Our verdict
One of the best all-round dog walks in this area — genuinely rich in wildlife, with a café and toilets to make a proper day of it. Cattle with calves and bulls graze March to December, so lead up and keep your distance.
Gateway to the Kingcombe National Nature Reserve, a 180-hectare working farm of flower-rich hay meadows, ancient hedgerows, wet woodland and rough pasture around the River Hooke, farmed without artificial fertilisers or pesticides. Dormice, otters, kingfishers and 27 species of waxcap fungi have all been recorded here, and the visitor centre café and toilets sit at its heart.