← Back🌳 Broadleaved woodland

Harley Wood

✦ Ancient woodland47 ha

📷 Maigheach-gheal · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeSeasonal

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome47 ha

Getting here

50.91652, -1.99415

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦87+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Short-eared Owl and Merlin
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
📍Open access throughout summer — no booking required

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🐦87+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Short-eared Owl and Merlin
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
📍Open access throughout summer — no booking required

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome
🌿Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat

Best for

9 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Kestrel +84 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Kestrel +84 more · last seen 2026

Free

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Burnt Orchid · last seen 2024

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Chalk and limestone grassland — chalkhill blue, adonis blue and rare moths; Insects — Meadow Brown, Small White, Large White +18 more · last seen 2024

Free

Dog walks

Strong match

Dogs allowed — public woodland

Free

Foraging

Good match

Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

3 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Shire RackWalking route

Path following the Dorset-Wiltshire border

Named route

Jubilee Trail (Dorset)Walking route

Named routeRegional walking route

The Hardy WayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

National BywayCycling route

Named routeRef NBRegional cycle route

North Dorset Cycle WayCycling route

Named routeRegional cycle route

🐴

Horse riding

11 public paths nearby

Public paths

Brockington Brookbridleway · 1.3 km

Public pathbridlewayLength 1.3 kmPath type: bridleway

Ackling Dykebridleway · 3.9 km

Public pathbridlewayLength 3.9 kmPath type: track

James Cross Lanebridleway · 2 km

Public pathbridlewayLength 2 kmPath type: track

Wildlife to spot

6,440 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

6,440 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

winter

2026

Short-eared Owl · Merlin · Kestrel · Hawfinch · Robin +48

Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus2025
MerlinFalco columbarius2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus2025
TealAnas crecca2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
JayGarrulus glandarius2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Marsh TitPoecile palustris2025
RedwingTurdus iliacus2025
FieldfareTurdus pilaris2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis2025
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata2025
WigeonMareca penelope2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
Barn OwlTyto alba2025
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
MagpiePica pica2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Great TitParus major2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2025
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros2025
QuailCoturnix coturnix2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
LapwingVanellus vanellus2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
GadwallMareca strepera2025
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2024
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2024

🌿

Plants28 species

spring

2025

Cow Parsley · Wood-sedge · Cock's-foot · Honeysuckle · Ribwort Plantain +23

Cow ParsleyAnthriscus sylvestris
Wood-sedgeCarex sylvatica
Cock's-footDactylis glomerata
HoneysuckleLonicera periclymenum
Ribwort PlantainPlantago lanceolata
RamsonsAllium ursinum
Common SorrelRumex acetosa

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

6,440 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

winter

2026

Short-eared Owl · Merlin · Kestrel · Hawfinch · Robin +48

Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus2025
MerlinFalco columbarius2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus2025
TealAnas crecca2025
DunnockPrunella modularis2025
JayGarrulus glandarius2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Marsh TitPoecile palustris2025
RedwingTurdus iliacus2025
FieldfareTurdus pilaris2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis2025
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata2025
WigeonMareca penelope2025
Grey HeronArdea cinerea2025
Barn OwlTyto alba2025
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2025
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
RookCorvus frugilegus2025
RavenCorvus corax2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
MagpiePica pica2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Great TitParus major2025
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Grey PartridgePerdix perdix2025
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros2025
QuailCoturnix coturnix2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
LapwingVanellus vanellus2025
MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
GadwallMareca strepera2025
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2025
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2024
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2024

🌿

Plants28 species

spring

2025

Cow Parsley · Wood-sedge · Cock's-foot · Honeysuckle · Ribwort Plantain +23

Cow ParsleyAnthriscus sylvestris
Wood-sedgeCarex sylvatica
Cock's-footDactylis glomerata
HoneysuckleLonicera periclymenum
Ribwort PlantainPlantago lanceolata
RamsonsAllium ursinum
Common SorrelRumex acetosa

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Maigheach-gheal · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Harley Down

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦ST GILES' HOUSEHistoric site1.8 km→✦CRANBORNE MANORHistoric site4.8 km→✦Earthworks on Gussage DownHistoric site1.5 km→✦EarthworkHistoric site2.1 km→✦SettlementHistoric site1.1 km→✦Part of Ackling Dyke (Roman road), including Roman road on Oakley DownHistoric site2 km→

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