W i l d P u r b e c k N I A V i s i t o r C a s e S t u d i e s

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2 Date: 27/07/2014 Version: FINAL Recommended Citation: Lake, S., Phillipson, P., & Cruickshanks, K. (2014) Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Management Strategy Case Studies. Footprint Ecology/TellTale/Wild Purbeck NIA 2

3 Summary Three case study areas were explored as part of the development of a Wild Purbeck NIA visitor management strategy. These were Wareham Forest, the Arne Peninsula, and Greenlands Farm near Studland. An analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of each area in terms of recreation, wildlife and the interaction between the two was carried out for each area. This included an exploration of the spirit of place of each site; the recreational provision and quality of experience at each site; the wildlife interest and any existing recreational impacts on wildlife. The analysis was based on site visits, on-site meetings with site managers and regional staff from the relevant organisations, information obtained from relevant literature, and our existing knowledge of the sites. Based on the SWOT analysis, specific recommendations are made to help provide for and enhance visitor experiences while safeguarding the wildlife interest at each site. Recommendations revolve around increasing visitor engagement through partnership working and events; managing car parking; developing new routes, infrastructure and access areas; exploring opportunities for developing outdoors learning; and increasing opportunities for people to experience heathland wildlife first-hand. Recommendations for the Arne Peninsula include developing a vision for visitor engagement for Arne and using this to inform visitor management planning as part of the overall Arne visitor management plan; opening new areas for access at Arne and The Moors; measures to manage parking; improving interpretation (including face-to-face visitor engagement work) at Hartland and Stoborough; and efforts to increase awareness of the special nature of Hartland and Stoborough. Recommendations at Wareham Forest include opening a family-friendly cafe or mobile facility which could provide a focus for visitor engagement work, promoting use of the site for outdoors learning, developing an outdoor-based nursery, improving interpretation including on-site face-to-face work, exploring ways of using the site to absorb some of the recreational pressure from elsewhere on the Purbeck heaths without impacting on its wildlife, including providing more way-marked routes and safeguarding and enhancing off-road cycling provision, and changing its name to reflect the importance of the site for heathland as well as coniferous forest. The future of Greenlands Farm needs to be assessed in the context of predicted changes to the Studland Peninsula through sea-level rise and increased storm events due to climate change. The vulnerability of adjacent habitat and its location away from the main road constrain the options available. Additional recommendations are made for dove-tailing visitor management between the three areas. This would include partnership working on visitor engagement, aligning messaging on key issues, and working across site boundaries to address issues. 3

4 Contents Summary... 3 Contents... 4 Acknowledgements Introduction Case Study descriptions... 9 The Arne Peninsula... 9 Landscape... 9 Visitor Use... 9 Wildlife and designations Wareham Forest Landscape Visitor Use Wildlife and designations Greenlands Landscape Visitor use Wildlife and designations Visitor provision The Arne Peninsula Arne RSPB reserve Infrastructure, routes and on-site access Organised activities Access Visitor management Hartland/Middlbere/Stoborough Infrastructure, routes and on-site access Organised activities and information Access

5 Visitor management Wareham Forest Infrastructure, routes and on-site access Activities Access Visitor management Greenlands Farm Infrastructure, routes and on-site access Organised Activities Access Visitor Management and information Current visitor impacts on nature conservation interest of sites Arne Peninsula Wareham Forest Greenlands Farm Effectiveness of current visitor provision Arne Peninsula Wareham Forest Greenlands Farm Feature SWOT analysis of Case Studies Arne Hartland Wareham Forest Greenlands Farm Proposals for future visitor engagement measures Arne Car parking and visitor numbers New access areas

6 Promotion Hartland Car parking Face to face visitor engagement work New routes Wareham Forest Development of a cafe at the Sika car park Small-scale measures Outdoor education for children Increased visitor engagement measures Wareham Forest and Heath Greenlands Farm Dovetailing visitor management at the three sites References Acknowledgements This work was commission by the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on behalf of the Wild Purbeck Nature Improvement Area. Our thanks to Julie Turner and Alison Turnock for managing the contract. Many people have contributed to the SWOT analysis. Our particular thanks go to Andrew Nicholson (NE), Andrew Norris (FC), Dante Munns (RSPB), David Hodd (David Hodd Associates), Ian Alexander (NE), Jane Smith (FC), Laurie Clarke (NT), Mark Warn (FC), Paul Bradley (NT), Renny Henderson and Phil Sterling. Valuable discussion with other Footprint Ecology staff, particularly Jim White and Durwyn Liley, contributed to our understanding of the sites. 6

7 2. Introduction 2.1 As part of a focus on recreation and wildlife (see the accompanying Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Strategy for more context), the Purbeck NIA has commissioned three case studies of recreational provision. Taking the form of a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis, this report assesses the attributes of each site, including their spirit of place, features of conservation interest, current visitor provision and its effectiveness, and the opportunities each area provides to facilitate meaningful visitor experiences which allow people to connect with nature while safeguarding wildlife. The case studies (see Map 1) are: Arne/Hartland/Middlebere, referred to here as the Arne Peninsula, with differentiation made between Arne and Hartland (including Middlebere) as required Wareham Forest (including Gore Heath) Greenlands Farm on the edge of Godlingston Heath and Rempstone Heath. 2.2 The analysis leads on from the results of the visitor survey carried out as part of this project (see Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Survey). This information was supplemented through on-site interviews with staff from the relevant nature conservation organisations, discussion with local experts and a review of published information for each site. 7

8 Map 1: Case study location and approximate boundaries 8

9 3. Case Study descriptions 3.1 The case study areas were identified by the Wild Purbeck NIA partnership, and the boundaries are not exactly defined. Working boundaries are given below but are interpreted with a degree of flexibility, such that features of interest just outside boundaries may be included, while consideration of features of lesser interest in this context but located within the area may be limited. It is stressed that the descriptions given here are based on local knowledge and experience in addition to information on visitor use identified during the 2013 Wild Purbeck NIA questionnaire and tallies (presented in the accompanying report Wild Purbeck Visitor Survey Analysis Report which should be referred to for more detail on visitors access patterns and profiles). Specific provision for visitors is discussed in section 4 Visitor Provision below. This section is intended to give a flavour of the spirit of place of each site, including landscape, wildlife, heritage, cultural and social aspects. The Arne Peninsula 3.2 This case study area includes Arne, The Moors, Slepe Moor, Hartland Moor, Middlebere, Corfe Meadows, Stoborough Heath, Middlebere Lake and Wytch Lake, and is bounded by Poole Harbour, the A351 and the Corfe river valley. In this text Arne refers to the RSPB reserve at the end of the Arne Peninula, and Hartland to the complex of heaths comprising Hartand, Middlebere and Stoborough (north east of the A351). Landscape 3.3 The Arne Peninsula is a classic heathland landscape set within the context of the tranquil southern shoreline of Poole Harbour. It is a matrix of different semi-natural habitat types including areas dominated by heather, sphagnum bog, acid grassland, scrub, woodland and marsh. There are also two significant areas of coniferous plantation (where felling programmes are underway) and patches of improved pasture and grassland heathland reversion. There is a scatter of dwellings, including the tiny Arne village, and an area of more dense housing at Ridge. Many of the more isolated dwellings are holiday cottages. Five small farms include a pick-your-own and a stud. There is also a small oil well at Bank Gate. As with many heathland areas, there are features of prehistoric and more recent interest, including round barrows such as on the notable landmark of Great Knoll, enclosures in Snag Valley that may be Romano- British, a medieval church and WW2 defence structures on Arne Hill. 3.4 The area is bounded by the A351 to the south west, and is crossed by the Arne Road, Soldiers Road and Slepe Road, which are all narrow and in some places single track. Visitor Use 3.5 The Arne Peninsula offers a variety of landscape types and visitor experiences. The small-scale topographical relief of Arne and patchwork of habitat types create an intimate feeling of personal exploration. In addition routes are way-marked and there are RSPB staff on hand to help, providing a partially supported visitor experience. In 9

