WORK is under way to restore and re-wet peatland at Holt Mire near Wimborne, to protect a rare floating spider and flesh-eating sundew plants. Holt Mire is an important peatland habitat on Holt Heath National Nature Reserve, one of the largest areas of lowland heath in Dorset, cared for by the National Trust. The restoration…
ONE of the most atmospheric and delightful Tudor manor houses in the area, Athelhampton, at Puddletown, hosts a week of events during half term on the theme of Tudor lives. From Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November, daily from 10am, visitors can get a taste of the sights, sounds and smells of Tudor life….
THE deadline has been extended for farmers in Exmoor, Somerset and North Devon to get crucial advice to access the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024. Registration closes on Monday 7th November, and the workshops will be running until December. The new date gives farmers a bit more time to sign up for a programme to help…
IF you are of a whimsical turn of mind (or a fan of Beatrix Potter), you will think “Squirrel Nutkin” when you see this beautiful red squirrel. But you don’t have to go to Potter’s Lake District to see these enchanting little animals. You can see them on Brownsea Island, the National Trust property in…
THE National Trust is looking forvolunteers to help care for the traditional orchards in some of its West Dorset properties, including at Shedbush Farm, St Gabriel’s Farm and West Bexington. These orchards, designated as priority habitats, are rich in biodiversity, including rare and endangered species. However, they are at risk of decline and need dedicated…
A TEAM of Dorset conservation officers and volunteers has begun a project to plant native wildflowers and meadow grasses at Bere Marsh Farm near Shillingstone, aimed at enhancing biodiversity on the Stour floodplain fields. The 92-acre Bere Marsh Farm, between the old Somerset and Dorset railway line and the river, is owned by the Countryside…
THE great West Country moors – Dartmoor in Devon, Exmoor in Devon and Somerset, and Bodmin in Cornwall – are steeped in history and myths. One significant area of Dartmoor is Crockern Tor, once home to the Stannary Parliament, and now the inspiration for a series of story walks, organised by Devon’s Villages in Action,…
THE National Trust’s Stourhead near Mere is hosting the Royal Geographical Society, Earth Photo 2024 exhibition, from 24th June to 9th September. Earth Photo is an annual, international open-call exhibition and awards programme for images and films that tell stories about our planet. Co-Directed by the Royal Geographical Society), Forestry England and Parker Harris, the…
THE National Trust is running a series of supper and safari evenings on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour on Thursday evenings throughout June. The aim is to give people a closer view of nature in a truly beautiful and tranquil setting. The evenings begin with a boat ride over to the island from Sandbanks, followed…
STOURHEAD Gardens are beautiful at any time of the year – gorgeous in the full colours of autumn, magical on a frosty or snowy morning, verdant with freshly opening leaves in early spring – but May and June sees the gardens at their most colourful. Henry Hoare’s paradise looks its best with vivid rhododendrons and…