Our verdict
A pleasant, low-key spot for river-watching rather than a big walk — good for a quiet half hour, but it gets seriously overgrown with nettles by mid-summer, so spring is the better time to go.
A Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve on the River Stour, four miles west of Sturminster Newton, reached by parking near the railway bridge off the A357 towards Child Okeford. Scrubby woodland on steep banks drops to the river, with around 60 recorded bird species and reflections of overhanging trees on calm water.
Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve — free to explore on foot; some are dog-free or on-lead to protect wildlife.