Arne

Due to a fault, our main phoneline is currently unavailable. We hope to have it fixed soon. If you need to contact us in the meantime, please email arne@rspb.org.uk. Thank you for your understanding.

Address: RSPB Arne, Arne Rd, Wareham BH20 5BJ, UK

Grid ref: SY971876

What3Words: fetch.smashes.spun

Arne remains one of the few places in the UK where all six of the UK's native reptiles can be found. Situated on Poole Harbour and within the Dorset Area of Natural Beauty, it's a stunning landscape which consists of dramatic open heathland and ancient oak woodland.

Plan your visit

Nature reserve: open daily, 8.30am-dusk. Closed outside of these hours. You can check sunrise/sunset times here.
Car park: open daily, 8.30am-dusk. Closed outside of these hours.
Welcome Area: open daily.
- 10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March.
- 9.30am-4.30pm, 1 April-31 October.
Shop: open daily.
- 10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March.
- 9.30am-4.30pm, 1 April-31 October.
Café: open daily.
- 10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March.
- 9.30am-4.30pm, 1 April-31 October.
Toilets: open daily.
- 10am-4pm, 1 November-31 March.
- 9.30am-4.30pm, 1 April-31 October.

Festive opening times

Christmas Eve: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, shop, café and toilets closed.
Christmas Day: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, shop, café and toilets closed.
Boxing Day: nature reserve open, dawn-dusk. Visitor centre, shop, café and toilets closed.
New Year’s Eve: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop, café and toilets open, 10am-4pm.
New Year’s Day: nature reserve, visitor centre, shop, café and toilets open, 10am-4pm.
All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.
The Arne and Tramper email inboxes will not be managed from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. The Trampers will be available for hire during open days on a first come basis.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: £5

Children: £2.50 (5-17 years)
Free entrance for first child
Free entrance for under 5s

Free entrance for carers: Yes

Car park cost

The above entry fees apply during our facilities open hours (see the Opening Times section above for details).

Out of hours entry to the nature reserve

Entry fees do not apply out of hours, but parking charges do as follows:

RSPB members: FREE
(please display your membership card face down in your windscreen)
Non-members: £5 per vehicle
Blue badge holders: FREE
(please display your badge in your windscreen)
Arrival by bike: FREE

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Pushchair friendly
Refreshments
Binocular hire
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Shop
Educational facilities
Play area

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Wareham is the closest station (4.5miles / 7.3km from reserve). You can catch the bus from the train station (see 'by bus' for more details).

The timetable can be found here.

By bus

The Purbeck Breezer number 40 stops at Stoborough Green, from the bus stop it is 3.3 miles (5.2km) to Arne. Head along New Road for 0.4 miles, then turn right onto Arne Road for another 2.8 miles.

The timetable can be found here: https://www.morebus.co.uk/services/WDBC/40

During the summer (June - August) a shuttle service (2RN) is available from Wareham bus/train Station, Wareham, Ridge into Arne. Purbeck park (Norden) and rail links service run once a week.

Timetable can be found here: http://ectcharity.co.uk/services/areas/dorset/local_bus_services

By bike

The reserve is accessible by bike (please use ‘by road’ directions). We have bike racks in the main car park and by the cafe. The bridleway, which leads to Shipstal shoreline, is also accessible by bike.

The Purbeck Cycleway passes within 1.5 miles / 2km of the car park. Click link for details: Cycling in Purbeck - Dorset Council.

Arne is 1.5 miles from the Sustrans cycle route 2. Route 2 - Sustrans.org.uk.

By road

From Wareham town centre, head south over the causeway to Stoborough. Travel through Stoborough, turn left onto New Road, signposted for Arne. Turn right at the cross roads in the village of Ridge, follow the road for approximately 3 miles to Arne, the car park is located on the right at the beginning of Arne village.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps

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RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs on a lead are welcome on the designated dog friendly trails on the reserve.

Please keep your dog on a short lead at all times due to the sensitive wildlife, habitats and livestock here.

If you require an ‘off-lead’ walk please see Dorset Council’s Dog walking areas: https://www.dorsetdogs.org.uk/out-about/ The nearest area to RSPB Arne is Bog Lane, near Stoborough.

