Best Dorset

RSPB Arne is a significant UK heathland nature reserve located in Purbeck, Dorset. It’s notable for supporting populations of globally important species like the Dartford Warbler and Sika Deer, alongside diverse heathland flora. The reserve provides valuable habitat and is primarily enjoyed by birdw...

Studland and Godlingston Heath is a National Nature Reserve located on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England. Managed primarily by the National Trust, the reserve consists of a mosaic of lowland heath, sand dunes, mires, and freshwater lakes. The site is ecologically significant because it supports...

Arne Heath is a lowland heath habitat located within the RSPB Arne nature reserve in Dorset, England. The area is ecologically significant for its diverse fauna and is recognized as one of the few locations in the United Kingdom that supports all six native reptile species, including the rare smooth...

The Studland and Godlington Heath National Nature Reserve protects extensive UK heathland landscapes in Dorset. This reserve is significant for its biodiversity, supporting a wide range of plant and animal species including all six native British reptile populations. It’s particularly valuable for c...

Arne is a village and peninsula in Dorset, England, located on the northern shore of Poole Harbour. The area is primarily known for the RSPB Arne nature reserve, a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest. The reserve features lowland heath, woodland, and reedbed habitats that support rare wild...

Worbarrow Bay is a large, curved bay located on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England, and forms part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The bay is situated within the Ministry of Defence's Lulworth Ranges, meaning public access is restricted to designated periods when military training is...

St Catherine's Hill is a roughly 35-hectare area of heathland and conifer woodland north of Christchurch in Dorset, England. It is protected as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve, reflecting the ecological value of its lowland heath and associated habitats. The ele...

Kimmeridge Bay is a small bay located on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England, forming a part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The bay is geologically significant for its exposed Kimmeridge Clay rock strata, which yield abundant fossils. It also hosts a marine reserve and is a popular de...

Durdle Door Beach is a unique coastal location situated on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. The beach features shingle and pebbles concentrated beneath a dramatic limestone arch formed by natural erosion. This geological formation contributes to its significance as part of the UNESCO World Her...

Chesil Cove is located at the southern end of Chesil Beach, a 29-kilometer shingle tombolo on Dorset's Jurassic Coast. The cove sits at the Isle of Portland's southern tip and is characterized by steeply sloping pebble beaches rather than sand, making swimming hazardous due to sudden depth changes a...

Cann Mills is a historic working watermill located in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, notable for its continued commercial flour production.

Canford Heath is a significant UK Site of Special Scientific Interest located in Dorset. This expansive lowland heath provides valuable habitat for diverse plant and animal species, including several rare insects and birds. It’s particularly important for ecologists, conservationists, and researcher...

Chapman's Pool is a secluded bay on the southwest coast of the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England, accessible primarily via footpaths including a steep descent from the village of Kingston. The cove features a shingle beach beneath dramatic cliffs of Kimmeridge Clay, a geological formation from the...

The Morden Bog National Nature Reserve protects a significant area of unique UK heathland and bog ecosystem located in Dorset. It features one of the nation’s largest valley mires supporting specialized plant life and providing habitat for rare bird species. The reserve is valuable for scientific re...

Moors Valley Country Park and Forest is an 800-acre woodland and heathland site in Dorset, jointly managed by Dorset Council and Forestry England.

Hartland Moor is a Dorset National Nature Reserve of wet and dry heath, notable as one of three reserves joined into the 3,331-hectare Purbeck Heaths in 2020.

Forde Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Somerset, England, founded in 1141 that now serves as a privately owned historic house with notable gardens.

Godlingston Heath is lowland heath near Studland, Dorset, notable for rare wildlife and inclusion in the Studland and Godlingston Heaths SSSI.

Morden Bog is a National Nature Reserve in Dorset's Wareham Forest, notable as a well-preserved lowland heath and valley-mire ecosystem.

Hartland Moor National Nature Reserve is a protected landscape in Dorset, England, within the Isle of Purbeck. It preserves lowland heath, wet heath, bog, and valley mire habitats, communities that support specialized plants and animals and have declined substantially elsewhere in Britain. The reser...

RM Poole in Dorset, England, is the home of the Special Boat Service, the Royal Navy's special forces unit, and also hosts elements of the Royal Marines responsible for amphibious and maritime special operations.

Church Ope Cove is a sheltered, secluded cove on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. It is a pebble beach situated on the island's eastern side. The cove is overlooked by the 15th-century ruins of Rufus Castle, also known as Bow and Arrow Castle. The nearby ancient ruins of St Andrew's Church a...

Upton Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located near Poole in Dorset, England. It preserves one of the remaining fragments of lowland heathland habitat that once covered much of southern England. The heath supports populations of all six native British reptile species, including the rar...

Mupe Bay is a cove on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England, located within the Lulworth Ranges military training area. Because it is part of an active Ministry of Defence (MOD) firing range, public access is strictly limited to specific days when no firing is taking place. The bay features a natura...

Holt Heath is lowland heath in Dorset, notable as an SSSI and National Nature Reserve supporting scarce reptiles, heathland birds and invertebrates.

Mangerton Mill is a historic 17th-century water-powered gristmill in Dorset, England, notable for its fully restored wooden machinery and traditional flour-milling demonstrations.

Avon Heath Country Park is a protected natural area in Dorset, England, recognized as the largest area of lowland heathland managed for public recreation in the region.

Sturminster Marshall Mill is a historic watermill in Dorset, England, notable for its restored 18th-century milling machinery and its contribution to the local agricultural economy.

Cann Mill is a historic water-powered grist mill located in Dorset, England, notable for being one of the few commercial stone-ground flour mills still operating in Britain.