About the reserve

A small oasis of flower-rich grassland and scrub offering shelter for wildlife in an intensively managed agricultural landscape. With its two fields of unimproved, chalk grassland, scrubby patches and thick hedgerows, this reserve is a key linking point for wildlife in an area of improved grassland and arable fields. As well as providing a permanent home to species such as grizzled skipper, marbled white, bullfinch and yellowhammer the site provides foraging and commuting for birds and bats passing through the area, with recent surveys showing that greater horseshoe bat flight routes pass through the site.

The downland is grazed to encourage an open sward with an annual management programme of rotational scrub cutting to stop it from smothering the grassland. There are at least four species of rose in the scrub and a range of typical chalk grassland flowers throughout the slopes; including cowslip, bird's-foot trefoil, greater knapweed, clustered bellflower, rock rose and wild basil.

An old Roman road, the Ackling Dyke, which connected Exeter with London, runs along the length of the reserve, while there is evidence of ancient ditches and chalk extraction over the rest of the reserve, so there is plenty of human history to explore, as well as the wildlife! 

Useful Information

Heading towards Salisbury on the A354 from Blandford, turn right at signpost to Gussages/Horton. After half a mile turn left to Gussage St. Michael.  At junction in village turn right.  The reserve is approximately half a mile along road. Park on roadside by water pumping station and take the footpath up the hill to the reserve.