The special surroundings at RSPB Arne are wonderful havens for rare wildlife so we’ve created designated dog-friendly routes for you and your pooch to enjoy. Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife and livestock can easily become startled by a loose dog they perceive as a predator. Disturbing wildlife does more than simply causing it to move away; it uses up their energy, decreasing their chance of survival regardless of season. Thank you for protecting the special wildlife here by keeping your dog on a lead.

Sorry, dogs are not permitted on the top Hyde’s Heath Trail, except assistance dogs due to the sensitive wildlife and habitats here.
Dogs are welcome on the dog-friendly trails on the rest of the reserve on a short lead.
Dog water bowls and shaded tie-up area are available at the shop and near the welcome area.
Sorry, dogs aren’t permitted in the visitor centre, shop or café other than assistance dogs.
Dogs die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.

Small groups can ‘Hire-a-guide’ at RSPB Arne for a wonderful wildlife tour of the reserve! We tailor each walk to you and the wildlife you want to see. Great for small groups, wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, and anyone wanting an insight into the unique wildlife and history of Arne. Hire-a-guides must be booked at least 4 week in advance by emailing arne@rspb.org.uk. (Max. time 3 hours. Costs: £100 for up to 4 people, or £80 for RSPB members, plus usual reserve car park fees).

If you are thinking of running an activity, tour, or guided walk at RSPB Arne please enquire for our full terms, conditions and charges for commercial groups at RSPB Arne at arne@rspb.org.uk.

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 194Kb

Arne trail guide

Arne Visual Guide

Contact Arne

RSPB Arne, Arne Rd, Wareham BH20 5BJ, UK
arne@rspb.org.uk
01929 553360
@rspbarne
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Spoonbill

A rarity ten years ago but now a regular species you could encounter at Arne. Poole Harbour hosts the largest flock in the UK with peak numbers in the autumn.

Dartford warbler

The real star bird of Arne! This species inspired the RSPB to look after Arne as a nature reserve and now it’s thriving. This resident warbler loves Gorse and on calm sunny days can be seen perching on the top singing or calling to defend its patch.

Nightjar

A crepuscular heathland specialist which is thriving at Arne. A dusk visit in summer should result in you listening to their ‘churring’ call before you can watch them swooping over the heath catching moths and displaying to potential mates.

Nature spectacles

RSPB Arne is one of the best places to spot the Dartford warbler, especially during Spring when they will be busy nesting. See if you can spot them on the heath as they flit around the gorse, shouting at anything that gets too close to their territory (including you!) The nest cameras are also worth a look at this time of year. The hobby cam gives great views of this small but stunning bird of prey.

In summer the reptiles are out, Arne is one of the few places in the UK to host all six species of native reptile. On a warm day you could catch a glimpse of a sand lizard basking in the sun, or a slow worm slithering across the path. If you're at the reserve at dusk listen out for the peculiar call of the nightjar churring in the heath.

Autumn is rutting season for the sika deer at Arne, you can't miss the piercing call of the stags. Keep an eye to the sky too, osprey heading south will often call in at Arne to fish in the harbour and devour their catch on one of the osprey nesting posts on the reserve. In early Autumn the pond dwelling raft spider can be seen hunting on the surface of heathland ponds.

The wading birds really are spectacular in Winter, with internationally important numbers gathering in Poole Harbour, Arne gets large flocks of waders including avocets and an ever growing number of spoonbill, with up to 60 feeding on the reserve during the day.

In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. Stonechats make their clacking call from the top of gorse and great spotted woodpeckers hammer the tall pines. Cuckoos, chiff chaff, wheater and Dartford warbler amongst many others set up home on the reserve.

In summer, look out for dragonflies and damselflies flitting around, Arne is home to 22 different species! It's also a good place to spot the silver-studded blue butterfly, it tends to spend it's time around the wet heathland.

Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds, including osprey, heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. The sika deer rutting season peaks in October/November, a great chance to see the stags strut their stuff. There's a profusion of fungi in the woods and fields such as the colourful fly agaric.

In winter, look out for large flocks of waders including avocets, black-tailed godwits, and dunlin gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm. Raptors such as marsh harriers and hen harriers spend the winter at the reserve, and can be seen hunting during the day and then gathering to roost at dusk.

