← Back🌳 Broadleaved woodland

Thorns Copse

✦ Ancient woodland19 ha

BirdsWildlifeSeasonal

Free entryDogs welcome19 ha

Getting here

50.76839, -1.44527

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🥾Walking is best here in early morning in summer — quiet trails and good light before the heat
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
🥾Walking is best here in early morning in summer — quiet trails and good light before the heat
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

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

Best for

8 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Reedbeds — bitterns, marsh harriers, bearded tits and reed warblers

Free

Wildlife

Strong match

Reedbeds priority habitat; Ancient woodland

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Reedbeds — emperor dragonfly and rare fen invertebrates

Free

Waterside walks

Good match

Grazing marsh and ditches — waterside walking

Varies

Foraging

Good match

Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Varies

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

5 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Isle of Wight Coastal PathWalking route113 km

Named routeLength 113 kmRound tripRegional walking route

Solent WayWalking route

Named routeListed length 87kmRegional walking route

European walking route E9, Milford on Sea to Queen Elizabeth Country ParkWalking route

Named routeRef E9International walking route

European walking route E9, Isle of Wight alternativeWalking route

Named routeRef E9International walking route

Hamstead TrailWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

🚴

Cycling

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

New Forest Cycle RoutesCycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

🚵

Mountain biking

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Lepe Off Road Cycle TrailMountain bike route

Named route

Hawkhill Inclosure Off Road Cycle TrailMountain bike route

Named route

Wildlife to spot

9,442 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

9,442 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds62 species

winterspring

2025

Mallard · Grey Heron · Cormorant · Mute Swan · Great Crested Grebe +57

MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
CootFulica atra
House SparrowPasser domesticus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Little OwlAthene noctua2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2024
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
Greylag GooseAnser anser2024
GoosanderMergus merganser2024
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2024
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2024
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2024
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2024
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2024
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2024
Great TitParus major2024
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2024
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2024
RobinErithacus rubecula2024
JackdawColoeus monedula2023
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2023
House MartinDelichon urbicum
Herring GullLarus argentatus
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
TealAnas crecca
GadwallMareca strepera
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
Green SandpiperTringa ochropus2024
Stock DoveColumba oenas2024
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2024
Coal TitPeriparus ater2024
Common TernSterna hirundo2023
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2023
RookCorvus frugilegus2023
WhitethroatCurruca communis2023
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2023
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2023
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca2023
SwallowHirundo rustica2023
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2023
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2023
DunnockPrunella modularis2023
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2023
LinnetLinaria cannabina2023
RedshankTringa totanus2023
Rock DoveColumba livia2023
ShelduckTadorna tadorna2023

🦎

Reptiles1 species

spring

2025

Adder

AdderVipera berus

🐝

Insects12 species

summer

2025

Azure Damselfly · Keeled Skimmer · Four-spotted Chaser · Large Red Damselfly · Emperor Dragonfly +7

Azure DamselflyCoenagrion puella
Keeled SkimmerOrthetrum coerulescens
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata
Large Red DamselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula
Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator
Black-tailed SkimmerOrthetrum cancellatum
Red-eyed DamselflyErythromma najas
Small Red-eyed DamselflyErythromma viridulum
Scarce ChaserLibellula fulva
Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum
Beautiful DemoiselleCalopteryx virgo
Downy EmeraldCordulia aenea

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

9,442 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds62 species

winterspring

2025

Mallard · Grey Heron · Cormorant · Mute Swan · Great Crested Grebe +57

MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
CootFulica atra
House SparrowPasser domesticus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Little OwlAthene noctua2024
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2024
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2024
Greylag GooseAnser anser2024
GoosanderMergus merganser2024
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula2024
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2024
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2024
PheasantPhasianus colchicus2024
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2024
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2024
Great TitParus major2024
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2024
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2024
RobinErithacus rubecula2024
JackdawColoeus monedula2023
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2023
House MartinDelichon urbicum
Herring GullLarus argentatus
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
TealAnas crecca
GadwallMareca strepera
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
Green SandpiperTringa ochropus2024
Stock DoveColumba oenas2024
SkylarkAlauda arvensis2024
Coal TitPeriparus ater2024
Common TernSterna hirundo2023
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis2023
RookCorvus frugilegus2023
WhitethroatCurruca communis2023
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2023
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba2023
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca2023
SwallowHirundo rustica2023
StonechatSaxicola rubicola2023
Canada GooseBranta canadensis2023
DunnockPrunella modularis2023
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus2023
LinnetLinaria cannabina2023
RedshankTringa totanus2023
Rock DoveColumba livia2023
ShelduckTadorna tadorna2023

🦎

Reptiles1 species

spring

2025

Adder

AdderVipera berus

🐝

Insects12 species

summer

2025

Azure Damselfly · Keeled Skimmer · Four-spotted Chaser · Large Red Damselfly · Emperor Dragonfly +7

Azure DamselflyCoenagrion puella
Keeled SkimmerOrthetrum coerulescens
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata
Large Red DamselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula
Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator
Black-tailed SkimmerOrthetrum cancellatum
Red-eyed DamselflyErythromma najas
Small Red-eyed DamselflyErythromma viridulum
Scarce ChaserLibellula fulva
Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum
Beautiful DemoiselleCalopteryx virgo
Downy EmeraldCordulia aenea

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Peter Facey · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Gate on Thorns Lane

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦EXBURY HOUSEHistoric site4.6 km→✦PYLEWELL PARKHistoric site3.9 km→🦉BOLDRE FORESHORENature reserve4 km→🪦Beaulieu CemeteryCemetery4.1 km→✦Exbury HouseHistoric site4.7 km→✦St Leonards Chapel (remains of)Historic site2 km→

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