About the reserve

Escape the hustle and bustle of town life and explore two wildflower meadows in the heart of Verwood. This wildflower-rich wet meadow land is just north of Bugden's Copse. Walking through the tranquil reserve, you get a great sense of what the area must have been like in days gone by. Butterfly fans rejoice! The wet grassland and scrubby edge of this reserve support a varied range of colourful wildlife, with meadow brown, gatekeeper and common blue butterflies visiting the scruffy pink ragged-robin, the creamy white meadowsweet and the bright yellow blooms of the, rather rare, dyer's greenweed.

The area is also alive with the buzz of grasshoppers, with spiders, beetles and bugs all busy about their business.  In late summer, the fields are a haze of the purple-blue lollipop heads of devil's-bit scabious so loved by butterflies, bees and beetles anxious for a nectar top-up. A delightful and tranquil reserve to visit at any time of year.

Useful Information

The reserve is located in the centre of Verwood just off the B3081 Ringwood Road. Head east from the roundabout with the B3072 from Three Legged Cross, the reserve is on the right-hand side just after the Tesco Express but before the chapel.