Weekend Walks at Arne RSPB Reserve, Dorset

Here in Dorset we have some incredible scenery - sandy beaches, lush countryside, wonderful woodland and much much more. Last weekend we decided to visit somewhere that combined all of these...

Arne RSPB Reserve is located near Wareham in Dorset and is a place I've been visiting since I was a child. It's a beautiful nature reserve covering over 1,300 acres of land and if you're lucky you might even spot the large herd of Sika deer.

We had an early start with a football class for Elliot first thing so we arrived just after 10am which is unusually early for us to be out and about! The sun was shining and the carpark already busy but we managed to get a spot. Our first stop was the information hut where Elliot was very interested in all the animal bones that had been found on the reserve. There was also a viewing window in the hut which had floor to ceiling glass and overlooked the bird feeders. We spotted lots of birds, a couple of squirrels and even a rat who kept popping his head out of a hole in the ground!!

A brand new cafe has recently opened so we made a quick pitstop for breakfast and enjoyed the morning sunshine. Elliot was itching to get on the new play equipment though!

There are lots of different routes to take around the nature reserve but we decided to head down to the beach, this walk goes via the woodland. Elliot enjoyed stomping across bridges, jumping off logs and squelching in mud!

We didn't see any of the deer herd on our way down to the beach but the trees were alive with the sound of birds singing and chirping. It was very peaceful!

We soon arrived at the beach and it felt like Summer! The sun was shining, there were children paddling and sea was sparkling. It's only a small beach but the views are amazing, you can see all across Poole Harbour with Brownsea Island and Poole in the distance. I have fond memories of coming here with my family when I was a child, we used to go swimming and I remember it was so muddy!

We followed the path along the beach and back onto the Heath. There is a bird hide along the route, we popped our head in but there were some serious birdwatchers in there and they probably wouldn't appreciate a noisy 3 year old scaring away the wildlife ;)

Elliot was flagging abit by the point but we carried on with the promise of a lolly back at the cafe. He eventually ended up on my husband's shoulders!

The walk took us through the heath and back onto the fields and then eventually back to the beginning of the route. It was around 4 miles in total and very pleasant, not too hilly or uneven!

I say it all the time but I feel very fortunate to live in Dorset, we have some beautiful places to visit such as Arne and it's great to get out into the countryside to enjoy the scenery.

Where have you been this weekend?

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