Verwood

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Map sources for Verwood at grid reference SU0808

Verwood is a small town on the River Crane near Bournemouth in East Dorset, England, with a population of 12,069 (2001 census)^[1].

Lying on heathland, Verwood did not exist as a village in its own right until the mid nineteenth century, but there have been inhabitants from medieval times. Brick making and pottery brought people into the area and Verwood separated from the being part of Cranborne. Despite its utilitarian nature, examples of Verwood pottery are now considered collectable for their historical importance. The Verwood Heathland Heritage Centre was opened in 2003 on the original site of the last pottery to close in 1953. Verwood was served by a branch line railway till the mid 1960s, but the growing popularity of the area, being close to the New Forest and The Solent, saw the village continue to grow, and saw rapid expansion from the late 70's onwards. The town now has a very active Historical Society whose aim is to ensure the preservation of the history of Verwood in oral, written, photographic and tangible form.

The town is home to Verwood Concert Brass, a successful lower section brass band who became West of England 4th Section champions in 2005 and 2006. This resulted in two trips to the National Brass Band Finals of Great Britain in Harrogate where they finished 6th and 7th respectively.

The Verwood Community Association manages both the Verwood Leisure Centre, which provides a wide range of sport, health and fitness facilities to suit all ages, and Potterne Park, which provides the community with 12 acres of sporting provision including Rugby, Football, Tennis, Netball and Cricket.