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Hartland Moor

2.17 miles (3.5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This walk visits the splendid Hartland Moor National Nature Reserve near Wareham in Dorset. It follows the Hartland Way and Poole Harbour Trail around the woodland and heathland. It's a peaceful and attractive area with a number of bird hides where you can look out for the wide variety of birdlife which visit the heath. Look out for osprey, hen harriers, hobbies, woodlark, stonechats, meadow pipits and avocets from the hide at Middlebere Lake. There's also great views to the nearby Middlebere Heath and Corfe Castle. You can start the walk from the roadside parking near Middlebere Farm.
The area has strong associations with the Wessex of Thomas Hardy Novels. The fictional Egdon Heath, setting for The Return of the Native, is based on the area.
You can extend your walking in the area by visiting Arne Nature Reserve which is a couple of miles to the north of Hartland Moor. Just to the south you can enjoy a walk around Corfe Castle and Corfe Common. You can also pick up the The Hardy Way here and further explore the Purbecks.

Postcode

BH20 5BN - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Hartland Moor OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Hartland Moor Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

For more walking ideas in the area see the Dorset Walks page.

Photos

Hartland Moor National Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 36702

View looking east towards Middlebere Heath

Hartland Moor NNR, Dorset - geograph.org.uk - 82501

Hartland Moor NNR (National Nature Reserve) is a superb example of an extensive heathland site. The NNR covers an entire drainage basin and is unique in having a Y-shaped bog system which includes both acid and alkaline drainage systems. Heathland is a rare and threatened habitat, and many of the species of plants and animals found on Hartland are equally rare.

Middlebere Plateway - geograph.org.uk - 1201952

Middlebere Plateway. Trackbed of Dorset's first railway, albeit horse-drawn. Building started in 1805, and the railway was used to transport clay from workings near Corfe Castle to Middlebere Creek on Poole Harbour. 

Pond at Hartland Moor - geograph.org.uk - 31326

Pond at Hartland Moor

Hartland Moor National Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 1757696

The moor is one of the finest and most extensive surviving examples of Hardys "Egdon", where a real sense of the open heathland landscape can still be experienced.

Arne, view across Hartland Moor towards Corfe Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1718909

View across Hartland Moor towards Corfe Castle. A fine view over open moorland, with the distinctive remains of Corfe Castle a prominent backdrop.

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Hartland Moor.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Hartland Moor.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)