The 145 acres of Fontmell Down are managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust although just over half the reserve is owned by the National Trust.  The whole area lies on chalk and takes its name from the village of Fontmell Magna which is situated in the valley below, where the Greensand emerges.  Fontmell comes from the name of the stream, in Celtic "Funto Mailo", meaning spring by the bare hill.  The rain falling on the chalk percolates through its porous textures and appears at Springhead at the point where the Greensand is exposed.

The main area of the reserve comprises a horseshoe shaped wedge of land on the steep slopes of the chalk downs.  The valley bottom, known as Longcombe, is a typical dry valley.  Both this and the flat tops of the downland are in private ownership.  The reserve is an SSSI and is within an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Fontmell Down's main interest is that it gives visitors a chance to encounter the now vanishing world of the man-made ecosystem which was begun when the early Neolithic farmers cleared the woodland and began to graze their sheep.  Visible remains of the later Celtic or Iron Age people, who continued the grazing tradition, can be seen in the strange cross dykes.  Archaeologists have argued constantly over whether such dykes had a military significance or whether they were "drove" ways for herding animals.  At times population growth led to the ploughing of "terraces" in the side of the downland for arable farming but the need for this marginal arable land usually vanished, leaving only the tell-tale lynchets cut into the hillsides.

Apart from such occasional interruptions the normal pattern of sheep grazing continued unbroken until the late nineteenth century.  By late Victorian times in the 1850's and 1860's large flocks were driven up on to the Downs during the day; at night they were brought down to the valleys where they were penned into hurdled enclosures and their dung used to enrich the arable land.  Although mutton and wool were useful to the farmers, their dung was the key element in the rural economy; so much so that the sheep have often been described as "four-legged dung carts". Thousands of years of hard grazing created a short Sheep's Fescue Grass turf in which a complex web of "dwarf" plants, ants, butterflies and other insects was created.

But from the late nineteenth century all began to change:  steamships enabled overseas corn, mutton and wool to undermine Victorian farming.  The number of sheep began to drop.  The two World Wars convinced British Governments that a greater degree of self sufficiency was needed.  Subsidies became available for improving grassland by replacing the herb-rich grasses with allegedly more nutritious mono cultures of Rye Grass.  In the early 1930's Rolf Gardiner bought many acres of land which he described as "derelict"!  He covered the downland with plantations of Conifer and Beech trees.  The flatter tops of the chalk downs were soon either ploughed or put under improved grasses.  In 1976 the National Trust and Dorset Trust for Nature Conservation (as the DWT was previously known) were able to buy the remnants of the once extensive downlands which now consisted of those slopes too steep for tractors, and which also included a large section of Rolf Gardiner's Conifer and Beech plantations, called Cat's Whisker.

Naturally buying up a stretch of land and putting a fence around it does not conserve it.  Left to itself Fontmell Down would turn first into scrub and then into woodland which would destroy the unique plant and insect community just as surely as ploughing or improved grassland.  This would happen very rapidly because the decline in numbers of sheep and the collapse of Rabbit numbers, as a result of the introduction of Myxomatosis in the 1950's, was already leading to the expansion of scrub and a coarse grass called Wood False Brome.  At the same time the cultivation of the flat tops of the downs had accentuated the leaching of the lime from the top of the slopes and thus enabled Gorse to gain a foothold and expand its influence.  Since 1976 the Trust has tackled these conservation problems by acquiring its own sheep, Horned Wiltshires and Beulahs; by encouraging autumn and winter cattle grazing by neighbouring farmers, which helps to break up the coarser grasses and make small bare areas thus enabling rarer plants to germinate and raising the ground level temperature for sun loving ants and butterflies; by using moveable electric fences which make it possible to maintain a variety of grass heights and so help a whole range of different types of plants and insects to survive; by organising rotational cuts of scrub and Gorse which retain the open downland, create areas of bare ground where important butterfly foodplants like Violet and Wild Strawberry can re-seed and which makes sure that there are areas of new scrub as well as old; and by setting up a regular system of monitoring the down to ascertain whether the management is having the desired results.

The Friends of Fontmell is a voluntary group, open to anyone prepared to help with management work, which meets on the Down on the first Saturday of each month, their work being essential to the running of the Reserve.  It is hoped that the walk description which follows will enable walkers not only to enjoy the flowers, birds and insects of the chalk downland but also to gain an understanding of the problems of managing the Reserve in a way which ensures their survival.

FINDING THE START OF THE WALK:  (Length 350 m).

