Dormice, kingfishers and fungi await on this quiet 1.5 mile circular walk, says one of Dorset Wildlife Trust’s North Dorset assistant wardens

If you’re looking for ancient woodlands, peaceful wood pastures, hazel coppice and vibrant hay meadows, come and take a walk around the beautiful Bracketts Coppice. Located north of Corscombe, deep in the quiet heart of West Dorset, this nature reserve is home to some of Dorset’s best-loved and rarest species: dormice, kingfishers, otters and woodpeckers.

The walk
Beginning at the hay fields entrance off Rye Water Lane, head diagonally left through the field to reach the gate. While the meadow wildflowers have retreated now, the winter grassland still supports life: look for small flocks of long-tailed tits and blue tits flitting low among the hedges, and listen for the calls of blackbirds, and redwings which arrive from Scandinavia for the winter. The fields may appear empty, but tracks and scrapes in the mud may reveal the presence of field mice and other small mammals.
Once through the gate, head left, cutting across the field to the next gate. In winter, this area is quieter, but the ancient grassland remains a haven for hardy plants like adder’s-tongue fern, its brown, withered fronds marking the meadow’s long history. Through the gate, follow the path across the next meadow until you reach the woodland, which is full of mossy oaks and hazels, and home to dormice and Bechstein’s bats.
Follow the path down through the woods and over a small sleeper bridge to reach the footbridge across the river. From this bridge, you can sot the distinctive Otter Rock, standing out from the rest with no moss on top. It’s a fine spot for finding otter spraint.
Over the bridge, turn left and follow the path up, taking the higher track.
This route takes you past areas of woodland managed by coppicing – a traditional technique producing useful hazel timber while benefiting a variety of wildlife, including dormice.

Spot the Wild Service tree
Continue along the main ride to the north entrance of the reserve, where you’ll see an information board.
Turn right here and follow the ride downhill, merging onto the narrower path to keep straight, towards the river and another footbridge. Cross the bridge – looking out for kingfishers which may still be active, even in the colder months – and turn left, following the path uphill to emerge from the woodland onto another wide ride. Turn right, following the ride and through the gate, before turning right into a grassland area.
Keep to the path running parallel to the woodland edge. Scattered with standing deadwood, this area provides a great habitat for invertebrates and fungi as well as good look-out spots for birds. As autumn arrives look among the leaf litter for fungal fruiting bodies such as yellow brain fungi, a parasitic jelly fungus that feeds on other fungi living on dead wood. It can range in colour from bright pale yellow to a rusty orange when dry.

Go through the gap in the hedge and continue straight ahead through the area of wood pasture to a wire gate with a squeeze-type stile.
Stick to the path, keeping the fence to your left, through another area rich in deadwood. Just before you reach the old hedge bank before the grassland, there is a Wild Service tree in the hedgerow – it’s a Dorset rarity, and an indicator of ancient woodland. For most of the year it is unremarkable, but its leaves, a little like maple, do give themselves away in autumn, when they turn crimson.
Emerging into the grassland, with sprawling open-grown oaks, continue straight down the small slope and up again, joining the track that leads to the final field gate. Turn right here, along the medieval Common Lane, and turn right once you rejoin Rye Water Lane to return to the start of the walk.

Year round, sea swimming at Lulworth usually feels like a hug from the cliffs – but this year, Jane Adams says the water’s different

Every week, year-round, a couple of friends and I slip into the sea at Lulworth Cove. As the cliffs rise around us, it has always felt like we’re being given a protective hug: outside the cove, the swell pushes and heaves, but inside the protection of the cliffs, the water is calm.
This year, though, we’ve noticed some changes.
Since March, the south coast has been experiencing a marine heatwave. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), which monitors sea temperatures and coastal conditions, reports sea temperatures are up to 3°C above the long-term average.

With these warmer waters has come an increase in jellyfish sightings, especially mauve stinger jellyfish (traditionally uncommon close to UK shores, usually found in warmer European waters such as the Mediterranean), and also a surge in octopus numbers: notably the common octopus, which is being caught in huge numbers off South Devon and Cornwall. Scientists believe the warmer sea temperatures are driving these sea creatures further north than usual.
The seaweed beds look different, too. At Lulworth, we’re used to swimming through thick, colourful weed to reach deeper water. This year, there is very little. And although our observations are anecdotal, I can’t help thinking it’s also something to do with the raised sea temperature.
While a surge in jellyfish and octopus may sound exciting, it might actually indicate stress in this unseen yet beautiful ecosystem. If sea temperatures continue to rise, the balance of species may shift even further, with long-term consequences – some winners, some losers – for both marine life and the people who swim, fish or simply enjoy the water.
This year’s marine heatwave may prove exceptional, but as climate change gathers pace, events like this are only likely to become more frequent. Where the cove once felt protective to swimmers, there’s now an unsettled feeling setting in as well. We’re witnessing a change in our coastal waters: but what this change beneath the waves will mean in the future is still largely unknown.

The video above is a trailer for Ocean with David Attenborough, which is currently available on Disney+. It’s very hard-hitting, and I do urge everyone to watch it.
DWT’s Wild Sea Centre at Kimmeridge is a great place to start if you’re interested in learning more about our Dorset marine wildlife and finding local events.