10 contrast the wide vistas of Hartland and Middlebere are exhilarating, and at times austere, and visitors are likely to need local knowledge or a map. Viewpoints along the Arne Road and just off Soldiers Road offer expansive and beautiful views all the way from the Poole Harbour shore to the Purbeck Ridge, including the atmospheric ruins of Corfe Castle, and this open landscape is a key feature of the site. 3.6 Much of the heathland is designated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 as Open Access land which enables access on foot for quiet enjoyment of the countryside. There are numerous paths and tracks although these are almost without exception on dry heath and grassland, with no routes across any kind of marsh. They are generally very easy underfoot, including the disused tramways which cross Stoborough and Hartland. Some are suitable for mobility scooters. There are few bridleways (one to Shipstal and one across Middlebere to Sharford Bridge) or public footpaths. Routes at Arne and three routes on Hartland are way-marked. 3.7 The Arne Peninsula is located between Wareham and the village of Corfe Castle, and is in easy reach of both by car or bike but not public transport. Access on foot is largely restricted to the areas nearest Stoborough and Ridge (i.e. Sunnyside and Stoborough Heath near New Road). Nearby towns and villages provide visitor facilities including shops, pubs and cafes and toilets. At Arne car parking opportunities are mostly limited to the (pay and display) car park, whereas the sense of freedom evoked by the Hartland/Middlebere/Stoborough landscape is enhanced by the nature of the informal roadside parking. 3.8 Overall the Arne Peninsula has a quiet feel, particularly compared to the Purbeck coast. The outstanding landscape and wildlife provides interest for nature lovers and general visitors alike. The diverse landscape at Arne absorbs the 100,000 visitors welcomed each year, although the main routes and beach can feel a little busy at peak times. The beach at Shipstal is the nearest bit of sandy shoreline to Wareham, and is used by local families with young children (the water is too shallow for swimming) in the summer. Hartland is used predominantly for dog walking and walking, although bird watchers use the hide at Middlebere Farm in particular, and also a screen at Sunnyside. In the summer, visitors often park along the roadside to sit in or outside of their vehicles, and campervans sometimes park up for the night. The grassy areas are sometimes used for football or kite-flying and a number of barbeques are lit each year. Arne Road is great for family cycling as traffic not yet too heavy, but Slepe Road is used more by adults, possibly because a circular route requires cycling on the busy main road. Wildlife and designations 3.9 This area falls within the Dorset Heaths (Wareham and Studland) and Dunes SAC, (designated for Annex 1 habitats European dry heaths, Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion, Temperate Atlantic wet heaths with Erica ciliaris and Erica tetralix and Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix) and the Dorset Heaths SPA (designated for breeding nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler). The fringes of Poole Harbour also fall within Poole Harbour SPA (designated for wintering waders and wildfowl and breeding common tern and Mediterranean gull). Three NNRs are located 10

11 within the case study (Stoborough Heath, Hartland Moor and Arne Reedbeds). SSSIs which are completely or partially within the area include Arne, Poole Harbour, The Moors, Stoborough and Creech Heaths, Hartland Moor, Corfe Meadows. Arne and The Moors are RSPB reserves. Arne is also within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Features of nature conservation interest include dry lowland heathland, wet heath, valley mire, reedbeds, coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, saltmarsh, parched acid grassland, old oak woodland and a small amount of fen. Transitions between these habitats are often of particular interest, as are microhabitats such as heathland trackways, humid heath, abandoned mineral workings, wet, peaty hollows and speciesrich ditches and road verges. The diversity of habitats includes many plant communities of conservation interest. Particular plants of national or local interest include Dorset heath Erica ciliaris, bog orchid Hammarbya paludosa, great sundew Drosera anglica, marsh clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata, brown beaked-sedge Rhynchospora fusca, yellow centuary Cicendia filiformis, marsh gentian Gentiana pneumonanthe, petty whin, Genista anglica, golden bogmoss Sphagnum pulchrum, pale butterwort Pinguicula lusitanica and bog sedge Carex limosa on wet heath and mires, and clustered clover Trifolium glomeratum and upright chickweed Moenchia erecta on dry acid grassland. Wet grassland species include viper s grass Scorzonera humilis and Whorled Caraway Carum verticillatum while Saw Sedge Cladium mariscus and Marsh Fern Thelypteris thelypteroides are found in fen vegetation The road verges are influenced by calcareous construction material, and supported rich hay meadow communities of nature conservation interest including species such as marsh helleborine Epipactis palustris, moonwort Botrychium lunaria and adder s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. They have however deteriorated markedly (Pickess 2004) The heaths and wetlands are important for birds and reptiles. There are populations of breeding nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, woodlark Lullula arborea and Dartford warbler Sylvia undata. Small numbers of snipe Gallinago gallinago, lapwing Vanellus vanellus and redshank Tringa tetanus breed on the grazing marshes. Waders feed and roost on the saltmarsh and mudflat, and raptors roost and hunt on the heathand and marshes. All six British reptiles are present, including both sand lizard Lacerta agilis and smooth snake Coronella austriaca The wide variety of habitats and microhabitats are suitable for many invertebrates. Downy emerald Cordulia aenea, small red damsel Ceriagrion tenellum and southern damsel Coenagrion mercuriale use bog pools and ponds. The silver-studded blue butterfly Plebejus argus is found on wet heath and moths include the rare heathland species and Dingy Mocha Cosymbia pendularis while reedbeds hold Flame Wainscot Meliana flammea. There are rare solitary wasps, beetles, dipteran flies and craneflies. Grasshoppers and crickets include the heath grasshopper Chorthippus vagans, marsh grasshopper Stethophyma grossum and scarce long-winged conehead Conocephalus discolor 11

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14 Wareham Forest 3.14 The Wareham Forest case study includes Wareham Forest and Gore Heath, and Great Ovens. Landscape 3.15 Wareham Forest is situated just north of Wareham, and covers some 14 square miles of coniferous plantation with significant areas of mire (including Morden Bog and Hyde Bog) and open heath (e.g. Great Oven s Hill). In addition, areas of heath and wooded heath are found along ride edges and clear-felled and restoration areas and there is a number of pools, ponds and small lakes. It has a degree of topographical relief by local standards, reaching 67m above sea level at Woolsbarrow and 44m in Gore Heath, and there is a viewpoint at the Lookout overlooking Morden Bog and parts of the forest. There are two extensive valley mire systems which increase the amount of open land and the diversity of the landscape. There is a number of tumuli within the forest, and an Iron Age hill fort at Woolsbarrow Wareham Forest is bisected by two minor roads, the Forest Road between Wareham and Bere Regis and the B3075 between Sandford and Morden. There are two caravan parks on the edge of the forest at Cold Harbour, a scatter of dwellings and a pub. The southern edge of the Forest is adjacent to more significant areas of housing at Northport and Sandford. Visitor Use 3.17 Wareham Forest is something of a local secret, used mainly by locals rather than by visitors. Local dog walkers in particular are attracted by the easy access, extensive network of surfaced tracks, diversity of habitats, and views out across the Forest. Dogs need to be kept under control, but not necessarily on a lead, which is an added attraction in Purbeck (where dogs need to be kept on leads on heaths during the breeding season, and some of the beaches are closed to dogs in the summer) and FC have a stick and flick policy towards dog waste The Forest is also used by mountain bikers and by family cycling groups (e.g. along the Sika Trail). Local mountain bikers have created informal routes in Gore Heath. Permitted horse riding and driving also occur. There is a notable amount of night time activity within the Forest, with runners, dog walkers and mountain bikers all frequent. The Forest is also used for unstructured play by children from Wareham (evidenced by the number of dens just off main tracks) and a number of organised events Most tracks are sandy with occasional steep inclines, and are of limited suitability to mobility scooters and pushchairs. Public rights of way are rather limited, although there are permissive routes. Access is informally allowed in much of the central block, and is quite extensive elsewhere. Wildlife and designations 3.20 Open parts of Wareham Forest fall within the Dorset Heaths SAC, SPA, and Ramsar site (the boundaries overlap but do not cover exactly the same areas). Morden Bog NNR 14

15 covers the central bog, while Morden and Higher Hyde Heath are designated as SSSI. Bere Stream and East Coppice SSSIs are adjacent to the Forest. Reasons for designation include European dry heaths, Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion, Temperate Atlantic wet heaths with Erica ciliaris and Erica tetralix and Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix, breeding nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler Features of nature conservation interest include dry lowland heathland, wet heath, valley mire and a small amount of bog woodland. As at Arne, it is often the transitions between habitats, particularly the heathland/forestry interface, that are of particular interest. In addition clear-fells and very young plantation and retained trees are of importance. Particular plants of national or local interest include brown beaked-sedge, yellow centuary, marsh gentian, marsh clubmoss, dodder Cuscuta epithymum, pale butterwort, large-celled flapwort Lophozia capitata, silky forklet-moss Ditrichum heteromallum and golden bogmoss As at Arne, the dry heath is important for nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler. Nightjars in particular benefit from the interface between plantation and open heath or clear-fell. All species of reptiles and amphibians are present, and some make use of young and mature plantation in addition to open areas. In addition, crossbills Loxia curvirostra use the coniferous woodlands, and there is a Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus roost. Wareham Forest is home to over 30 species of nationally rare and restricted insects and spiders, the majority of which are generally associated with heathland and wetland features rather than woodlands. The woodland provides habitat for several bat species, including brown long-eared Plecotus auritus, pipistrelles Pipistrellus sp., noctule Nyctalus noctula, Natterer s Myotis nattereri, whiskered Myotis mystacinus and Brandt s Myotis brandtii. 15

