Our verdict
A genuinely good local reserve with real variety — heath, woodland and a lake all in one walk, and harbour views to match. Access points are a bit fiddly to find (via Rockley Park or the Napier Road car park) but worth the effort.
A Local Nature Reserve and SSSI on the north-west shore of Poole Harbour at Hamworthy, mixing heathland, woodland and Hamworthy Lake — a former clay pit now home to carp, tench and pike. Over 200 bird species have been recorded, including Dartford warbler, nightjar and osprey over the Wareham channel.