Court Close settlement remains
7 ha
Plan your visit
🦅Birds🦉Wildlife✦Heritage
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome7 ha
Getting here
50.78160, -2.31916
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🐦91+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Woodpigeon and Swallow
- ✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
- 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🐦91+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Woodpigeon and Swallow
- ✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
- 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days
- £Free to visit — no entry charge
- 🐕Dogs welcome
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Woodpigeon, Swallow, Jackdaw +88 more · last seen 2025; Grazing marsh — lapwing, redshank, snipe and wintering wildfowl
Free
Birds — Woodpigeon, Swallow, Jackdaw +88 more · last seen 2025; Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh priority habitat
Free
Historic site with public access
Free
🦋Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Small White, Meadow Brown, Large White +60 more · last seen 2026
Free
Dogs allowed with public access
Free
〰Waterside walks
Good match
Grazing marsh and ditches — waterside walking
Varies
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km3 signed routes nearby · 8 public paths nearby
Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Wessex RidgewayWalking route▾
Named routeRef WRRegional walking route
Jubilee Trail (Dorset)Walking route▾
Named routeRegional walking route
The Hardy WayWalking route▾
Named routeRegional walking route
3 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Purbeck RideCycling route▾
Named routeRef 6Regional cycle route
North Dorset Cycle WayCycling route▾
Named routeRegional cycle route
Lawrence RideCycling route▾
Named routeRef 4Local cycle route
1 signed route nearby
Signed route nearby
Wessex Ridgeway TrailMountain bike route▾
Named routeListed length 207km
2 public paths nearby
Public paths
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
Useful places within 5 km
Events & activities nearby
Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
Wildlife to spot
5,379 records · National Biodiversity Network
Wildlife to spot
5,379 records · National Biodiversity NetworkWoodpigeon · House Sparrow · Robin · Jackdaw · Blackbird +37
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- JackdawColoeus monedula
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Great TitParus major
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- SwallowHirundo rustica
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Herring GullLarus argentatus
- LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senator
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Barn OwlTyto alba
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta2024
🦌Mammals3 species
wintersummer
2025▾
Hedgehog · Roe Deer · Brown Hare
- HedgehogErinaceus europaeus
- Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
- Brown HareLepus europaeus
Sand Lizard
- Sand LizardLacerta agilis
Small White · Eristalis pertinax · Meadow Brown · Large White · Vine Weevil +22
- Small WhitePieris rapae2024
- Eristalis pertinaxEristalis pertinax2025
- Meadow BrownManiola jurtina2024
- Large WhitePieris brassicae2024
- Vine WeevilOtiorhynchus sulcatus
- Batman HoverflyMyathropa florea
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
5,379 records · National Biodiversity NetworkWoodpigeon · House Sparrow · Robin · Jackdaw · Blackbird +37
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- RobinErithacus rubecula
- JackdawColoeus monedula
- BlackbirdTurdus merula
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Great TitParus major
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- SwallowHirundo rustica
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Herring GullLarus argentatus
- LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senator
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Barn OwlTyto alba
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta2024
🦌Mammals3 species
wintersummer
2025▾
Hedgehog · Roe Deer · Brown Hare
- HedgehogErinaceus europaeus
- Roe DeerCapreolus capreolus
- Brown HareLepus europaeus
Sand Lizard
- Sand LizardLacerta agilis
Small White · Eristalis pertinax · Meadow Brown · Large White · Vine Weevil +22
- Small WhitePieris rapae2024
- Eristalis pertinaxEristalis pertinax2025
- Meadow BrownManiola jurtina2024
- Large WhitePieris brassicae2024
- Vine WeevilOtiorhynchus sulcatus
- Batman HoverflyMyathropa florea
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
2025
2025
SyrphusSyrphus2025SyrphusSyrphus2025BrimstoneGonepteryx rhamni2024BrimstoneGonepteryx rhamni2024Lesser Stag BeetleDorcus parallelipipedus2025Lesser Stag BeetleDorcus parallelipipedus2025Red-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa serraticornis2025Red-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa serraticornis2025Alder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alni2025Alder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alni20257-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata20257-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata2025Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina2025Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina2025Dotted Bee-flyBombylius discolor2025Dotted Bee-flyBombylius discolor2025Pine LadybirdExochomus quadripustulatus2025Pine LadybirdExochomus quadripustulatus2025Dark-edged Bee-flyBombylius major2025Dark-edged Bee-flyBombylius major2025Meliscaeva auricollisMeliscaeva auricollis2025Meliscaeva auricollisMeliscaeva auricollis2025Eristalis tenaxEristalis tenax2025Eristalis tenaxEristalis tenax2025Endomychus coccineusEndomychus coccineus2025Endomychus coccineusEndomychus coccineus2025Hawthorn ShieldbugAcanthosoma haemorrhoidale2024Hawthorn ShieldbugAcanthosoma haemorrhoidale2024Bronze ShieldbugTroilus luridus2024Bronze ShieldbugTroilus luridus2024Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta2024Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta2024GatekeeperPyronia tithonus2024GatekeeperPyronia tithonus2024Green-veined WhitePieris napi2024Green-veined WhitePieris napi2024RingletAphantopus hyperantus2024RingletAphantopus hyperantus2024Speckled WoodPararge aegeria2024Speckled WoodPararge aegeria2024PeacockAglais io2024PeacockAglais io2024