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17 Greenlands 3.23 The Greenlands Farm case study includes the farm and surrounding grassland fields owned by the National Trust and is set in the context of Rempstone Forest, Godlingston and Studland Heaths, and Brands Bay. The farm was previously tenanted. In recent years the farmhouse has been let out as a second home, and is currently used as accommodation for long-term National Trust volunteers. Landscape 3.24 Greenlands Farm is situated along a single, narrow and un-surfaced track branching off the Studland Ferry Road and overlooks Brands Bay and Godlingston Heath. It offers near views of the saltmarsh and creeks of Brands Bay, and spectacular views up across Godlingston Heath to the Purbeck Ridges. The farmhouse is of limited architectural interest, and the surrounding farm buildings have a rather dilapidated air, but the garden area is pleasant. The surrounding semi-improved acid grassland with access is close-grazed by ponies, and is of no great aesthetic appeal in itself. The adjacent areas of Studland Heath fronting Poole Harbour are particularly attractive, with tiny beaches, creeks and bays set against a backdrop of heathland. Godlingston Heath is a less intimate, more expansive landscape. Rempstone Forest is less attractive, with dense conifers and few open areas, but plenty of quiet forest tracks and occasional open mires. Visitor use 3.25 The Greenlands Farm fields are not much used by visitors, although plenty pass through. The Greenlands Track, which separates Godlingston Heath from the western part of Studland Heath and the open access fields south from the farm building, is used by cyclists following a number of promoted routes and informal routes. There has been a recent increase in the number of riders cycling at night with powerful torches. The route is frequently used by large groups of cyclists as well as individuals and small groups. The larger groups do not necessarily associate themselves with a particular club The track and fields are occasionally used by walkers either crossing into Rempstone Forest or completing a circular walk on Godlingston Heath. Both walkers and cyclists tend to be undertaking relatively long excursions Greenlands Farm is also used as an occasional venue for organised events for example by the Wessex Orienteers, and the area has been used for organised bike rides It is set in the context of the Studland peninsula, which receives around one million visitors each year. Rempstone Forest has limited access, but bridleways and forest tracks are used extensively, particularly by cyclists, who, together with walkers, also use routes across Godlingston, including in national events. Wildlife and designations One or more small holdings have historically been present at Greenlands but the farm was greatly extended in the 1950s by converting heathland to arable land. This land is no longer cultivated or fertilised and remains as acid grassland which it is hoped will revert to heathland over time. Its nature conservation interest is currently limited; it 17

18 does not include many species typical of parched acid grassland, although these should increase over time as the nutrient levels decline. It is however used by large flocks of feeding thrushes in winter, and the fields adjacent to Brand s Bay are used by waterfowl. Greenlands Farm does not have any nature conservation designations. However the areas it immediately adjoins fall within various designations (Dorset Heaths (Purbeck and Wareham) and Studland Dunes SAC, Dorset Heaths SPA and Ramsar site, Poole Harbour SPA, Ramsar site, and SSSI, Studland and Godlingston Heaths SSSI and NNR. The land immediately west (Rempstone Forest) is not designated, although the Rempstone Heath SSSI is nearby The wildlife interest of the adjacent heathland areas is very similar to the Arne Peninsula. In addition, Brands Bay supports wintering wildfowl and waders, numbers of which start building up in July and tail off again in March. 18

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20 4. Visitor provision 4.1 This section provides a desk-based analysis of the provision for visitors within each of the case studies. It includes both physical elements (paths, hides, benches etc.) as well as management approaches used to enhance visitors enjoyment of the site while safeguarding wildlife. Map 2 - Map 5 show the locations of physical infrastructure and extent of four zones of visitor provision. Zone one includes areas with significant infrastructure and visitor support such as a visitor centre, toilets etc. Zone two is further away from such facilities, but includes way-marked routes. Zone three includes areas where there is a public right of access, but no supported routes; and zone four indicates areas where there is no public access. The Arne Peninsula 4.2 The two component areas of the Arne Peninsula are considered separately, as provision is markedly different. We do not consider any farmland included within the area boundary. Arne RSPB reserve Infrastructure, routes and on-site access 4.3 Table 1 summarises visitor provision at Arne. The pay and display car park and visitor hut form the hub for visitor provision. The eco-friendly visitor hut is staffed and contains information about the reserve, seasonal images of heathland wildlife, a nature table, seasonal nest cameras, excellent views of birds at feeders, a wood burner and a hot drinks machine. There are also bike stands, picnic benches, toilets nearby, and five waymarked nature trails starting from the hut. Some trails are suitable for mobility vehicles and pushchairs. The car park becomes full on sunny weekends throughout the year, and an overflow car park is opened in an adjacent field (planning constraints mean that use of this car park is limited to 28 days per year). There are additional bike stands at the end of the bridleway leading to Shipstal Point. Open access areas include Coombe Heath, Grip Heath and parts of Shipstal, but most the western part of the site does not have open access. Access is not promoted on Grip Heath or the open access areas of the western side. 4.4 There is a small number of benches scattered throughout the reserve. Hides include a viewing screen and hide overlooking Middlebere Lake on Coombe Heath, and a hide overlooking Arne Bay. Organised activities 4.5 The RSPB run organised events at Arne, which have in the past included children s events and resources. Other events include weekly themed guided walks, a Beginners Birdwatching course and annual seasonal events such as the autumn Forage Fair and Christmas Pull a Pine. More recently the RSPB has hosted a Big Wild Sleepout at 20

21 Arne 1. There are also organised opportunities for volunteers to carry out practical conservation tasks. 4.6 Arne has a national reputation (it is one of the three most visited RSPB sites), and it is straightforward to obtain information about visiting Arne for visitors already familiar with the RSPB. The RSPB website includes a page on Arne 2 detailing where the reserve is, facilities available, events and information on star species and seasonal highlights. The RSPB guide Where to see wildlife (Taylor & Holden 2009) features Arne on the first page, and Arne can be found in other books such as Secret Beaches (Smith 2011). There is also a printed reserve leaflet which highlights key wildlife interests, facilities and access routes. 4.7 The reserve is not actively promoted by the RSPB locally. For example, the Wareham Tourist Information does not (at the time of writing) hold information about Arne. Arne does feature on the Visit Dorset 3 and Dorset Dogs 4 websites and a number of wildlife 5,6,7 and visitor 8,9,10 websites (including one for sites around Lymington in the New Forest). Information is provided by RSPB at a national level (e.g. RSPB website and guides) and the site has been promoted through national media (e.g. BBC s Springwatch ) but the general view is that many visitors find out about Arne by word of mouth. Access 4.8 Arne is at the end of a peninsula and accessed only via a narrow, often single-track road. It is not possible to reach the reserve by public transport the nearest bus stop is five miles away in Stoborough, and the nearest train station is 6 miles away in Wareham. 4.9 RSPB members can obtain a 10% discount when hiring bikes at Cyclexperience at Wareham station. Visitor management 4.10 Active visitor management at Arne includes a Dogs-on-Leads policy for the entire site at all times. Other visitor management is achieved through the presence of RSPB site staff and volunteers and path management. Several way-marked routes of different lengths are advertised from the visitor hut, mainly in the direction of Arne Farm, Shipstal and the Arne bird hide. An additional route, the Coombe Trail, leads to the southern hide overlooking Middlebere Lake. 1 availability

22 Hartland/Middlbere/Stoborough Infrastructure, routes and on-site access 4.11 There are four hides associated with the Middlebere (or Fayle s) tramway and one on the Stoborough Tramway, with a nearby screen overlooking the wet grassland at Sunnyside. A small car park at Sunnyside is currently out of use (occupied by farm machinery and heaps of gravel), although there are plans to improve it (A. Nicholson, pers. comm). Elsewhere parking is informal, with room for about six vehicles where the Middlebere tramway crosses the Slepe Road, and room for more cars at intervals along the road towards Corfe. Similarly a handful of vehicles can park just off Soldiers Road in small laybys. There is an information panel at Sunnyside, and boards with maps showing routes and providing information about heathland habitats on Soldiers Road at access points onto Hartland Moor and Stoborough Heath, plus the Doggy Do code and signs indicating that bikes are not permitted There are several tracks and numerous paths crossing the site. The two mineral tramways provide flat, reasonably well surfaced trails. Other tracks are not surfaced. There are frequent desire-line footpaths, particularly near the roads. Paths do not on the whole have way marks. There are however signs for the Tuck Trail leading off onto the Snag Farm fields from the tramway, and way marks for a circular route on Stoborough Heath starting from Sunnyside. There is also a short route running parallel with Soldier Road marked on the nearby information panel. The Hartland Way includes is a 410 metre track that follows the tramway to a wheelchair accessible hide and the Hartland Ride is a permitted bridleway to Soldiers Road. The Tramway Tramp is promoted via the National Trust website 11 and is a circular walk starting from Arne Road, following the Middlebere tramway, crossing back to Scotland Farm, through Corfe Meadows to Sharford Bridge and back to the start. A walk around Hartland Moor from Soldiers Road 12 is promoted by Hall and Woodhouse, who run the nearby Halfway Inn. Neither route is way-marked Routes from Soldiers Road around the Great Knoll are currently being used by horseriders. This is not permitted although there is a permitted route between New Road and Soldiers Road on Stoborough Heath, which seems rarely used There is a number of promoted bike routes that pass through Hartland (e.g. the Castle Ride 13, National Cycle Network Route 2 14 ), which are generally along the road as there are no bridleways across Hartland Moor. The exception is the Rempstone Ride 15, a waymarked route which uses the short bridleway across Middlebere to the medieval bridge at Sharford, one of only two means of crossing the Corfe River without going into Corfe. Versions of these routes are also promoted in the national media etc

