Our verdict
One of the best bluebell woods in this part of Dorset — well worth timing a spring visit for, though the car park only holds about eight cars so it fills up fast on a good bluebell weekend. Dogs must stay on the lead throughout.
A 34-hectare ancient coppiced woodland reserve on the edge of Cranborne Chase, managed by the RSPB and renowned for its spring carpets of bluebells, wood anemones and primroses between mid-April and the end of May. Dormice, blackcaps and marsh tits are among the wildlife the coppicing regime supports.