Our verdict
Wild and genuinely special, but the wildlife it's protecting comes with rules — dogs must be on a lead by law between March and July, and year-round near grazing livestock. Worth it for the scenery and the chance of seeing sand lizards or Dartford warblers, less good if you want your dog running free.
A National Nature Reserve of open heath and bog south of Stoborough, part of the wider Purbeck Heaths super-NNR, supporting rare reptiles, insects and ground-nesting birds across a spectacular, wild-feeling landscape between Wareham and Poole Harbour.