Go through the gate on the north side of the road below the lay-by.  Follow the path northwards.  The land belongs to the Gardiner estate and was originally covered by Conifer and Beech woodland planted in the 1930's.  In 1994, however, work began on clearing most of the woodland and restoring it to the original chalk downland.  Remnants of the Gardiner woodland have been retained in the form of small clumps of Beeches.  Turn left through the gate and across the field in order to head for the DWT gate and stile.  The walk begins here.

SECTION 1: HAY FIELD - SEMI-IMPROVED DOWNLAND  (Length 178 m).

This field was at one time improved but since its recent management as a hay meadow, with a cut in July, the numbers and varieties of wild flowers have steadily improved.  Originally the field was surrounded by the coniferous woods of the Gardiner estate.  It will be interesting to see what effects the removal of this shelter will have on the butterfly population.  From July onwards the dominant butterfly at present is the Meadow Brown.  Look out on thistles, however, for the migrant Painted Lady.

From the gate, walk parallel with the hedge line on the right.  When the hedge line turns right follow it, but set off on a diagonal course keeping a spinney of trees on your left.  The sheep enjoy the shelter of the spinney which also contains Buckthorn, the foodplant of the Brimstone.  You should eventually reach the gate and stile which admit you to the top of Little Down.

SECTION 2: TOP OF LITTLE DOWN - UNIMPROVED NORTH-FACING DOWNLAND (Length 125 m).

The gate is a good place to pause and take stock of the landscape.  To the left, westwards, lie the Kimmeridge Clay lowlands of the Blackmore Vale.  In front, across the Longcombe valley bottom, rise the steep slopes of the Little and Big Bury sections of Fontmell Down.  Notice the shelter belt across the dry valley of Longcombe bottom which is where the walk crosses on its return.  To the right is the coniferous and Beech wood called Cat's Whisker.

The slopes of Little Down are a good argument for repeating this walk frequently between spring and late summer because they put on a never-ending display of different colours.  The spring showing of Cowslips is replaced in the early summer by the darker shades of Yellow Rattle and Hawkbit.  Late summer witnesses a shift into the blue-purple colour spectrum with Field Scabious, Knapweed and Devilsbit Scabious.  This section of the walk favours the longer grass species of butterflies like the Marbled White, Small Skipper and Meadow Brown.  The display of flowers is achieved by winter or early spring sheep grazing, with cattle from a neighbouring farm coming in for a few weeks in the autumn.  In this way the various dramatic performances of late spring to summer are given free reign while the sheep grazing removes competitive grasses and the cattle "poach" the ground sufficiently to help new plants to generate.  The Cowslip's name is probably no accident as, if you look carefully in early spring, the new small Cowslip plants can be seen growing in the bare patches created by bovine hooves!

Leave the gate and walk to the right, heading for the top corner of Cat's Whisker wood.  The walk route throughout the Reserve is marked by sturdy low round posts designed to withstand attacks by sheep, cattle and humans, but they are rather intermittent and can be easily concealed by long grass.  As you approach the wood avoid the alternative path which goes up on the right.  The gate and stile at the entrance to the wood mark the start of Section 3.

SECTION 3: CAT'S WHISKER WOOD - CONIFER AND BEECH PLANTED OVER DOWNLAND 1930's  (Length 566 m).

This stretch of secondary woodland was planted on rough grazing land in the 1930's and consists of Scots Pine (mostly dead or dying), Corsican Pine and Beech.  Since then many other species like Ash, Sycamore and Whitebeam have succeeded in finding growing room.  Considerable debate has taken place on how it should be managed.  In the winter of 1994-95 a new diagonal track was cut through the wood.  This was part of a plan to let in more sun,  enable butterflies and insects to move through the wood, and make it possible to extract more trees if this became necessary.  Eventually when the bare banks of the track have had a chance to develop vegetation this may become the new walk route but for the moment avoid it and take the narrow path straight ahead and up the hill.  Note that the new track to the left does not appear on the map.

From the butterfly point of view this ride is much too narrow and shaded.  If you go through it in the morning little can be seen, but from midday territorial male Speckled Woods begin to select the warmer sun spots.  Those with time to spare can watch them defending their sunny territories against other males by provoking vertical aerial combats.  These usually end in the baffled intruders losing their sense of direction and failing to return to the coveted sun spots.  Passing through on sunny afternoons may reveal more:  in July especially there are Ringlets and the chance of a tantalising glimpse of bright red as a day-flying Scarlet Tiger moth flits across the path.  In August the sunnier parts of the track support stands of the fluffy pink flowers of Hemp Agrimony, which attracts large numbers of Red Admirals, Peacocks and even the occasional Silver-washed Fritillary.