23 4.15 Most of Hartland, Middlebere and Stoborough are Open Access. The Slepe Heath forestry is private, and there is no access onto The Moors or Slepe Moor or the heathland reversion area of New Mills Heath. Organised activities and information 4.16 There are few organised activities on Hartland Moor. Guided walks are very occasionally undertaken in the area (e.g. on Corfe Meadows, adjacent) Information about the history and nature of the site are available on the Natural England and National Trust websites 17, 18. There are no leaflets available. Access 4.18 Access is from single-track roads running between the A351 and the Arne Road, and from the Arne Road at Ridge. There is a roundabout at Norden which facilitates access onto the A351, but the Soldiers Road junction can be tricky. Access by public transport is possible along the Stoborough Tramway from the Blue Pool bus stop on the A351. Bikes can be hired on a pre-booked basis from the Norden Park and Ride. Visitor management 4.19 Hartland has been assessed during the National Trust s strategic visitor management planning as a green zone, i.e. an area unsuitable for heavy visitor use where visitors are expected to be self-sufficient and extra visitor provision is not planned. The infrastructure at Sunnyside was created and adjacent fields opened to the public to attract dog walkers away from the vulnerable heathland areas. How effective this has been is debatable, but visitor data indicate regular use by local people from Ridge (e.g. Sharp 2010 and Wild Purbeck Visitor Survey Analysis). Other visitor management includes seasonal signs at access points requesting that dogs should be kept on leads during the breeding season. There is no staff presence on-site Wareham Forest Infrastructure, routes and on-site access 4.20 Table 1 summarises visitor provision in Wareham Forest. The Forest includes many surfaced rides suitable for easy walking and cycling. Some are suitable for mobility vehicles and pushchairs, but inclines and sandy tracks can be prohibitive The Sika Trail runs for seven miles through the forest and is marked with posts. It is suitable for walking and cycling. The route can be accessed via the Northport Greenway, meaning that there is safe off-road access from Northport and Wareham railway station, where there is bike hire provision. Another publicised bike route ( Holme for tea ) incorporates the Sika Trail, and continues on to West Holme via Bere Lodge A number of walking routes is possible through the Forest, but most are used by visitors with local knowledge (there is a notable number of complaints online about visitors becoming lost in the Forest, and comments recorded during questionnaire included a

24 request for more waymarks). Publicised routes include the 13 mile signposted Wareham Forest Way, which starts at the quay in Wareham and finishes in Sturminster Marshall. A leaflet about it is available online and from the Wareham Tourist Information centre. The route to the Lookout from the Sika car park is also signposted, as is a walk to Woolsbarrow Hill. Public rights of way are quite limited given the area of the Forest, with three main bridleways (one branching into two) across the Forest and one footpath along the boundary of Gore Heath with a branch across Great Ovens Interpretive infrastructure is limited to a panel and map at the Sika Trail car park and at the entrance to Morden Bog NNR. The Sika panel includes a Quick Response (QR) bar code, which can be scanned by a smart phone to access further information online (unfortunately phone reception in this area can be limited) Multiple land ownership makes access permissions complex. Open Access land includes the heath and mire areas of Morden Bog, Hyde Bog and Heath and Great Ovens Hill and one or two smaller areas scattered through the forest, including Woolbarrow Hill, and FC owned land on the east side of Gore Heath and adjacent to Hyde Heath. Within the central part of the forest there is a relaxed approach to informal access on foot, but access is not, in theory, permitted in Gore Heath and the forest west of the Forest Road beyond rights of way and Open Access land. Somewhat confusingly, current OS maps show almost the entire Forest as Open Access. Activities 4.25 Wareham Forest is used for a number of organised activities in addition to more informal use for dog walking, walking and cycling. Frequent regular users include Forest Fit 19 a local fitness group, and Tripurbeck 20, a triathlon club. Annual, nationally promoted events include bike racing (e.g. Dorset Rough Riders) and husky racing. The site will no longer be used for the annual Sunseeker Rally. Forestry Commission staff also lead guided walks, usually for specific groups on request, and run a volunteer group to undertake practical tasks within the Forest. Access 4.26 Access on foot from Wareham (including the railway station and associated bus stop) is straightforward. There is no public transport elsewhere. Most visitors are likely to use the Sika car park on the Forest Road, and the smaller car parks on the Morden Road, although there is a significant amount of access on foot from Wareham and some from the caravan parks at Cold Harbour. Visitor management 4.27 Visitor management focuses on the provision of way-marked routes along forest rides. Information about Wareham Forest is not easily available either online or as leaflets. Similarly, information for Morden Bog NNR is limited to the on-site interpretation and web-based information 21, 22. Temporary signs are erected during the bird breeding

25 Greenlands Farm season, and when free-ranging cattle graze the site, to encourage responsible dog walking. There is only very limited staff presence on-site. Infrastructure, routes and on-site access 4.28 There is an interpretation panel by the Greenlands Farm track near the farm providing information about the fields and the heathland restoration project. There are signposts at the beginning of the track indicating the public rights of way. A bird hide is situated overlooking Brands Bay south of Redhorn Quay A number of promoted cycling and walking routes pass by Greenlands Farm. These include the Rempstone Ride 23, a 12 mile circular route from Norden through Rempstone Forest, which includes a spur past Greenlands Farm to Studland and Shell Bay, and the National Trust s Studland Peninsula Cycle Trail 24, which runs from the ferry along the heath, past Greenlands Farm and back through the fields and heathland to Studland. Both are family cycle trails. Other routes are also promoted online 25, e.g. along the Purbeck Ridge from Corfe Castle, returning past Greenlands Farm through the forest to Norden. Organised Activities 4.30 Organised activities are sometimes held at Greenlands Farm as the location is more robust than the surrounding heathland. For example the Wessex Orienteers hold orienteering competitions based within the area which also extend into the adjacent heathland and forestry. The route past Greenlands Farm is used by informally organised mountain bike groups from the Bournemouth conurbation. It is also used for nationally promoted and organised cycle events without discussion with the National Trust e.g. the annual Wiggle Purbeck Hill-o-saurus 26 which involves up to 600 participants. This route incorporates the Purbeck Ridge to Old Harry, the southern bridleway over Godlingston, a forest ride north along the edge of Rempstone Forest, and emerges at Greenlands before re-entering the forest for the route back to the Ridge. Access 4.31 There is no road access to Greenlands Farm. Access is via a bridleway along the track running from the Ferry Road to Goathorn. Visitor Management and information 4.32 Greenlands Farm is not in itself a visitor attraction. It is however along a busy recreation route. It falls with the National Trust s amber zone i.e. areas where appropriate recreation is promoted to relatively independent users, but no significant infrastructure

26 is provided beyond paths. There is no current visitor management directly related to Greenlands Farm. 26

27 Map 2: Recreational provision on the Arne Peninsula. Zone 1: areas with significant infrastructure and visitor support such as a visitor centre, toilets etc;. Zone 2: further away from facilities, but includes way-marked routes; Zone 3: areas with is a public right of access, but no supported routes; Zone 4: no public access 27

28 Map 3: Recreational provision in Wareham Forest. Zone 1: areas with significant infrastructure and visitor support such as a visitor centre, toilets etc (this zone is absent from Wareham Forest). Zone 2: further away from facilities, but includes way-marked routes; Zone 3: areas with is a public right of access, but no supported routes; Zone 4: no public access 28

29 Map 4: Recreational provision at Greenlands (provision east of Ferry Road is not included). Zone 1: areas with significant infrastructure and visitor support such as a visitor centre, toilets etc.; Zone 2: further away from facilities, but includes way-marked routes; Zone 3: areas with is a public right of access, but no supported routes; Zone 4: no public access 29

