Our verdict
A lovely little pocket of wild land hemmed in by Parkstone's streets and the golf course — small, but genuinely varied for its size, and a pleasant surprise this close to the harbour.
A Local Nature Reserve and SSSI running through a narrow wooded valley from Branksome down to Poole Harbour, with gorse, wet woodland and a stream feeding seasonal reedbeds. Sand lizards and grass snakes have both been recorded here, alongside kingfishers along the stream.