Our verdict
A slower, shadier counterpart to the open heath next door, and the old oaks are worth the detour on their own. Easily combined with the six-mile Holt Heath circuit from White Sheet; ground is soft and rutted after rain.
A medieval forest of ancient oak wood pasture beside Holt Heath, part of the National Nature Reserve and the wider Kingston Lacy estate. The veteran trees here are among the best in Dorset for deadwood beetles and lichens.
Open access land — you can roam freely on foot.