History of Moors Valley

• April – building works commence on Adventure Valley, a new mini electric land rover experience for children and an 18-hole miniature golf course.
• April – the Bee Hive accessible play structure launched by Forestry England.
• August – Adventure Valley fully launches on 18 August.

• January – A new Information Point design IS installed, moving counter to the opposite side and a digital TV area installed.
• February to April – Moors Valley awarded the large visitor attraction of the year in Dorset Tourism Awards and subsequently Silver in South West Awards. The Moors Valley cleaner awarded Unsung Hero Award at both Dorset and South West Awards.

• January – The country enters its third national lockdown. The park remains open for exercise, but all facilities, except the toilets and play parks shut.
• March – A new Dog Wash is installed by cycle hire.
• April – The country eases out of lockdown and more of the park re-opens.
• August – The park has its best summer on record in terms of visitor numbers, with approximately 250,000 enjoying adventures during the 6 week school holidays.

• January – Seasons Tables and chairs are replaced in the restaurant after 20+ years use. All old tables and chairs are sold for suitable donations to raise money for local charity Hope for Food.
• March – Covid-19 sees the park close on 23 March.
• May 26th – The park tentatively re-opens with numerous Covid-19 specific procedures in place. Initially play parks, trail, railway, Go Ape, shop and all group activities remain closed.
• November 5th – Concessionaires and most facilities shut for Lockdown number 2 – wider park and car park stayed open – facilities re-opened 2nd December.

• April – Moors Valley falls under the new Dorset Council, after Christchurch and East Dorset separate and 9 authorities across Dorset become 2.
• May – New play equipment; Bewildernest is launched on the Play Trail.
• September – World War II Decoy bunker opened to the public for the first time.

• January – Retail area increased in size with slat wall replacing free standing units.
• January – Ranger Den created in Stables. Huge overhaul of building. Wildlife slowly introduced.
• May – First dedicated Retail Development Ranger appointed to grow the in-house provision of the Moors Valley Gift Shop.
• September – Direct Debits for parking launched, offering monthly all hours parking.

• January – Glass wall in the Visitor Centre installed to split the restaurant and retail area.
• March – The Gruffalo spotters app, with an augmented reality trail is launched.
• June – A drinking water fountain is installed by the Visitor Centre.

• May – The Audio trail around Moors Lake launched.
• June – Wi-Fi available in the Visitors Centre for the first time.
• November – first junior parkrun event held.
• November – Moors Valley wins Gold at the Dorset Tourism Awards in accessibility and sustainability.

• April – the Moors Valley website is re-launched with a mobile version and Moors Valleys’ first promotional video.
• May – New ANPR car parking system installed, giving the site its first completely ticketless system.
• November – Moors Valley comes 1st in Large Visitor Attraction at the Dorset Tourism Awards and 2nd in South West tourism awards.
• November – First parkrun event held.

• January – a new counter and server area is built for the restaurant.
• November – Moors Valley comes 2nd in Large Visitor Attraction at the Dorset Tourism Awards.

• Moors Valley celebrates its 25th Birthday.
• March – Towers and Tunnels replaced by House of Baba Yaga on the Play Trail.
• April – Moors Valley conservation volunteer group launched.
• July – Gladstone electronic booking system installed.

• February – the Biomass boiler installed, to provide heat for the Visitor Centre.
• March – Railway frontage refurbished. Model railway at front of Visitor Centre rebuilt.

• April – Moors Valley awarded Green Flag status.
• May – Fitness Trail opens in the forest.
• July – Moors Valley Railway has 25th Anniversary weekend
• August – Go Ape launch guided Segway tours.
• August – Water Voles released on the Moors River as part of a re-introduction programme.

• January – March – a new section of footpath is built connecting Bingham drive (Verwood) through Potterne Wood to Potterne Park bridge.
• October – 7km single track cycle route officially opened.

• April – Webs new play trail structure opened by Wave 105 and Rhys Jones.
• June – Activate 1000 project appointed, launching Sport England funded health initiatives.
• September – A new footpath built at Potterne Park to create all weather circular route around Potterne Wood and park.
• December – A new improved Moors Valley website launched.

• January – March – Toilets extended and fully refurbished.
• May – Lottery funded Play Ranger project launched.

• April – New dragonfly entrance sign installed.
• May – The new carriage shed at railway station completed.
• May – The rock – play equipment built in Adventure Play Area.

• January – Foundations laid on carriage shed extension at Moors Valley Railway.
• November – 5 permanent fishing bays are built on the west bank of the Moors Lake.

• October – Takeaway food and drink sales point at Visitor Centre opened.

• Work to alter car park system begins, to allow for a ticketed ANPR system.

• July – ‘Go Ape’ high ropes course with tarzan swings, rope bridges and zip slides is opened.

• November – Fort in Adventure Play Area replaced with two giant wigwam towers.

• February to March – The park closes for 6 weeks, due to Country wide outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease.
• April – The forest picnic area opened.

• January – A Moors Valley newsletter is produced for the first time, rangers run over 150 events over the year.
• May – A stretch of the Moors River through the park is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature.

• April – A new cycling for health initiative for older people is launched at Moors Valley and proves to be very popular.
• June – Waymarked cycle trails are added to the existing walking routes.

• Moors Valley celebrates its tenth birthday.

• January – April – A secondary toilet block is built at Moors Valley Railway station.

• A footpath with boardwalk is built to allow people to walk from the play areas and picnic area to the railway station in safety.
• 4 way-marked walking routes are completed.

• A new kitchen is built for the Tea Room; toilets are extended to incorporate baby changing facilities and family cubicles.
• A third wing of the Visitor Centre is built to house the Country Shop.
• An information point is opened in the Visitor Centre.
• The first Cycle Hire Centre is opened next to the Visitor Centre.

• The Castle and Sand Works play area is built, specifically for toddlers. The Adventure Play Area area is refurbished.

• The car park is extended to cater for the high visitor numbers, approximately ¾ of a million in this year.

• The second nine holes of golf are ready for play making it a full 18-hole course. 
• The Lookout is built.

• The Play Trail and Tree Top Trail in the forest are opened.

• The second half of the Visitor Centre is brought from Easton Royal and is added at right angles to the original part of the Visitor Centre to allow the tea room to expand and to house the Country Shop. New footpaths are built through the northern area of the park.

• The East Dorset Countryside Management Service is set up to manage Moors Valley Country Park and other countryside sites owned by East Dorset District Council.
• A second lake, Crane Lake, is constructed.

• A second farm is purchased by East Dorset District Council making the total area of the park managed by the council to 250 acres.
• The golf course is ready for play and so the park is officially opened with a charity golf match on the 19th July 1988.
• The first schools take part in warden led environmental activities.

• The Visitor Centre and tea room is opened to the public and the first events programme for the park is published.

• First warden appointed in May and the first visitors discover Moors Valley in July.
• Forestry Commission builds a car park. 

An 18^th century timber barn is purchased from a farm at Eastern Royal near Marlborough and work begins to re-construct it at Moors Valley as the Visitor Centre.

• Wimborne Town Council purchases Kings Farm, an eighty-two acre dairy farm adjacent to Ringwood Forest.
• Construction of the Moors Lake and the first nine holes of the golf course are completed.
• First section of railway track is laid, by Narrowgauge Ltd.