Sopley Common Reserve

Size: 33ha.

Sopley has both dry & wet heath, bordered by woodland.  Late summer colours of dwarf gorse & heather.

Wildlife interest:

  • The dry heathland, covered with ling & bell heather, is home to sand lizards & smooth snakes, with heath grasshoppers, wood tiger beetle & grayling butterfly.
  • In the moss-covered boggy areas are cotton grass, round & long-leaved sundews & bog asphodel.
  • Many dragonfly & damsel species share the habitat with raft spiders & bog bush crickets.

Best time to visit:

High summer for the wildlife, autumn for the colour.

Access:

Soft & uneven ground conditions.

Location:

Map ref. SZ 129971.  From Hurn bridge roundabout travel 300m along Avon Causeway road to a lay-by on the right hand side of the road.  Access is across the road or via the Forestry Commission path near the recycling bins.

Sopley Common - J Franklin

 

Sopley Common reserve

Hurn area map

 

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