Upton Heath © Andy Fale

Dragonfly © Nigel Brooks

Mark Heighes

Upton Heath

An internationally important heathland with views across Poole Harbour, Corfe Castle and the Isle of Purbeck. A beautiful nature reserve to visit at any time of the year.

Location

Corfe Mullen

Broadstone

Dorset

BH21 3RX

OS Map Reference

SY9919594162

View on What3Words

built.mole.field

Know before you go

Size

200 hectares

Entry fee

N/A

Parking information

Springdale Road car park for access via north heath. Roadside parking at end of Longmeadow Lane for central/south heath.

Bicycle parking

Yes

Grazing animals

Cattle and ponies all year round.

Walking trails

A number of paths criss-cross the nature reserve with three waymarked circular routes across the heath and a short easy access route. Find out more about exploring heathland

Access

Access through field or pedestrian gates but heath around Springdale car park is ungated. Sandy or gravel tracks with moderate slopes, with a flat section along the central bridleway and on the easy access trail.

Away from the paths, the ground may be very wet, boggy and uneven with unseen hazards beneath the vegetation. Please stick to the paths for your own safety and to help protect this special habitat. Some of the paths may also be wet in winter.

The site is important for the rare and declining adder, although you'd be lucky to see one, Do keep an eye out at the edges of paths and check before sitting down, and keep your dog on a short lead to prevent them disturbing one. Ticks may be present on the heathland, particularly in any bracken or long grassy areas. Several of the larger ponds in the woodland in the centre of the site contain deep water. Fishing is not allowed anywhere on the reserve. Please take all your rubbish home with you.

Some illegal off-road motorbiking does occur - please report sightings to us on 01305 264620.

Dogs

On a lead

Please bag and remove dog mess from the site.

Facilities

Picnic area

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

summer for heathland in full colour

About the reserve

A heathland oasis right on the doorstep for the people of Poole and visitors from further afield, this internationally important habitat is packed full of rare and fascinating wildlife.

A rich mosaic of dry, humid and wet heath, bog pools, ponds, grassland and woodland this reserve has plenty to offer, whether your interest is in the specialist plants and animals that live on the reserve or you just want to enjoy the sense of space that you get from being on the open heath. The heath boasts all six of native reptiles including the rare sand lizard and smooth snake. If you want to spot dragonflies then this is the place to be with 16 species!

The site also gives great views across Poole Harbour, Corfe Castle and the Isle of Purbeck. The heathland is steeped in human history, owing much of its undulating character to quarrying for the pottery and brick making industries that developed around the heath, it is also vulnerable to damage by man from fires, visitor impacts and pressures from the adjacent urban areas.

Keeping the heath healthy
This largely man-made habitat needs constant management to keep conditions optimum for the range of species and you may well see signs of scrub or bracken cutting, tree removal, creation of fire-breaks and bare sandy tracks, as well as the grazing animals we use to help keep vegetation growth in check. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with work on the heath as we are always glad of extra pairs of hands - check out our volunteering and events pages for more information.

Useful Information
Access on foot from a number of points following the public rights of way coming onto the site. Best accessed by car from the car park at Springdale Road (accessed from Wareham Road running through Corfe Mullen) or roadside parking at the end of Longmeadow Lane (just off the A35). Some limited parking in front of the Beacon Hill Urban Wildlife Centre.