About Arne

Habitat

Set against the backdrop of Poole Harbour, RSPB Arne seems to have it all. Famous for its wide-open heathlands where reptiles roam, you can easily head off into ancient oak woodland, farmland and reedbeds to explore. If that wasn’t enough, mudflats, scrub, wet woodland, acid grassland and even sandy beaches invite you to seek out the huge variety of wildlife which call Arne home. This includes all six of the UK’s native reptiles.

Conservation

The reserve’s rich patchwork of habitats is carefully managed by us to create the ideal conditions for wildlife to thrive. The lowland heath here is especially important. This is a threatened habitat in the UK and home to many rare birds including Dartford warblers, woodlarks and nightjars. But it’s not just birds – smooth snakes, heath tiger beetles, ladybird spiders and Yellow Centaury (a rare heathland plant) can also be found here.

We use a range of techniques to keep the heathland open as it has been for millennia. This helps get the balance right of mixed-age heather and gorse, enough bare ground and less invasive species such as pine and bracken. An important part of getting this right is grazing – so don’t be surprised if you bump into cattle, ponies or pigs during your visit.

Poole Harbour has international significances too because of the huge numbers of winter waders and wildfowl who visit. It is here where you can find the second largest population of Avocets in the UK.

Partners

The purchase of Hyde’s Heath adds a further 67 hectares to Arne reserve. This area of former pine plantation to Arne is being restored to heathland and links to other heathland and wetland parts of the reserve. This was made possible thanks to National Lottery players through a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund towards the ‘Protect Hyde’s Heath’ project.

The construction of the Middlebere Lookout was supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development as a part of the Project “Wildlife Tourism at Arne”.

Site information

RSPB Arne is a large site, more than 565 hectares of the Arne peninsular in Dorset. Its rich wildlife and varied habitat mean it is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSi), a Special Protection Area (SAP) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Find out more about Nature Designations in England.

The land was bought by the RSPB in 1965 to protect heathland species such as the smooth snake, sand lizard and Dartford warbler. The latter has been a real success story – with numbers jumping from two pairs in 1965 to more than 70 in recent years. In 2017 the reserve got bigger when the RSPB acquired Hyde’s Heath on the Arne peninsular, adding another 67 hectares. The former pine plantation is being restored back to heathland, providing more space for some of the UK’s rarest species.

Latest blog posts

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What people are saying about Arne

Absolutely stunning - have been visiting near Swanage for over 30 years and never knew about Arne. The golden colours of autumn, glorious sunshine, clear blue skies, deer roaming freely, Poole Harbour in the distance. We enjoyed the 'long' walk and will return. Wonderful.

Richard Leach

We come back to this reserve every year, and it just gets better and better. There is so much to see at any time of the year. We have been here in every season and it never disappoints us. I haven't got a particular highlight as there has been so many, spoonbill in winter, dartford warblers in spring, nightjars in the summer, and all the rare migrants in the autumn.

Sally Chambers

I managed to push my mother around the reserve in a wheelchair, and although certain paths were not accessible, we managed to see a fair bit of the reserve. My mother used to walk in the New Forest everyday, and has missed getting out into the countryside. Arne gave her back that wonder and she was especially delighted when several deer came and stood next to us. A most peaceful and beautiful place.

Rachel Watling

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

At Arne, we have exciting events that run throughout the year, including weekends and school holidays. We have a low-ropes course for the whole family to enjoy. There are some wide, level pushchair-friendly paths with short routes, highchairs are available in the cafe, and there are baby changing facilities at the shop and cafe.

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/arne

Leisure activities

Cycling: Route 2 of the National Cycle Network sets off from nearby Wareham town and travels along the peninsula, within 1/2 mile of Arne. At the Arne nature reserve car park there are cycle stands in the main car park and by the shop and cafe (adjacent to the car park). The cafe sells a range of refreshments to help you refuel after your bike ride. A bridleway through the site is an easy cycle and takes you past the RSPB's Arne farm, through oak woodland, heathland and down onto the beach at the edge of Poole Harbour. There are cycle stands here where you can leave your bike.

Marshside

Lytchett Fields

Arne

Arne