Our verdict
Well worth the walk for the views across the surrounding countryside from the scarp — quiet and being actively restored, so expect some visible thinning work rather than untouched ancient woodland.
A 21-hectare ancient wood on a scarp near Shaftesbury, part of the former Royal Forests of Selwood and Gillingham and Woodland Trust-owned since 1985. A restoration partnership with Screwfix has been thinning dense beech stands to let light reach the woodland floor and encourage natural regeneration.
Woodland Trust wood — free to visit on foot, open every day.