Wildlife Areas

Avon Heath Country Park

Dorset's largest country park - comprising 567 acres. The vast majority ia a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its increasingly rare and internationally important heathland. Owned by Dorset County Council it is managed in partnership with the RSPB. Tel: 01425 478470
Location: Signposted off the A31 at the roundabout 3 miles west of Ringwood.
Avon Heath Country Park Website

Ashley Wood Wildlife Reserve

Ancient hazel and ash coppice woodland with oak and ash standards. Fine display of bluebells and wood anemones offering an excellent variety of typical woodland bird species with swathes of wood-anemones and some orpine & early purple orchid can be seen in the glades.
Location: Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury
Ashley Wood on the Dorset Wildlife Trust Website

Collyer's Brook Wildlife Reserve

This small reserve (0.81 ha) is a community wildlife site adjacent to a local picnic site and parking area, managed by Wessex Water. Fed by 10 streams which emerge from the chalk at Springhead 200m east of the reserve it is edged by wet woodland with a series of linked stew ponds, originally used for breeding fish in the Middle Ages. Little egret, grey heron, water rail, kingfishers, marsh tits and siskins have all been sighted, whilst otters are also known to visit. Open at all times. No charge.
Location: Map ref: ST 870168. Leave the A350 at Fontmell Magna opposite the Crown Pub towards Ashmore. The reserve is approx. 1/4 mile on the right. Small car park adjoining.
Collyer's Brook on the Dorset Wildlife Trust Website

Fontmell Down Wildlife Reserve

High on a steeply sloping area of the North Dorset Downs, this reserve has far-reaching views across the Blackmore Vale. Interspersed scrub and woodland provide shelter for many species of butterfly, while the open chalk grassland of the lower slopes is covered in wildflowers in the spring and summer months. A huge variety of wild flower species can be found including 9 different orchids & the rare early gentian. Many butterflies are seen on the southern slopes including Adonis & chalkhill blues & silver spotted skippers. Skylarks often sing above.
Location: Map ref: ST 887176. Access from the C13 top road between Shaftesbury & Blandford, opposite Compton Abbas airfield. Parking at the National Trust car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill.
Fontmell Down on the Dorset Wildlife Trust Website

Martin Down - National Nature Reserve

One of the largest areas of chalk grassland in the country, supporting a wide variety of downland flowers, plus butterflies and birds, including the Skylark.Martin Down NNR is jointly owned and managed by Natural England and Hampshire County Council. Contact: 01725 517700
Location: The reserve is 14 km south west of Salisbury, 1 km west of Martin village. The northern part of the site is crossed by the A354. By car, access to the site is via the A354 and minor roads leading from it. There is a car park on the A354 and another at the end of Sillens Lane, a minor road from the village of Martin, 1 km east of the reserve.
Martin Down on the Natural England Website