The wood is more useful for its birdlife.  The annual bird song record survey shows that five species of Tit (Great, Blue, Marsh, Coal and Long-tailed) nest regularly.  In most years there are also Goldcrests, Treecreepers, Green Woodpeckers and at least one pair of Tawny Owls.  As this is secondary woodland of recent origin the range of flowers is poor.  Even Primroses and Bluebells are scarce, but watch out for occasional orchids and Cowslips which betray its former downland origin.

The route simply follows the path through the wood.  Look down any side rides or clearings where Foxes and Roe Deer can sometimes be seen.  Climb over the stile by the gate at the end of the wood and continue to follow the track through an area of scrub and Bramble until a chalk hollow with another track entering from the right is reached.

SECTION 4: TOP OF SOUTH CURLEW - UNIMPROVED CHALK DOWNLAND (Length 46 m).

Climb to the top of the bank and look down into the valley.  This is by far the best viewpoint for seeing the Reserve.  Look at the top of the downs to the left and right, and notice how the flat tops have been cultivated or improved.  Notice too the large stands of Gorse at the crest of each slope which, although they normally hate Lime soils, have gained a hold through the leaching of the chalk.  Also clearly visible are the ever growing clumps of Hawthorn, Privet and Dogwood scrub, and, with care, yellowish patches which indicate areas of old Wood False Brome grass which sheep and even Rabbits are reluctant to eat.  One of the mysterious cross dykes should be visible where it crosses the fence at the top of North Curlew.  Amateur archaeologists, however, need to beware of labelling the other bumps on the horizon too readily as "tumuli" because there was a golf course with bunkers on the down above North Curlew between the two World Wars!

Take your courage in both hands and walk straight down the steep slope heading for a passageway through the scrub below.  If you are able to concentrate on anything besides keeping on your feet, watch out in spring or early summer for Bloody Nosed Beetles.  These shiny black beetles with "corkscrew" feet have no wings to escape from predators but instead exude "blood" from their mouths and joints if handled.  When you reach the first scrub outriders there should be a marking post which shows you have reached the end of Section 4, the shortest section on the walk.

SECTION 5: LOWER SOUTH CURLEW - SCRUB AND LONGER GRASS.  NORTH-FACING   (Length 246 m).

Continue to walk downhill towards a narrow track through the scrub.  This is a good section in May to look out for the tiny black and white Grizzled Skippers.  To your left, and then right, you pass trackways cut through the scrub which initially allowed Violets and Wild Strawberry, the foodplants of the Dark Green Fritillary and the Grizzled Skipper, to colonise the bare earth before the longer grasses take over.  As you pass through the narrow gap in the scrub watch out for the usual male Speckled Wood on territorial duty.

On the left below the gap notice the magnificent Whitebeam tree.  These trees thrive on chalk and you should be able to recognise many more examples on the walk.  The leaves are green above and covered with silver down below.  Every stage of this tree is a thing of beauty, from the pure white spikes of the leaf buds in spring to the heavily scented creamy white flowers and bright red berries of late summer.

When you emerge from the gap, walk downhill into a scrub-dotted clearing.  Turn right and walk across the clearing until you reach an "amphitheatre" of shorter turf which looks down on the gate below.  In late May and early June this is the spot where you can usually watch the amazing "lekking" behaviour of the male Duke of Burgundy butterflies.  On good sunny mornings as many as five males may sometimes be seen setting up their territories on this one spot.  Naturally frequent battles occur between rival males which fly vertically up into the air and then drop like stones.  As they endeavour to return to their territorial patches they inevitably encounter other hopeful male territory claimers and yet more battles are triggered off.

Complete this section of the walk by going directly downhill to the gate at the bottom.

SECTION 6: HEAD OF LONGCOMBE BOTTOM - ORIGINALLY ARABLE STRIPS (Length 151 m).

A 19th century estate map shows that the valley bottom was originally farmed in small strips.  Armed with this information it is just possible to notice that the turf is less rich in flowers than other sections, but nevertheless the usual downland species have been making a rapid comeback.

Go through the gate, turn right and walk steadily up towards the head of the valley.  This is a good section for Common Blues and Dingy Skippers which use Birdsfoot Trefoil as their larval foodplant.  Notice the numbers on the fence posts to the right.  These are part of a current research scheme into Glow-worms.  This sheltered part of the Reserve seems to contain the highest concentration of females.  The research has confirmed that, once the female has attracted her mate, her light goes out!  The larvae of this beetle feed on snails, but are particular species preferred?  Are there more female Glow-worms here because there are more snails?  These are just some of the questions the research is attempting to answer.

