One of west Dorset’s lesser known jewels, featuring ancient woodland, meadows, hedgerows, pasture and a fast-flowing stream. This reserve is home to some of Dorset’s rarest and most iconic species.

This stunning reserve is home to some of our best loved, as well as our rarer fauna and flora.  Otters use the stream, dormice nest in the woodland, roe deer and harvest mice reside in the pastures, and several species of bat, including the very rare Bechstein’s bat, roost in the woodland.

This tranquil reserve takes you through steep sloping ancient woodland with hazel coppice, down to the fast-flowing stream, up and out into rich wood pasture and meadows. The best times to visit are spring and summer when the whole reserve is bursting with life.

Green and great spotted woodpecker frequent the reserve as well as woodcock, pied and spotted flycatcher, breeding kingfisher and the more common woodland species such as nuthatch, treecreeper and willow warbler.

Summer brings the riches of wild flowers including several orchid species, betony, adder’s tongue fern and common knapweed, and several important species of butterfly, such as marsh and silver-washed fritillaries, purple hairstreak and small heath.

Dogs welcome on leads.  Owned/managed by: Dorset Wildlife Trust