Woodpecker

Next to the path in Boscombe's Woodland Walk sits a wooden woodpecker, one of a small group of wildlife sculptures shaped with a chainsaw by Tom Harvey, the artist who trades as Carver Harvey.

Along the carving trail

Woodland Walk, the wooded nature reserve climbing from Boscombe's high street to the clifftop above the beach, holds a scattering of carved creatures and the woodpecker is one of them. Nearby you can find Harvey's peacock butterfly, wood mouse, stag beetle and woodlouse, along with his larger Tree of Life and a carved welcome marker. All of these arrived with the reserve's 2025-26 refurbishment, a project funded by the Towns Fund and the Community Infrastructure Levy that also gave the site a wildlife pond, a sensory garden and new trail signs.

Getting there

The carving stands in open parkland with no gate and nothing to pay, so you can see it for free whenever you pass. It is a simple stop on a walk through Boscombe and works well alongside a look at Woodland Walk as a whole or the peacock butterfly and wood mouse carvings a little further along the path. Our guide to things to do in Bournemouth has more suggestions close by.

Woodpecker good to know

What is the Woodpecker sculpture in Boscombe?

A wooden woodpecker shaped with a chainsaw by artist Tom Harvey. It is one of a number of wildlife carvings he has placed along Woodland Walk, the nature reserve that joins Boscombe high street to the clifftop above the beach.

Who carved the Woodpecker sculpture?

Tom Harvey, a chainsaw sculptor who works as Carver Harvey. He has cut a series of wildlife figures from wind-fallen timber along Woodland Walk: this woodpecker, a peacock butterfly, a wood mouse, a stag beetle and a woodlouse, together with a bigger Tree of Life sculpture and a hand-carved welcome marker.

Is the sculpture free to visit?

Yes. The carving stands in open parkland on Woodland Walk and there is no admission charge, so it can be seen at any time while walking through the reserve.

Where exactly is it?

It is next to the path in Woodland Walk Nature Reserve, Boscombe, the wooded route connecting the high street with Overcliff Drive and the clifftop above the beach.