and sea trout are reported beneath them. Game fishing is permitted too, so there’s a bit more going on than just chucking in for coarse fish.
- The bends and tree cover should give you plenty of likely fish-holding spots. Pick the crease, watch for slack water and don’t ignore the nearside cover.
- Barbel are the headline fish, with the club reporting specimens to 17lb. Chub are well represented too, including plenty in the 3–6lb bracket and fish over 8lb.
- Double-figure bream, large carp and specimen pike are also reported. There’s a cracking spread of species, including roach, perch, eels, brown trout, dace and grayling.
- Trotting should suit the shallower runs when conditions are right. A feeder or leger approach is the obvious shout for deeper pools and the quieter water around the bends.
- The established paths run along the length of the fishery, and there are swims close to the car park. Handy if you’re not keen on a long trek with all the kit.
- Access is through the Manor Farm electric gate and farmyard. Keep it to 5mph through the yard, then park on the right either side of the big oak tree.
- It’s a daytime-only venue. Entry is from 5am or one hour before sunrise, whichever is later, and you need to be off by one hour after sunset. No night fishing here.
Methods: Match the approach to the swim: trot the shallow runs, or work a feeder or leger through the deeper pools and crease. Keep an eye on the cover and weir pools for barbel, chub and predators.
Access & tickets
Seven-day holiday membership
Daytime fishing with up to two rods. Must be purchased before fishing.
£90 (as listed 12 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Fourteen-day holiday membership
Daytime fishing with up to two rods. Must be purchased before fishing.
£120 (as listed 12 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Annual full membership
Includes a £20 new-member joining fee.
£182 plus a £20 new-member joining fee (as listed 12 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Arrange membership or an eligible guest ticket through Christchurch Angling Club; annual membership runs for 365 days from joining. Buy holiday membership before entering, and follow the current guest-ticket page’s one-guest limit rather than the venue table’s two.
Fish the club names
barbel, bream, trout, chub, eel, perch, pike, roach, carp
Key rules
- A club lock is required for access.
- Entry is from 5am or one hour before sunrise, whichever is later.
- Anglers must leave by one hour after sunset.
- Maximum of two rods.
- Up to two guests are permitted under the venue regulations.
- Dogs are not permitted.
- Braided mainline is permitted.
- Game fishing is permitted.
Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.
GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fishWhere it is
Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.
Community reported
Recent angler updates
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How busy was it?
Nobody's said yet. It's part of the 20-second update below.
No live tracking — this is what anglers told us after their session, and it's never part of the venue score.
Water updates from anglers
No active water updates.