Hethfelton Wood

Located five miles west of Wareham, Hethfelton Wood lies at the core of the Dorset Heaths. There’s a mixture of conifer woodland, some broadleaf trees and lowland heathland.

It’s a favourite spot for many birds, one of the reasons that much of the area is a Special Protection Area for birds. Forestry England’s ongoing program of managing the forest provides the right habitat for breeding nightjar, Dartford warbler and woodlark. Also, Hen Harrier and Merlin are regularly spotted here.

Hethfelton Wood covers a total area of 157 hectares and straddles the ridge between the river valleys of the Piddle to the north and Frome to the south. The woodland rises from an altitude of 20 metres above sea level on its southern boundary to 55 metres above sea level on the ridge top in the northwest corner.