At the head of the valley you reach a warm, sheltered "amphitheatre".  This is a good place to pause because many butterflies are attracted to this spot and you never know what you may see.  Apart from the earliest sightings of the more common butterflies like Small Coppers, guest appearances are made by very unlikely species like Marsh Fritillaries.  This is the end of Section 6.

SECTION 7: NORTH CURLEW - SOUTH-FACING DOWNLAND  (Length 243 m).

This section and the next are probably the most important on the Reserve.  This is because they are warm, have naturally short turf and are south-facing.  Here it is hoped that the most demanding downland species, the Chalkhill Blue, the Adonis Blue and the Silver-spotted Skipper may be conserved.  The Chalkhill Blue caterpillars feed by night and the Adonis Blue by day, on the same foodplant, the Horseshoe Vetch.  The Silver-spotted Skipper caterpillar eats Sheep's Fescue Grass.  There is no shortage of either of these plants, but unfortunately conservation is not as simple as this.  Both the Adonis Blue and the Silver-spotted Skipper need exceptionally warm conditions to survive in Britain's cool wet climate.  Grass of less than two centimetres in height with plenty of bare earth and the sort of warm hollows formed by the hooves of cattle are needed.  In addition the Silver-spotted Skipper females are reluctant to lay on Sheep's Fescue Grass which is being or has recently been nibbled to ground level by sheep.  Chalkhill Blues are fortunately more tolerant but even so this means that the south-facing section of the Down may only be grazed from April to early July with some light cattle grazing in autumn.  Watch for the silvery-blue Chalkhill males in July and August, and the turquoise-blue of the Adonis males in June with a second brood in August.  The females of both species are brown.  An orange butterfly in the middle of August, which explodes from beneath your feet like a 100 metre runner out of the blocks, will probably be a Silver-spotted Skipper.  Look out for it feeding on its favourite low-growing Dwarf Thistle.

The walk winds steadily eastwards on a diagonal, up the slopes of North Curlew following a well trodden sheep track with occasional walk markers.  Resist the temptation to take tracks which go down to the left.  Keep climbing upwards.  Near the top, the track passes below the Gorse and above the main scrub patches.  When you reach the gate and stile, you have completed Section 7.

SECTION 8: UPPER BIG BURY - SOUTH FACING DOWNLAND  (Length 342 m).

As with Little Down there is a bewildering change in the dominant colour patterns throughout the seasons and those who walk this route over several years notice that two years are never quite the same.  In April there is a sprinkling of purple from early Violets; the scene changes in May to the blue, purple and white of the very variable Milkwort; next come the yellows of the Horseshoe Vetch closely pursued by the "Eggs and Bacon", yellow and orange of the Birdsfoot Trefoil.  In late summer the blues and purples of the Scabious, Knapweed and Harebells hog the limelight, but there are also large white patches of the little Eyebright.

Before you go through the gate or over the stile you might like to look at the official signboard with its artistic impression of the Down and its wildlife and take a leaflet.  These can be found just the other side of another gate to the right.

Once over the stile the Section 8 route keeps close to the top of the Down with the Gorse on the right and the scrub below.  Several times it passes through patches of scrub.  Watch out at these points for Small Heaths as you approach the scrub's shelter with Speckled Woods and Gatekeepers amongst the scrub, and occasionally Green Hairstreaks are disturbed from branches on the other side.  A striking plant which you may come across in the bare earth at the sides of the path is the bright blue Viper's Bugloss.  In his herbal, published in 1653, Nicholas Culpeper wrote, "it is an especial remedy against the biting of the Viper".  Walkers are not recommended to put this to the test and in any case, Adders are rarely seen on Fontmell!  Another plant which can be found in bare earth, or where scrub has recently been cut, is the Great Mullein with tall spiky yellow flowers and woolly white leaves.  If examined carefully for signs of eating on the leaves, large colonies of the impressive white, black and yellow caterpillars of the Mullein Shark moth can be found.  This section of the walk ends with the gate and stile.

SECTION 9: LITTLE BURY - SOUTH-FACING DOWNLAND  (Length 252 m).

Once over the stile pause for a while.  It is not often that the walk can be completed without hearing the mew of a Buzzard or seeing one soaring up on a thermal above the Down.  Watch also for hovering Kestrel.  Glance south-west towards Brandis Down to see the very clear lynchets marking attempts to cultivate the hillside in, probably, the early Middle Ages before the Black Death.

