The Batcombe Hill Picnic Area covers some 38 acres, comprising a flat plateau at a height of 246 metres (820 feet) and steeply sloping north facing wooded hillside.  The site was purchased jointly by Dorset County Council and West Dorset District Council in 1982 with the aid of a grant from the Countryside Commission to safeguard it as a public open space.It is now managed by the Countryside Service, which is part of the County Planning Department.  In 1983 the County Council, with assistance from WEDGE (a government sponsored YTS), planted a thousand trees and shrubs on the plateau in order to link together the existing planting and eventually create a more sheltered and interesting area with a wider range of habitats.Approximately thirty years ago when the Forestry Commission owned the site the steep slope was planted with a mixture of Beech and Western Red Cedar.  Ash has regenerated prolifically amongst this planting.  Weather-gnarled Oaks form a fringe across the top of the steep slope.  Hazel is an important part of the woodland with Sallow, Field Maple and a few mature Ash and Oak as important elements within the wooded area.

THE HILL WALK:

A hill walk has been created down this slope and forms a major portion of the walk described here.  The views north from the plateau are extensive and the stone cairn at the start of the walk has a visual aid to identifying all the prominent landmarks, which can be seen on a clear day.  By its very nature, the site has a wide range of habitats from hay meadow to woodland glades and because of the fairly recent planting, the character of the site is still evolving.The Duke of Burgundy is probably the rarest butterfly here, with a good range of grassland species in the hay meadow, and Speckled Woods, Orange Tips, Skippers, Whites and Peacocks in the rides and lanes.  The site is important for the diversity of wild flowers, orchids and a large Adder population.

SECTION 1:  OPEN SHORT GRASS AREA  (Length 132 m). 

From the stone cairn, follow the car track to your right and walk in a north-easterly direction along the edge of the evolving scrubland until a path turns north and crosses a vehicle track to a sign indicating the start of the Hill Walk.

SECTION 2: SHADED WOODLAND PATH  (Length 85 m).

Follow the Hill Walk path downhill through evolving woodland, until a sign is seen which indicates a picnic area to the right.  This is a mixture of Hazel, Beech and Western Red Cedars.  Few butterflies are seen in the shade, but future management will widen the path.

SECTION 3: FOREST CLEARING  (Length 65 m).

Descend to the picnic table and then walk around the track in the meadow culture area.  If you are carrying out a transect form, do not count the section twice above the picnic table where you retrace your steps. Peacocks and Speckled woods bask in the sun in the clearing.  Care should be taken to avoid treading unnecessarily on wild flowers, or indeed Adders which might be basking in the sun. Look out for Early Purple and Greater Butterfly Orchids, as well as a white form of Bugle, and Wood Sage.  There is also a fine Field Maple.  Retrace your steps to the diagonal track Hill Walk. 

SECTION 4: SHADED WOODLAND PATH  (Length 128 m).

Carry on walking down the diagonal track Hill Walk which continues until a minor road is reached.  Woodruff, Early Purple and Bird's Nest Orchids can be seen along the track edge.  Future management will widen the path.

SECTION 5: TREE LINED LANE, NORTH ASPECT (Length 293 m).

Follow the road downhill.  Steep slopes up to the left are covered by an area of un-coppiced woodland which is strictly private.  The shaded understorey is particularly interesting for ferns (including Harts Tongue Fern), Dogs Mercury, Twayblades, Broadleaved Helleborines and Fly Orchids. To the right, there are Ash saplings, which have recently been laid to form an Ash hedge along the wood bank, with Herb Robert, a very useful nectar source for the Whites, and also look out for Speckled Woods, Brimstones and Orange Tips in this section.This road is usually very quiet but beware of any fast cars coming downhill.  This section finishes when a Hill Walk sign is seen to the right, just before the road forks. Notice the wayside cross, showing our proximity to Hillfield Friary.

SECTION 6: OPEN RIDE ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE SLOPE  (Length 189 m).