30 5. Current visitor impacts on nature conservation interest of sites 5.1 A review of the potential impacts of recreational pressure on the habitats and species present in the Wild Purbeck NIA are presented in the accompanying report Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Strategy. At all sites recreational pressure has some impacts (not necessarily negative). Monitoring data looking specifically at the impacts of recreational pressure are not available; expert opinion on whether impacts are likely to be significant is summarised here. Arne Peninsula 5.2 Existing pressures at Arne are disturbance to ground or low nesting birds (nightjar, woodlark, Dartford warbler) near paths and to waterfowl in Poole Harbour. A study of breeding nightjars showed poorer breeding success on more urban heaths and on nests close to footpaths (Murison 2002). The areas studied at Arne were those with no access, and breeding success was high. Disturbance studies within Poole Harbour (Liley & Fearnley 2012) show relatively high flushing rates of waterfowl at Arne. Recreational bait digging is not permitted but nonetheless occurs at Gold Point, and is likely to cause some degree of disturbance to feeding waterfowl. 5.3 The braiding of paths, particularly above Shipstal Point, and along the Arne Road is leading to minor loss of heathland habitat as does widening of tracks across wet heathland (where walkers avoid wet areas) e.g. on Coombe Heath. 5.4 Eutrophication from dog waste may be adding to issues with nutrient levels on areas of heathland restoration at Middlebere and along Soldiers Road, and the development of thicker vegetation along the tramway which is a key site for invertebrates (requiring short, open vegetation) and small, very low-growing plants such as the rare mossy stonecrop, that cannot cope with competition. 5.5 The degree of trampling on Shipstal Beach is likely to be impacting on the limited beach vegetation. Access on the beach may be adding to the erosion of the soft cliffs. 5.6 The increased use (numbers of cars) of the overflow car park at Arne has resulted in the loss of acid grassland habitat. The area impacted was of limited conservation interest, but the field includes nationally scarce plant species. 5.7 Vehicles parking on the verges of the Slepe Road have resulted in the loss of habitat (if not heavily grazed, road verges are important in providing nectar sources for invertebrates). The roadside verges along the Arne road fall partially within the relevant SSSIs and have deteriorated markedly in recent years. Soil compaction and destruction of vegetation from vehicles driving or pulling over on the verge is evident. Where vegetation is lost, areas have subsequently been covered in tarmac. 5.8 Disturbance is likely to influence the distribution of sika deer, but the impacts of subsequent differential grazing pressure are hard to assess. 30

31 Wareham Forest 5.9 Most foot, cycling and horse activity is along main tracks. However, dogs off leads leave tracks, potentially impacting on nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler in heathland areas, clear-fells and young plantation. Levels of access and therefore disturbance are likely to be highest around main car-parks and tracks A long-standing hen harrier roost thought to have been overly disturbed is now rarely used. The original disturbance has been attributed to the actions of one individual rather than every day use by visitors, but failure to return may be due to current disturbance levels The impact of night-time disturbance and the use of powerful torches (e.g. by mountain bikers and joggers) is not known Use of sandy tracks by mountain bikes and horse-riders may be damaging reptile egglaying sites and decreasing suitability for a suite of rare and scarce heathland invertebrates such as the heath tiger beetle (which require open but not churned up sand). Greenlands Farm 5.13 There are no significant impacts of recreation pressure at Greenlands Farm. Nearby, a track provides access from the Greenlands track onto Studland Heath adjacent to Brand s Bay. Recreational pressure (including walkers, dog walkers, mountain bikers, anglers, canoeists launching and kite surfers in the bay) is causing disturbance to waders and wildfowl in Brand s Bay (July to March) and on the northern fields adjacent to Greenlands Farm. Studies on disturbance in Poole Harbour recorded a significant number of disturbance events at Brand s Bay (Liley & Fearnley, 2012) Events that take place at Greenlands and extend out onto the surrounding heathland in the summer have the potential to cause disturbance to nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler and damage to reptile and invertebrate habitat. 31

32 6. Effectiveness of current visitor provision 6.1 The effectiveness and appropriateness of provision for and management of visitors in the case study areas are assessed here in terms of their effectiveness in engaging visitors and allowing them meaningful contact with the special wildlife of Purbeck, and in minimising any negative impacts on features of conservation importance. Arne Peninsula 6.2 Recent visitor engagement developments at Arne appear effective. The Visitor Hut appears to be used by a significant proportion of visitors, who are receiving tailored information face-to-face, including guidance on choice of route. Previous work (Fearnley 2013) has suggested that visitor groups at Arne tend to dwell around locations which contain interpretation, benches, viewpoints and ponds. This suggests that visitors are responding to and engaging with current visitor infrastructure (although the infrastructure has often been positioned in places where people already wish to go, so may not be diverting visitors from other areas). Site staff suggest that numbers of dog walkers have reduced since they have been enforcing a Dogs on Leads policy, and that most dogs are kept on leads. Although there is some use of areas which are not currently promoted (such as Grip, Arne and Crightons Heaths), this is very limited. The exception is probably Shipstal, where discussion with Arne staff and dog-walkers and personal observation all suggest that dogs are often let of the lead, presumably because dog walkers feel that different rules apply on a beach to the heathland (although it is still part of the reserve). 6.3 Visitor management may be less effective on Hartland/Stoborough/Middlebere, where there is no staff presence. Information provided on-site to help visitors understand the special nature of the site and its vulnerability take the form of about four information panels and includes the Doggy Do code 27. On Hartland the Dogs on Leads during the breeding season policy is partially effective, with a greater proportion of dogs kept on leads than at other sites such as Greenlands Farm or Wareham Forest. A substantial minority is still off the lead (particularly at Soldiers Road) and is likely to be causing disturbance to nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler. The New Road access point is still used more than Sunnyside by local dog walkers (and is the busiest dog-walkers point within the case study areas outside of Wareham Forest). Visitor management measures are not entirely effective in preventing the use of barbeques along Slepe Road and discouraging local horse-riders from using Hartland Moor. In addition, Hartland Moor is being used by off-road cyclists although there are no rights of way or permitted routes. While the impact of a few individuals is likely to be minimal, such use may escalate rapidly, particularly if cyclists using the Rempstone Forest routes start using Hartland Moor. Of the existing visitor infrastructure, there is no information to accompany way marked routes, and two of the four hides do not offer enhanced 27 A positively framed code of conduct for heathland dog-walkers promoted by Dorset Dogs who champion positive management for people with dogs in town, coast & countryside and promotes responsible dog ownership 32

33 opportunities for viewing wildlife and are likely to disappoint and thus disengage visitors. Arne Peninsula: Effectiveness of visitor provision Current visitor management measures at Arne are largely effective, with measures in place to increase visitor engagement and enjoyment and to manage impacts. The approach to visitor engagement at Hartland/Middlebere/Stoborough is intentionally low key, but measures to manage impacts are less effective than at Arne and are not likely to be able to address changing recreational pressures. The parking and signage at Sunnyside need to be redesigned. Wareham Forest 6.4 The efficacy of visitor management at Wareham Forest is varied. On the one hand, Wareham Forest offers significant opportunities for visitors, particularly dog-walkers, walkers, runners and cyclists, with miles of surfaced tracks, a choice of locations, and the opportunity to exercise dogs off the lead. FC has established informal working relationships with some user groups such as mountain bikers and has a functional permit system in place for other activities. On the other hand, recreational activities are likely to be impacting on wildlife, particularly disturbance to birds caused by dogs running off tracks, as the dogs under control requirement if often ignored, with dogs running off tracks and out of site of dog walkers. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is also a degree of conflict between users (e.g. small children (and adults) troubled by out of control dogs, issues with cyclists); and that first time visitors struggle to find their way around. 6.5 Key issues are the comparative lack of information and the public perception of the site. It can be hard to find out about routes and what activities are permitted where. This is partly because some activities take place informally, but the freeholders are unwilling to designate permitted routes. Locally based visitors are likely to obtain information by word of mouth, but other sources are limited. There is also only very limited interpretation about why the site is important to wildlife, how visitors might experience it, and so visitors are not particularly motivated to change their preferred behaviour. The perception of Wareham Forest is of a robust woodland site where many activities are permitted (or at least tolerated). 33

34 Wareham Forest: Effectiveness of visitor provision. Wareham Forest provides an extensive area of forest where different recreational activities are permitted or tolerated. Current visitor management measures are not very effective in limiting recreational impacts to wildlife or enhancing visitors experience and enjoyment of nature. There is also a limited amount of user conflict on the site. FC recognises that there is potential to enhance visitor enjoyment and understanding of habitats and wildlife within Wareham Forest. Greenlands Farm Existing visitor provision at Greenlands Farm is limited to an interpretation panel on the track near the farmhouse. This is unlikely to be effective in providing interpretation and information for the majority of visitors using the track, who are cyclists arriving from the ferry and unlikely to stop. It offers an insight into the area for walkers. Routes from the start of the Greenlands track are effectively signposted. Greenlands Farm: Effectiveness of visitor provision. Visitor provision at Greenlands Farm is very limited. Route signposting is effective but the existing interpretation panel is probably ineffective. 34

35 Table 1 Visitor resources within the case studies. Dark shading indicates sites where elements are present. Mid-green shading indicates sites where the feature is present but limited, or only partially present. Feature Arne Hartland Car park Informal parking Bike racks Easy public transport Specific less-abled access Visitor centre Toilets Refreshments Picnic benches/benches Dog bins Dogs allowed off lead Interpretation panels, maps etc Bird hides Visitor staff Guided walks Other wildlife related events Open access Public footpaths Bridleways Other paths Way-marked trails Bike or horse trails (beyond bridleways) Website Other off site information available Information about other sites in Purbeck Wareham Forest Greenlands 35

