Fontmell Down - Dorset Wildlife Trust Reserve Wildlife

A Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve high on the North Dorset Downs above Fontmell Magna with stunning displays of chalk downland flowers, butterflies and spectacular views.

The 60 ha reserve has five discreet areas of differing downland scenery.
Steep south facing slopes, sheltered hollows and scrub of ‘The Curlews and Burys’ provide ideal habitats for plants and butterflies. In spring and early summer chalk milkwort, lady’s bedstraw, aromatic wild thyme and salad burnet are found. Butterfly rarities include grizzled & dingy skippers, green hairstreaks and adonis blues. The scrub offers cover for linnet, meadow pipit, yellow hammer and skylark.
The steep northwest facing slopes of ‘Catswhisker’ have more wooded cover which includes whitebeam, holly, hazel, spindle ash and beech. Butterflies such as the speckled wood, ringlet, comma and silver-washed fritillary may be seen in the glades.
The lower slopes of ‘Littledown’ are rich in colourful flowers such as yellow hay rattle and cowslips, blue harebells and felwort, pink fragrant orchids and knapweeds, white eyebright and ox-eye daisies.
‘Brandis Down’ is a small area of ash wood, scrub and downland where cowslips thrive and ‘Jerry’s Hole’, an old chalk working, has a population of parasitic knapweed broom rape and its host the greater knapweed.

The best times to visit are in spring and early summer for the flowers and butterflies, but the far-reaching views are there year round.

Opening Times

Open at all times

Costs

No charge

Directions

Access is from the B3081, the top road between Shaftesbury and Blandford, opposite the Compton Abbas airfield. There is parking at the National Trust car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill.
(O.S. map reference: ST 887 176).

Additional Information

Disabled access is difficult because of the steep slopes. Keep dogs under close control and on leads where there is livestock.

Nearest refreshments/pub: Compton Abbas Airfield

Photos by Alastair Cook; Tony Bates

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