Turn right and follow the Hill Walk sign along a mown grass track, cutting back into the woodland.  This section is particularly spectacular in June when the Common Spotted Orchids are in flower.  It is a popular place for Adders.  Since the path is kept mown, it should be easy to spot basking Adders and walk safely round them.  Butterflies to be seen include Orange Tips, Common Blues, Small Coppers and Skippers.The dense woodland is being thinned along the ride to let in the sunlight and promote the growth of flowers and insects.  Beech and Red Cedar have a particularly damaging dense shade.  As you walk along the ride there is a fine view of the hillside.The pond in the distance marks the end of this section.  Pond-skaters, Water Boatmen, Palmate Newts, Frogs, Toads and Grass Snakes can be seen around the pond.  At the appropriate time of year Duke of Burgundy butterflies can also be seen.  The Duke of Burgundy caterpillar's preferred foodplant is Cowslip; as these are uncommon on this site it is assumed that the butterflies are feeding on Primrose.  Sections 6 and 7 are specifically managed to produce Primrose plants in the right condition for the Duke of Burgundy in the scalloped clearings in the hillside along the ride.It is believed that this butterfly has a very limited territory and flight.  It is therefore possible that more than one colony exists along the ride.  Data produced so far would appear to back this up with popular spots for sightings at the fire gate, the pond and the turning circle at the end of Section 7.

SECTION 7: OPEN RIDE ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE SLOPE  (Length 283 m).

At the pond, the mown track takes a turn to the left again, a good section for seeing Primroses, Common Spotted Orchids and Duke of Burgundy butterflies.  The bank to the right is particularly rich in wild flowers with Butterfly, Pyramidal and Twayblade Orchid, St. Johns Wort, Wood Vetch and Wild Strawberry, the caterpillar foodplant of the Grizzled Skipper.  Other butterflies to look out for include Comma, Green-veined White, Green Hairstreak and Skippers.  One of the trees at the ride edge is the large leaved Goat Sallow, which is always nice to see, especially in spring.Halfway along this section is a fine scallop (a semi-circular clearing) for the Dukes.  This secretive butterfly may be difficult to spot, but there is a post and rail seat for you to relax, watch and prepare for the hill climb.  This section of the walk ends at the open space turning circle and could be considered the centre piece of the whole walk.

SECTION 8:  SHADED PATH THROUGH THE WOOD (Length 265 m).

At the turning circle, a Hill Walk sign indicates the start of Section 8 which takes the walk back up through the woods.  The course of this path was altered in 1995 to reduce the severity of the climb!  Halfway up the hill, Section 8 finishes at a large Holly tree.  In time a glade and viewpoint will be created here.  With luck, Kestrels and Buzzards may be seen riding thermals.

SECTION 9:  SHADED UPHILL PATH THROUGH WOOD (Length 177 m).

This section takes the walker from the Holly back up the hill and onto the plateau.  Bluebells are particularly good through this section.

SECTION 10:  TRACK AND SHORT GRASS VERGE (Length 80 m).

From the top of Section 9, turn right and follow the vehicle track in a southerly direction until you see a set of steps on your left which takes you up onto the hay meadow.

SECTION 11:  HAY MEADOW  (Length 364 m).

This section takes you around the edge of the large hay meadow, adjacent to the car parking area, and offers a sharp contrast in character to the major part of the walk.  The creation of this hay meadow will encourage a diversity of wild flowers and grassland butterflies, such as Common Blues, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and Skippers.Common Spotted and Southern Marsh Orchids can be seen as well as many other plants including Goatsbeard, Catsear, Rough Hawkbit, Knapweeds, Hay Rattle and Ox-eye Daisy.  Listen for Yellowhammers and Grasshopper Warblers.The scrub on your left has an interesting mix of trees, including Rowan, Field  Maple, Plane, Whitebeam and Sallow.  There is an ample supply of nectar sources with Willow Herb, Bramble and Gorse.  This section and the complete walk finishes in the car parking area within view of the stone cairn.