Town Bridge Stretch — Sturminster Newton
Town Bridge is a proper change of gear from the Mill Pool, with smooth steady flow, good depth and comfy swims. It’s a cracking bit of middle Dorset Stour for trotting, especially if you fancy some roach action.
Run by Sturminster and Hinton Angling Association · checked 16 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club
Dorset Stour
Town Bridge Stretch — Sturminster Newton
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Hammoon 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 Hammoon on Live River Levels
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The lowdown
- This is the Town Bridge water at Sturminster Newton, downstream of Sturminster Mill and included with the association’s Sturminster Mill and Durrant waters.
- The character shifts completely from the Mill Pool. Expect a smoother, steadier river rather than pool-style water.
- There’s good depth through the stretch, making it a handy place to get a float working and search the water properly.
- It’s well suited to trotting for roach. Keep the rig moving naturally through the flow and cover the crease and deeper line.
- The swims are described as comfortable, with good access right down to the river’s edge. No heroic scrambling needed.
- There’s a decent mix of named fish here: bream, chub, dace, perch, pike, roach, rudd and tench.
- Road noise is the main niggle. The stretch sits close to the town road network, so early starts or later sessions should make things a bit more peaceful.
- The association has managed fishing on this part of the Stour for more than 110 years, so this is an established bit of club water rather than a fly-by-night ticket stretch.
- For pike, take a minimum 36-inch landing net. All fish, including pike and eels, must go back unharmed.
- Access is straightforward from the free public car park at Sturminster Mill, with space for roughly 20 cars. Public toilets are available, though they may shut in winter.
Methods: Trotting is the obvious starting point, with the steady flow and depth lending themselves nicely to roach. A float approach should also suit the chub, dace, perch, rudd and tench; pike need the proper landing net and careful handling.
Access & tickets
Day ticket
Purchase online before fishing or from listed local outlets. Outlet purchases are payable in cash.
£10 (as listed 16 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Weekly ticket
Purchase online before fishing or from listed local outlets. Outlet purchases are payable in cash.
£20 (as listed 16 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Day tickets can be bought online through the Sturminster and Hinton Angling Association website or from listed outlets. Outlet purchases require cash, and tickets must be sorted before you start fishing.
Fish the club names
bream, chub, perch, pike, roach, tench, rudd
Key rules
- All fish, including pike and eels, must be returned unharmed.
- Live bait, gorge hooks, gaffs, night lines, trimmers and bank runners are prohibited.
- A minimum 36-inch landing net is required when pike fishing.
- Fishing is permitted from sunrise until one hour after sunset.
- Guests must carry proof of ticket purchase and show it when requested.
- Fishing from the buttress on the downstream side of the bridges at Sturminster Mill is prohibited.
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.
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