Apart from the north-west area the Woodland Trust plan to manage the wood as coppice with standards.  Local conservation volunteers have already carried out ride widening, cleared the extensive network of ditches which thread through the wood and built small bridges from railway sleepers.  A section of the overgrown Hazel in the wood has been coppiced in the traditional manner by cutting the branches back to ground level.  The stumps were covered with "wig-wam" type constructions built with the cut twigs and branches.  These protect the new Hazel growths from browsing deer and rabbits so that in seven or more years' time they can be harvested again.  A considerable number of the mature Oaks and Ashes were left amongst the coppices as standards.  In Medieval times these mature trees would have been retained for future use as timber for roofs of halls and churches and for ships.

In 1986 this butterfly walk was planned and regular weekly counts were begun in 1987.  Since then twenty four species of butterfly have been recorded.

The nearby village of Fifehead Magdalen is well worth exploring for those with time available.  The "Magdalen" refers to the dedication of the village church to Mary Magdalen.  The "Fifehead" derives from the Domesday valuation of the village as Five Hides of land, a hide being the amount which would support one free family.  The one main street leads past the old school and post office to a quiet 14th century church.  "As pleasant a spot as any in the county of Dorset," remarked Sir Frederick Treves, the famous surgeon in his 1906 book, "Highways and Byways in Dorset".

Just on the edge of the wood to the right of the entrance stands the formerly ruined Baptist Chapel.  This has recently been restored for use as a family home with its own wind generator.

Enter the wood through the kissing gate.  This section falls into two parts.  In the first part the path is narrow and goes downhill through a shady and breezy area dominated by very tall stands of mainly Ashes.  There are some strange under-storey plants like Snowberry.  In the second part the path drops down into a much wider sheltered ride.  Coppice work has been carried out in this area and some of the "wig-wams" used to protect the young shoots from Roe Deer may still be seen.  The profusion of Wood Anemones in the spring suggests that this is one of the genuinely old parts of the wood.  Look out in April for Orange Tips and also for a striking orange moth which on sunny mornings may be disturbed from a resting place on the path and fly high up into the trees.  This is one of the two species of Orange Underwing which are very hard to tell apart.  One feeds on Aspen and the other on Birch; generally Aspen is much commoner in the wood so it seems likely that this may be the species but expert confirmation is still awaited!  Grizzled Skippers were recorded  here in 1987 but have since been elusive.  In mid- to late July Bramble blossom and Meadowsweet dominate the ride.  The Bramble blossom is visited by White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries.  Patient watching of the upper branches of the Oak trees, if possible with binoculars, will often be repaid by the sight of Purple Hairstreaks duelling with each other for territory.  Section 1 ends when you reach a wide north-south cross ride.

SECTION 2:  SOUTHERN WOOD  (Length 402 m).

Turn left in the north-south cross ride which is a public footpath.  Then turn immediately right.  The absence of older coppice suggests that this section of woodland probably only dates from 1805-1902.  Look out for Speckled Woods and Ringlets.  It is interesting that, since the wood began to become managed and less overgrown, the number of Ringlets counted on the butterfly walks steadily increased.  Continue walking westwards along the ride until a second wide north-south cross ride is reached; as before turn left and the right up another west-east path.  You are now back in the older woodland.  The cross ride is a good place for seeing most of the species recorded in the wood and those with time to spare would find it worthwhile walking up and down it before making the right hand turning.  There is a chance here to test skills in identifying the Whites since all three common species, Large, Small and Green-veined, may often be seen here.  This, and the east-west ride is another excellent spot for lingering by any flowering Bramble to watch for the arrivals and departures of White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries, the "star performers" of this wood.  The numbers of White Admirals in any year seem to depend on the weather in late May and June.  At this time the caterpillars are feeding on their foodplant, Honeysuckle, and both they and their chrysalises are very popular with birds.  In warm and dry Junes the caterpillars mature much more quickly and avoid predation by their enemies.