Walk slightly to the left and downhill between some windswept and leggy "trees".  You should scramble down a small terrace which might mark an ancient cultivation and then find yourself on the edge of a very steep drop.  Below is an enclosure in which Kidney Vetch was grown in attempt to re-introduce the Small Blue.  This butterfly once occurred on the privately owned shelter belt but was accidentally lost when sheep broke in and consumed the Kidney Vetch and the eggs which had recently been laid.  Although female butterflies from the large colony at Martin Down actually laid plenty of eggs in the enclosure, no Small Blues survived to maintain the colony in the next year.  The management committee hope to repeat the experiment at a later time when more research has been carried out.

Turn left around the edge of the steep drop and then right at a marker post to head down a gentler slope to a path at the bottom.  Turn left here and notice a dry bank on your left.  This is a favourite laying spot for Adonis Blues.  The caterpillars which feed on Horseshoe Vetch have honey glands which attract ants, tentacles like a chimney sweep's brush, which possibly contain a chemical which activates ants, and another set of tentacles which, when rubbed together, produce, according to Dr Jeremy Thomas, "a song of an eerie loveliness", which probably serves to attract ants.  The sounds are unfortunately below human hearing thresholds but a careful search can uncover large clusters of ants which on closer examination reveal the caterpillar which they are "milking".

Follow the path until it reaches a stile which marks the end of Section 9.

SECTION 10: LOWER BIG BURY - SOUTH-FACING DOWNLAND (Length 204 m).

Once over the stile look on the bank on the left for the Rock Rose, the foodplant of the Brown Argus butterfly and not very common on Fontmell.  The bare patches in the track are good places, in May, to look for the tiny purple-spiked flowers of the Early Gentian.  Much later, in August-September, watch out for the white spirals of the Autumn Lady's Tresses, one of the smallest orchids.

Continue along the track until a marker post appears on the right, leading down into the scrub.  This is the end of Section 10.

SECTION 11: BIG BURY - SCRUB  (Length 287 m).

Walk downhill for a short way, then turn right and follow an open glade through the scrub.  In the spring the ground is carpeted with Violets and later by Cowslips.  Although Cowslips are the foodplant of the Duke of Burgundy, only plants in long grass or part shade are selected for laying because the others become brown and withered by the end of July when the night feeding caterpillar is trying to mature.  Plants which are peppered with lots of tiny holes are usually being fed on by Duke of Burgundy caterpillars.  By late June the yellow carpet of Cowslips have been replaced by a rich layer of purple Selfheal plants which were reputed to be excellent for closing the lips of wounds.  In a good butterfly year August is the time to see a real spectacular.  Clouds of butterflies, including at times all three Blues: Adonis, Common and Chalkhill, are attracted to the heady scents of the Purple Marjoram.  The sight is unforgettable but creates panic for the butterfly transect walkers who are supposed to count the numbers they see along the route.

Eventually the glade narrows and leads to an almost concealed stile.  Once over this, a "stairway" leads down to a small gate at the bottom, and this is the end of Section 11.

SECTION 12: SHELTER BELT - PRIVATELY OWNED  (Length 115 m).

Turn left after the gate and right through the shelter belt.  This is very dark and only Speckled Woods are usually seen.  However, in late July when the Privet is in flower, watch out for Red Admirals, Peacocks and Commas.  The section ends at a stile.

SECTION 13: LITTLE DOWN BELOW THE HEDGE - NORTH-FACING DOWNLAND (Length 98 m).

This area is the best place for orchids on the Reserve.  Early Purple, Twayblade, Butterfly, Bee, Common Spotted, Fragrant, Pyramidal and the Broad White Helleborine all occur.

From the stile walk on a diagonal to the right, passing marker posts, until a partially concealed gap in the hedge is reached and the section ends.  On the way watch in June and July for the colourful Five and Six Spot Burnet moths.

SECTION 14: LITTLE DOWN ABOVE THE HEDGE - NORTH-FACING DOWNLAND (Length 225 m).

Scramble up a few paces above the hedge and turn left along an embankment just above the hedge line.  In May and June the hedge is a favourite spot for male Green Hairstreaks; a very slight tap on the hedge will cause one to take flight.  Watch carefully as he returns to his perch or you will lose him because his green leaf camouflage is very convincing.  After a while turn diagonally right up the slope following a sort of terrace.  Near the top turn right at the marker post and head up the slope slightly to the right until the posts of the gate appear on the skyline.  From June onwards watch out for the purple Clustered Bellflowers and the tiny yellow-green or red-brown Frog Orchids. 

Look at some of the big humps which are ancient Yellow Ant colonies.  These are conclusive proof that the downland has not been ploughed for hundreds of years.  You may notice that each ant hill usually has its own little local colony of small plants.

The gate brings you to the end of the walk and you can retrace your steps back through Section 1 and to the lay-by or quarry where you left your transport.