36 7. SWOT analysis of Case Studies 7.1 A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis was carried out for each Case Study to consider the potential of each site in terms of visitor experience and interaction with the nature conservation interest and any other factors identified. A feature identified as a strength for one factor may of course be a weakness for another. The results from the visitor questionnaire (see Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Survey Analysis accompanying this report) were used to help identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, together with information and views from site managers, user groups, and where appropriate, anecdotal information from the local community (note that a surprisingly low number of questionnaires were completed for Arne). Arne Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Sunnyside car park just after Access along a narrow lane, Ridge is well positioned to Focussed at one point, where single track in places. function as a park and ride and Access to site interpretation and facilities are Peninsula. No circular route is being redesigned. Visitors (including cyclists) available. can be promoted to encourage Because all visitors arrive could be deterred if road Journey in is part of the traffic flow in one direction along the same route, it would becomes busier. attraction. At end of 4 mile dead end be possible to provide road, doesn t attract passing visitors. information (e.g. car park full) before visitors get too far along the road. Parking Immediately adjacent to staffed information hut, meaning good proportion of visitors are exposed to information and interpretation. Car park can be closed (e.g. at night to help prevent camping). Undesignated fields at Arne Farm can be used for large Car park fee or RSPB membership required. Car-parking limited to c70permanent places, with a 28-day constraint on overflow parking. 36 Parking pressure could be manipulated via parking tariff. There may be the opportunity to increase parking capacity, provided this does not impact on nature conservation features. Car-parking limitations may deter visitors if numbers continue to increase. Parking along Arne Road, Slepe Road and Soldiers Road likely to increase if Arne car park is regularly full, increasing problems associated with diffuse access and lack of exposure to interpretation.

37 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats annual events Cafe/shop/visitor centre Cafe could result in increased Path management undertaken planned which could improve visitor impacts on reserve. to protect sensitive visitor experience and draw Cafe may change visitor vegetation. new visitors. profile, attracting visitors less Two hides plus screen Potential locations for new likely to engage with nature available. hides include the edge of the Increased use of car park (see Other Track to Shipstal suitable for Moors (with associated small, above). infrastructure cycling. low key car park), Over s Fields Toilets. and the saline lagoon, which Undesignated field can be would be attractive to birders. used as a temporary overflow car park Visitor opportunities and internal access Interpretation and information Staffing Good path network offers choice of routes around Arne Farm, Shipstal and Coombe Heath. Variety of activities available on a regular basis. Excellent staffed visitor information hut providing visitors with face-to-face personal interaction and tailored information. Around the site interpretation is generally appropriately low key. Enthusiastic staff available to talk to visitors, change displays, organise and run events etc. No access to wetlands. No access to western part of reserve. Information in visitor hut dependent on staff presence. Visitors arriving by water (including those who land to picnic) are not necessarily exposed to important information. Printed interpretation leaflets could be more informative about the wildlife on the site. 37 A valley mire board walk would allow visitors to experience the habitat without damaging it. Potential for well-managed access on The Moors. Potential for walking routes at Arne Farm. Partnership working could provide opportunities to access people undertaking water-based recreation. Potential opportunities for new interpretation and education within the proposed new cafe/visitor centre. Development of pioneering ways of experiencing elusive specialist heathland species. Experienced staff could work Cafe may deter visitors attracted to the unobtrusive visitor approach at Arne, or encourage them to park in quieter locations along Arne Road. Access to The Moors could create disturbance and damage if not carefully managed. Changes in visitor profiles would require a reassessment of interpretation and information.

38 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Staff able to maintain and undertake responsive management (e.g. dealing with desire lines) and reinforce policies (dogs on leads, no fires). on other heathland sites Strong volunteer network. Variety of different habitats is attractive and attracts a diversity of visitors. Limited opportunity to View point at Shipstal. experience wide, open View of Corfe Castle. heathland vistas that some Intimate nature of landscape visitors may be seeking. Increased visitor numbers (relief and woodlands) reduce Landscape Beach perceived as a different could result in increasingly feeling of busyness. entity where different codes of busy landscape. Compartmentalised nature of conduct apply (e.g. dogs let of some areas of habitat mean leads). higher visitor pressure in some areas does not impact on all, and events such as Big Wild Sleepout can be unobtrusive. Presence of habitats and species potentially sensitive to Wildlife Unique draw in presence of heathland and Harbour wildlife Nature of wildlife allows visitors intimate, personal experience of discovery No access to much of reserve provides disturbance and damage free areas visitor pressure Heathland birds and reptiles can be hard for visitors to see Use of 28 day car park impacting on conservation interest (scarce acid grassland plants, which are not a designated feature of the site) Conservation interest of designated Arne Road verges deteriorating, partly due to traffic and parking. 38 Create an area for observation of invertebrates (e.g. banks with potential for close viewing and photography of potter wasps). Devise additional opportunities/facilities for viewing specialist heathland birds and also reptiles. Increasing visitor numbers, plus extra visitors drawn by proposed cafe could impact on wildlife. Over s Fields (see Visitor opportunities and internal access: opportunities) adjacent to vulnerable areas.

39 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Opportunity currently exists to RSPB aware of need for develop a clear vision for strategic approach. Visitor management plan not visitor engagement (including, Staff with enthusiasm for yet in place, so no strategic Without a clear vision access, facilities, numbers and Management visitor engagement. guidance available for developments may not be types of visitor etc.). Resources allocated to path particular events or achieving aims for site. Opportunity for joint visitor maintenance (including developments. management over manipulation desire lines etc) Arne/Hartland peninsula. Arne SWOT Summary Current strengths at Arne include the varied landscape and rich wildlife interest, effective visitor engagement measures and the willingness and skills to develop these further. Opportunities include the potential for a cafe and shop, the development of robust areas of the site for visitor access, the potential for sensitive access to wetlands, and use of staff off-site. The presence of well-trained visitor facing staff provides the opportunity for developing pioneering facilities for viewing/ hearing the hard-to-see specialist heathland species. Weaknesses and threats largely revolve around the fact that a vision for visitor engagement was, at the time of writing, still under development, and are related to access and car parking constraints. Potential changes associated with the development of new visitor facilities also need to be considered. Hartland Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Access to site Access easy from the A351 and avoids residential areas. Access on foot for local residents. Access involves narrow, sometimes single lane roads with free-ranging livestock. Site is not signposted. Diffuse access from a range of different points reduces effective exposure to interpretation 39 Extensive grazing unit will involve new cattle grids which present opportunities to establish a feeling of entering a special area.

40 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Parking Other infrastructure Informal, free parking scattered along roads is attractive to local users and passing visitors and increases opportunities for solitude. Limited infrastructure means it is attractive to visitors seeking a wild experience Four hides, one of which is particularly popular with birdwatchers No control over use (including campervans at night). Creates diffuse pressure, and visitors have no exposure to interpretation. Can be difficult to find parking space. Sunnyside car park currently blocked. Hides on the tramways are of very limited use for seeing wildlife, which can be discouraging for beginner naturalists and frustrating for the more experienced Churned up surface of some tracks (Middlebere tramway) is unsuitable for less-abled access and encourages use of adjacent firebreaks or path widening. Opportunities exist to create small, unobtrusive car parks to focus visitor use and provide interpretation (e.g. on grass fields at Scotland, opposite Soldiers Road entrance, on crest of Soldiers Road and on Slepe Road at Middlebere tramway). Provision of more marked trails could enhance visitor experience and, together with parking measures, focus visitor pressure in robust areas Improve design of Sunnyside to attract more dog walkers currently using Stoborough Heath Roadside parking could increase if visitor numbers increase e.g. because of parking limitation at Arne, or because of changing opportunities presented by removal of fencing along Arne Road. Creation of small car parks would change unmanaged feel, and may raise expectations about visitor provision (e.g. dog bins). Design of any new car parks should ensure no net increase in car parking. Interpretation and information Light touch appreciated by some users. Dogs on leads in breeding The limited information available on special nature Opportunities for appropriate low key interpretation at new car parks to increase Lack of interpretation means that visitors are less likely to enjoy and appreciate special 40

41 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Visitor opportunities and internal access Staffing season signs/doggy Do code partially successful Predominantly open access, providing a significant area of open habitat for visitors. of site and its vulnerability is hard to find. Liaison with dog walkers is not effective. Further messaging re dogs is unlikely to have much impact without more positive wardening/vol. presence making regular friendly, contact with dog walkers. Limited number of promoted routes makes exploring the site difficult for less independent first time visitors. Horse riding and mountain biking is not currently permitted but is occurring and is not managed to minimise impacts. Very limited interpretation to explain why it is not permitted. Lack of on-site staff prevents face-to-face visitor engagement work and reinforcement of policies (dogs on leads, no fires). appreciation and understanding of heathland interest and sensitivity Involve dog walkers and others as volunteers to help raise awareness of the special nature of the site It is possible that this areas will be designated when CRoW land is reviewed. This would create an opportunity for proactively establishing walking and biking routes. Opportunities for face-to-face visitor engagement work on site through partnership working. nature of site and could results in increased impacts due to changing recreational trends Existing mountain bike use could set a trend, attracting large numbers of riders from the Rempstone area with consequent impacts on heathland communities. A new mountain bike route would require measures to ensure bike use over the remaining area did not increase. Removal of boundary fencing as part of extensive grazing scheme could increase number of diffuse access points if parking is not addressed. Lack of on-site presence could be an increasing issue if visitor numbers rise. Landscape Wild, open landscape with a Unfenced boundaries, The ridge on Slepe Heath could Combination of geographic 41

