Lorton Meadows

Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve by DWT

Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve by DWT 

Lorton Meadows © Vicky Ashby
Lorton Meadows © James Hitchen

Lorton Meadows © James Hitchen

A haven of peaceful green meadows, hedgerows and woodland, this reserve offers a chance to experience some fabulous wildlife right in the middle of town.

Location

Lorton Lane
Weymouth
Dorset
DT3 5QH

OS Map Reference

SY6740582659
A static map of Lorton Meadows

Know before you go

Size
75 hectares
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Entry fee

N/A
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Parking information

Car park at the Conservation Centre.

Bicycle parking

Yes

Grazing animals

Cattle on site throughout the year. Please see below under Access.

Walking trails

Network of marked paths including nature trails and the Legacy Trial (Lorton to Portland Bill). See below for maps to download. 

Before you go, please read our reserve safety and visitor information

Please click here for more information and guidance about dogs on Dorset Wildlife Trust nature reserves.

Access

Gates at most entrances. Unsurfaced paths (apart from Centre surrounds). Access to the meadows is via field, bridle or kissing gates and stiles. There are regularly walked but unsurfaced tracks through the meadows, including marked nature trails, with visitors also free to make their own way between the fields on established paths, however the ground may be rough and uneven in places and can be muddy underfoot. In windy weather please avoid the woodlands.

There are nine ponds scattered across the reserve, including a pond by the car park. 

Please be aware that we have cattle (cows and a bull) on the reserve throughout the year. Please refrain from walking your dog through the meadow(s) where there is a 'No Dogs' sign and respect the signs on the field gates.  

Please take precautions against ticks. 

Dogs

On a lead

Please respect 'No Dogs' signs and avoid walking dogs through fields where cattle are grazing. Please remove any dog mess from site. See above for more information about dogs on nature reserves.

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Facilities

Picnic area

When to visit

Opening times

Reserve - open at all times.
Nearest public toilets are at Weymouth Park and Ride, Mount Pleasant, Mercery Road, Weymouth DT3 5HJ
Please note that the Conservation Centre opens for pre-arranged events only.

Best time to visit

Anytime; spring and summer for flowers, insects and birds.

About the reserve

At Lorton Meadows as the first morning light filters through the woodland and mist blankets the ponds, the night time cry of the barn owl gives way to the vibrant chirp of the song thrush. This wildlife haven to the north-west of Weymouth is a patchwork of unimproved meadows enclosed by thick hedgerows and small copses nestling in the Lorton Valley. The multiple trails and pathways provide an opportunity to explore and experience a wonderful variety of wildlife just a stones’ throw from the residential areas of Littlemoor, Upwey and Weymouth. 

On a bright summer’s day, the meadows and hedgerows are busy with insect life; from butterflies dancing over the wildflowers and grasshoppers in the meadows, to moths, bugs, beetles and dragonflies.  A summer amble along the pathways and trails will also reward you with the sight of colourful and some quite rare wildflowers, including orchids and corky-fruited water-dropwort dotted around the reserve. The reserve provides excellent foraging and flight lines for bats like noctules. The scrub and hedgerows bursting with the songs of birds like lesser whitethroat and grasshopper warbler.

Go for a short walk through the shady woodland or follow one of the longer tails across the top of the meadows.  

Useful Information

From the B3159 (Dorchester Road), turn into Lorton Lane and continue to the end of the lane, approximately half a mile, where you will reach the Conservation Centre and carpark.

Cycle path access from Dorchester, Weymouth or Upwey Stations.

The map below shows the entrance to Lorton Lane from the B3159 (Dorchester Road), Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre and car park (please be aware of pedestrians and cyclists on Lorton Lane). The cycle path from Dorchester to Weymouth alongside the A354 joins Lorton Lane at the bridge over the A road. There are pedestrian access points: along Lorton Lane, from Littlemoor (Louviers Road) and the Weymouth Park and Ride, Mount Pleasant, Mercery Road, Weymouth DT3 5HJ

Help make a difference to your local wildlife by volunteering at Lorton Meadows. You could join our regular work party helping to manage habitats for wildlife across the reserve, or to survey butterflies, wildflowers, invertebrates, reptiles or birds. Please contact us on 01305 206191 to find out more. 

Contact us

Environmental designation

Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI)
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Reserve map for Lorton Meadows

Walking at Lorton

Legacy Trail

The Legacy Trail links Lorton Meadows to Portland Bill, via a 20 km trail, discovering all the boroughs important nature sites along the way. You can attempt the whole trail in one day, or walk it in sections, or follow one of 9 circular walks starting from each of the waypoints. For printable trail and circular walk guides go to the Legacy Trail webpage.

Lorton Valley Nature Park

Lorton Meadows, the RSPB's Lodmoor Nature Reserve, the Woodland Trust’s Two Mile Coppice reserve and Lodmoor Country Park together form the Lorton Valley Nature Park, a green lung for Weymouth. The diverse 187 hectare site melds family activities and nature - with wildlife rich meadows, wetland, ancient woodland and family facilities open to all – plenty for visitors to explore.

Nature Trails

White Roughit Nature Trail part 1

White Roughit Nature Trail part 2

Littlemoor Meadow Nature Trail part 1

Littlemoor Meadow Nature Trail part 2

Horse Lynch Nature Trail part 1

Horse Lynch Nature Trail part 2