When walking down the ride, or in any other part of the wood, in late July and early August, look out for female Silver-washed Fritillaries which are egg-laying.  They can be easily distinguished because their flight is slow and fluttering.  They search the ground for Violets but do not lay their eggs on the actual violets but on the trunks of trees above them.  If you have lots of time and patience, choose the right location and wear suitable trousers you might even be able to recreate the experience narrated by Dr Thomas in his best-selling book, "The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland":  "I simply stood still....and the passing females alighted one by one on my trouser leg....they would eventually reach a seam, invariably laying an egg in it."

Watch carefully in this section of the wood for the beautiful Valezina form of the female Silver-washed Fritillary.  Instead of the normal orange the upperwings have a dusky greenish sheen.  In Dorset woods like Fifehead from five to fifteen percent of the females can take this form but only the females because the colour is controlled by a gene never dominant in the male.  Walk westwards along the ride until a narrower shady path comes in from the right; this is where the section ends.

SECTION 3: SOUTH WEST WOOD  (Length 260 m).

Take the south-north path to the right.  It is a shady avenue through tall trees and can be very wet underfoot.  Little butterfly life will be seen until a small clearing at the point where a sleeper bridge crossing a stream is reached.  Speckled Woods can usually be seen here on their sunbeam territories and sometimes a Comma.  At the time of writing the numbers of this butterfly in Fifehead and other Dorset woods have declined considerably.  It is hoped that the reason is related to the weather and that when a pattern of warmer Mays and Junes re-appears numbers will pick up.

After the sleeper bridge follow the path to the left by the side of the stream until a small gate leading into the field is reached.  Roe Deer may sometimes be glimpsed in the fields if you approach quietly.  This is the end of Section 3.

SECTION 4: NORTH WEST WOOD - FORMER OSIER BEDS  (Length 393 m).

Walk in a circle, turning right at the first cross roads, right again when you reach the corner of a field, and right again to come back to the sleeper bridge you crossed in Section 3.

This is the wettest part of the walk.  It is overgrown and shady.  Here were once the osier beds.  Look out for the surviving pollarded willows.  This damp area is perfect for ferns, mosses and sedges.  The tiny Moschatel, or Town Hall Clock, can also be found.  The shade tolerant Speckled Woods are the only butterfly residents.

SECTION 5: NORTH WOOD  (Length 414 m).

Re-cross the sleeper bridge, walking southwards, back the way you came and immediately find on your left a very narrow path.  This is the return route with few butterfly species because of its shady nature.  There are, however, plenty of compensations.  In spring there are spectacular masses of Bluebells along the stream and Lesser Celandine, Wood Anemone, and Stitchwort in the more open areas.  Watch also for the Arum, Cuckoo Pint or Lords and Ladies, as the plant is variously known.  In the 16th-17th centuries the dried and ground roots provided starch for ruffs and collars.  Although all parts of the plant are poisonous herbalists believed a whole range of diseases could be treated with it.  Nicholas Culpeper wrote that "the berries or the roots beaten with ox-dung easeth the pains of the gout".  Look out for ferns like the Hart's Tongue, often growing in the cracks and crevices of the trees.  Although not often seen, Woodcock nest in the wood, attracted by the numerous worms which flourish in the damp environment.  On the left of the narrow track the remains of a mysterious wood bank can be seen.  This may mark the original boundary of the wood, the edge of a coppiced area within the wood, or the boundary of a Medieval deer park. 

The narrow path winds through the dense woods crossing the north-south ride which formed part of Section 2.  It finally runs into the first north-south ride which was crossed in Section 1.  At this point turn right.  Watch here for dragonflies, especially the beautiful male blue Banded Agrion and his green partner; also the Brown Hawker, easy to identify because of its reddish-brown wings.  The walk ends at the point where Section entered the north-south ride.  On the way back up the hill to the road listen to the variety of bird song and reflect on how much more enjoyable this is than struggling around the High Street shops.