42 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats feeling of space and tranquillity. View points (e.g. ridge at Middlebere, hill on Soldiers Road) with view from Poole Harbour to the Purbeck Ridge and Corfe Castle. informal parking, low key interpretation and large site allow a perception of area as common land where any activity can be carried out, rather than nature reserve. provide a new view point in the future. location (between Wareham and Studland) and presence of existing tracks could make the site attractive to mountain bikers if it becomes more known about in the biking community (some use already). Wildlife Management Sites offers experience of a range of species and habitats Good birding opportunities at Middlebere Hide (waterfowl, raptors) and Sunnyside screen (waders). Dog walking pressure partially focussed on more robust grassy habitats. NT visitor zoning work has established a framework for future visitor engagement work (i.e. green zone, least intensive). Heathland species can be hard to see. Three of the hides are of very limited use for bird watching. In the future Slepe Heath could provide good opportunities for bird watchers looking over The Moors and Poole Harbour. Sunnyside bird screen could be upgraded to a hide. Public consultation required for the installation of cattle grids and development of car parks offers a unique opportunity to engage the local community about the special nature of Hartland. Opportunity for joint visitor management over Arne/Hartland peninsula Access patterns may change if Slepe Heath becomes Open Access, and will potentially require different management measures. Low key visitor management approach means little potential for either proactive or reactive work in respect of changing recreational pressures. 42

43 Hartland SWOT Summary Current strengths at Hartland include the wild, open landscape with superb views stretching from Poole Harbour to the Purbeck Ridge and Corfe Castle, the potential for long walking routes, and the low-key approach to physical interpretation and infrastructure. There is the opportunity to create small car parks which would focus access, providing opportunities to improve the visitor experience and reduce impacts, and reduce damage to roadside vegetation and diffuse pressure. Public consultation associated with the installation of cattle grids and car parks offers an excellent opportunity to influence the local perception of the area, as would building relationships with local dog walkers. In the long term, opportunities for a viewpoint and routes may arise on Slepe Heath. Current weaknesses are the lack of on-site, face-to-face visitor engagement and effective interpretation to facilitate good visitor experiences, encourage appropriate visitor behaviour and reduce impacts. Current threats include lack of flexibility to respond to future changes in recreational pressures including visitors deflected from Arne and a change in visitor profiles. Wareham Forest Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Straightforward access, including off-road access Local foot access is via one access point which is an Access to small informal Access to site effective location for seasonal signs etc car parks can be tricky from the Morden Road Proximity of several large campsites mean the site is a potential draw to tourists Parking Car parks are often quite Free parking full increased visitor Parking is easy with formal Car parks offer ideal locations Informal parking reduces numbers could result in car-parks on both roads, plus for improved interpretation and opportunities for exposing greater use of informal car informal areas information visitors to interpretation parks without Car parks focus visitor use in interpretation and increase particular areas of the forest visitor pressure in less 43

44 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats robust areas (e.g. Morden Bog from Sherford Bridge). Informal car parks can expand over time with increased use. Other infrastructure Visitor opportunities and internal access Interpretation and information Staffing Low key approach appeals to visitors seeker a wild experience. Large area with network of permissive paths and few perceived restrictions used extensively by local residents Community use e.g. fitness clubs. Dog under control (not necessarily on lead) and stick and flick policies are attractive to dog walkers. General scarcity of signs makes seasonal signs about nesting birds or livestock more noticeable. Natural history and visitor engagement skills already present. Volunteer group who are also recreational users of the site. Sparse way-marking can make exploring the site difficult for new, less independent visitors. Lack of dog bins and prevalence of dog waste. No access to much of the site User perception is probably of a robust site with few restrictions Dogs are very often not under control and out of sight, dog mess is offputting Lack of interpretation makes it hard to convey messages about wildlife interest and vulnerability It s difficult for potential and first time visitors to find out about the site Lack of staff time for visitor engagement. Lack of resources for visitor management leads users to self-police in inappropriate ways Potential for eco-build cafe and toilets/mobile provision with space for appropriate events and activities. Review policy on dog waste. Potential for guided walks and events targeted at particular user groups e.g. dog walkers. Potential for use as a Forest School and kindergarten location Open access areas will increase with planned heathland restoration. Opportunity to design new interpretative approach/strategy from scratch Capacity of existing staff could be extended by working in partnership with other conservation organisations. Consent needed from freeholders to increase recreational provision. Increased open access may increase disturbance. Most of the routes used in the forest are informal and are neither permissive routes nor rights of way, and are reliant on the goodwill of the freeholder. Continued lack of interpretation will perpetuate current perceptions of the site. Proposals for increased visitor engagement will fulfil their potential without increased staff time. 44

45 Feature Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Proximity of heathland A number of viewpoints could areas to forestry and Large scale forest landscape Attractive landscape is not be more widely promoted. transitions between them which incorporates a evident from outside the Planned increased open areas (e.g. wooded heath) makes Landscape diversity of habitat types and varying topography including viewpoints. forest, so is not appreciated until visitors have entered the forest. and management to increase plantation diversity is likely make forest more attractive to visitors. it hard to introduce different policies on heathland (e.g. dogs on leads, picking up dog waste). Wildlife Strategic management Can be good for seeing raptors, heathland birds, reptiles and invertebrates. Includes areas more robust than heathland sites to visitor pressure. Visitor pressure is focussed around access points, leaving significant areas with less disturbance. National recognition of importance of FC site for recreation. Wildlife is hard to see, and therefore not appreciated Visitors can be attracted to open areas which support more vulnerable wildlife Stick and flick policy is detrimental for heathland vegetation. No overall recreation strategy in place for Wareham Forest. Could be suitable for elements of re-wilding. Heathland interest could be promoted to visitors. FC open to developing visitor engagement on site. Increased use of particular tracks would result in loss of reptile and invertebrate habitat (through damage and resurfacing). Any new routes should be chosen to avoid these areas. Freeholders shy of public access, discussion will be needed to secure support for increased visitor engagement measures 45

46 Wareham Forest SWOT Summary Strengths include the large and relatively robust nature of the site which allows routes of varying length through a range of habitats, a network of wellsurfaced and maintained tracks, proximity to Wareham plus off road access, and several car parks. Opportunities are extensive, and include the need for an overarching interpretation strategy, development of a cafe/mobile provision appropriate to the site which would provide a focus for visitor engagement work; the potential for developing outdoor learning; increased on-site visitor engagement work through partnership working, and provision of events at the recreation/wildlife interface. Current weaknesses are the lack of regular and frequent on-site, face-to-face visitor engagement to facilitate good visitor experiences, encourage appropriate visitor behaviour and reduce impacts, and lack of information about routes and permitted activities. The consent of the freeholders will be needed for any changes to infrastructure or permissive access. 46

47 Greenlands Farm 7.2 A full SWOT analysis was carried out for the Greenlands Farm area. The table used above is not repeated here as the format is not useful in considering this site, which is much smaller with different issues. 7.3 Strengths include the location of the site, which has a beautiful setting, is accessible via public transport, and is, in part, relatively robust. A busy cycle route passes through, presenting opportunities for joined-up interpretation about the adjacent heaths, shore and forestry. NT has a framework for visitor management in place, which has identified the site as a possible location for development of visitor facilities, potentially using the existing buildings. 7.4 Current weaknesses include the interpretation (which is not suitable for the main user group) and poor vehicular access including limited parking on Ferry Road. The site is currently mainly used by cyclists, who are probably unlikely to stop and investigate any interpretation. Cyclists interviewed mentioned the lack of bike awareness as a problem on Ferry Road, and some felt that signage was inadequate (this may have related to the wider area, including Rempstone Forest, rather than Greenland specifically, where signposting is probably adequate). The area between the access track and Poole Harbour is not robust in terms of disturbance to wildfowl and waders. 7.5 Opportunities that have been identified by NT staff and others for Greenlands Farm include its use for greenfield camping, canoe launching (there is a canoe launch constructed by a previous tenant on site, although access is difficult), safari experiences, a field centre, use for the Cyril Diver project and the development of a visitor hub for visitors arriving in Purbeck via the Ferry. Greenlands farmhouse could provide revenue as a potentially sought-after holiday cottage, or be used as a field classroom if a specific educational institution were interested. 7.6 Threats to the opportunities for the development of visitor provision identified above centre around access constraints and the nature conservation interest of the surrounding area. Greenlands Farm is set back from the road, out of sight, and down a narrow, single track lane with little scope for widening, meaning visitors have to make a diversion to reach it. This significantly limits its suitability to be used as a visitor hub. A canoe launching facility would not be compatible with the vulnerability of Brand s Bay and the popular use of this readily accessible and excellent birdwatching spot. Use as a low key campsite again raises concerns about the impacts on adjacent habitats and access constraints (it is noted that basic camping for scouts and other organised groups is already provided at three nearby sites 28 at Cleavell Point and Goathorn on the Poole Harbour coast to the north of Greenlands). To use the site as a campsite, it would be necessary to ensure and prove that there would be no impacts on the integrity of the nearby European designated sites, which would potentially be at risk from disturbance, trampling and fire. The Studland Study Centre already offers field classroom provision, and is close to the dune system of Studland Beach. Discussions with people involved in

48 the Cyril Diver Project failed to identify a suitable use for the property by the project. The existing buildings at Greenlands are probably not big enough for a residential field centre, however, they might be of interest to institutions based locally as a field classroom, although access constraints could potentially be an issue. 7.7 Threats to nature conservation revolve around the close proximity of the site to vulnerable habitats, particularly on the harbour side. The impacts of disturbance on the birds of Poole Harbour, including results of detailed fieldwork that included Brand s Bay are set out in Liley & Fearnley (2012). The importance and vulnerability of Brand s Bay is highlighted in the map of sensitive areas of Poole Harbour 29, produced by the Poole Harbour Commissioners and Natural England. Brand s Bay is mapped as a sensitive area and in these areas the advice is to avoid use by particular activities, of which canoeing/kayaking is specifically mentioned. The mire and heathland close to Greenlands are potentially vulnerable to trampling, disturbance, fire and eutrophication (e.g. Lowen et al. 2008). 7.8 The use of Greenlands needs to be considered in conjunction with the rest of the Studland Peninsula. NT has commissioned a review of visitor provision across the whole area in the light of predicted changes due to sea level rise, and Greenlands will be assessed as part of this. The location of Greenlands will not be a substitute for the majority of Studland visitors who come for the beach. Greenlands Farm SWOT Summary Strengths include its robustness, its position within an attractive landscape including areas of high nature conservation interest, the nearby bus stop and its location at a pinch point, meaning that a relatively high number of visitors use the route, which offers opportunities for providing interpretation and information about the immediate and surrounding areas. Weaknesses include the vulnerability of the site in terms of adjacent habitat and access constraints. Most of the current users are cyclists, who are unlikely to stop to read interpretative material about Greenlands. Opportunities appear limited, but include development of the property as a holiday cottage or use for a field classroom

49 8. Proposals for future visitor engagement measures 8.1 The proposals given here for site-specific future visitor engagement measures should be set in the context of the Purbeck-wide measures set out in the accompanying visitor strategy document, which includes suggestions for joined-up visitor engagement work across the heaths, a recreation and wildlife forum to enhance communication and joined-up decision making. Arne 8.2 The number of visitors to Arne has increased significantly over recent years, although the rate of increase may be slowing. Increases are thought to be mainly due to word of mouth, although high-profile media exposure may also have influenced visitor numbers. Current visitor management at Arne is effective, and RSPB staff are interested in increasing the number of people they help to engage with nature. The RSPB will be opening a cafe, shop and visitor centre in the old Toy Museum in Arne village opposite the RSPB car park with the aim of enhancing visitors experience at Arne. Possible changes in the number and profile of visitors are speculative at this stage; the cafe may draw in new visitors, and/or extend the stay of existing visitors. Car parking and visitor numbers 8.3 The current car parking and the difficulties related to the narrow access road will limit the number of people the RSPB can engage with at Arne. A small number of additional parking places could be provided by redesigning the current car park. Parking capacity would probably still be exceeded at busy times, and the issues of parking along the Arne Road would need to be addressed by appropriate management measures, such as extending the use of dragon s teeth (already used in places) or banks. 8.4 If parking provision were to be increased significantly by creating a new permanent parking area, measures would be needed to ensure that there would be no detrimental effect on the designated features of the site. Creating additional car parking away from the main visitor engagement hub at the existing car park would decrease the efficacy of the current visitor engagement measures, which are based around personal contact with visitors at the information hut. A possible alternative might be a park and ride based further up the Arne Road, e.g. Sunnyside, which could operate at busy times. However, the likely efficacy of this would need to be further explored. It could reduce problems associated with the volume of traffic on the Arne Road and car park capacity, but would change the visitor experience markedly, and would probably change the visitor profile. 8.5 RSPB needs to incorporate decisions about how many visitors they wish to attract to Arne into long-term planning for the site. If visitor capacity is increased at Arne, the following issues will need to be addressed: Increased use of main routes within the site is, we feel, likely to reduce the tranquillity which is currently a defining feature of the Arne experience (although 49

50 one visitor out of twelve who commented on the site during the questionnaires commented that it is too busy ); Visitors may seek quieter places in the reserve, increasing impacts in places which are currently undisturbed; Birdwatchers and those looking for a quiet experience may make up a smaller proportion of visitors there is anecdotal evidence that such people already avoid visiting at times they think will be busy; Increased traffic on the Arne Road may deter visitors (including cyclists) and will impact further on the roadside flora (again there is anecdotal evidence that family cyclists are already deterred at busy times); We suggest that visitors turned away if the car park is full or put off by busyness may attempt to park along the Arne Road or use nearby heathland sites where visitor engagement is less well-developed, potentially increasing negative impacts on wildlife. 8.6 We explored the data provided in the Wild Purbeck NIA visitor survey for any indication of a relationship between visits to Arne and visits to the Hartland sites (Middlebere, Soldiers Road, Stoborough New Road and Sunnyside). The small number of questionnaire responses for these sites is a limitation. However, the responses suggest that visitors to Arne and Middlebere have similar motivations (wildlife, walking, scenery) which contrast with those of visitors to Soldiers Road, Sunnyside and New Road (dog walking close to home) (e.g. see Map 8 in the survey report). The availability of facilities at Arne did not show up as a motivation for visiting there, but more specifically focussed questions may have revealed the importance of a supportive environment for Arne visitors. Visitors to Arne included Studland, Durlston and Swanage in a list of the top three other places they visited for similar purposes as they visited Arne, and did not include Middlebere or the three Stoborough sites. However, 46% of those interviewed at Middlebere listed Arne in their top three sites. It remains unclear from these data whether or not an increase in visitor numbers at Arne will result in an increase on any of the Hartland site. Management of current roadside parking on the Hartland roads is in any case recommended (see section 8.16), and suggested measures would also help address any issues resulting from increased roadside parking and diffuse access onto heathland due to changes at Arne. New access areas 8.7 Opening up new areas to visitors which meet the expectations of those visitors while safeguarding the nature conservation interest is an attractive option. For example, RSPB is currently assessing the potential of Over s Fields, an area of improved grassland between Coombe Heath and Grip Heath. This is an attractive area with views of Middlebere Lake which would involve a pleasant walk of about 2-3km with potential for a circular route. It has potential as a destination for both family groups and birdwatchers. Careful screening to prevent disturbance to waterfowl, an assessment of the return route through Coombe Heath in terms of breeding bird territories and measures to prevent visitors using the surrounding marshes would be necessary. A decision would be needed as to the extent to which the new access would be intended 50

51 to encourage new visitors, to absorb some of the existing or potential new visitor pressure, or to expand the opportunities available to existing visitors (or all of these), and promotion adapted accordingly. 8.8 The Arne Farm fields offer opportunities for pleasant walking in a robust environment. This area is already used for the annual Forage Festival, and could be used further for general visitors interested in a countryside walk in a supported environment. 8.9 A saline lagoon has been created in the clay pits at Gold Point. Depending on how the bird interest develops, this may present further opportunities for bird watching. The route to the hide would be about a mile, and would cross Crighton s Heath (which is Open Access). A circular walk would require a board walk over vulnerable mires and careful positioning to ensure screening from Arne Bay. The old clay pit track would offer fine views over Arne and Poole Harbour. Opening a route into an area currently very little used would potentially encourage further access onto Arne Heath, as it can be seen from this route. Appropriate path design and signage would need to be developed to reduce this risk. Most is currently not Open Access, but this could change under a review of Open Access land There is currently no public access to The Moors, which is a vulnerable site due to its wetness and the presence of breeding waders. However, proposed realignment work to the river wall opens up opportunities to devise a route across the landwards side of The Moors. This could include screens, a viewing platform and hide to provide views across The Moors. Managed sensitively (e.g. appropriate screening and a ditch on the seaward side) it would increase access to a habitat which is currently difficult to visit without jeopardising the wildlife interest, and would increase structured bird-watching opportunities on the peninsula The creation of new routes at Arne would enrich the visitor experience and potentially result in an overall reduction in the density of visitors. However, if the measures were combined with significantly increased car parking there would potentially be a net increase in density. The balance between car parking and visitor opportunities needs to be addressed in the Arne visitor management plan. Promotion 8.12 Developing a clearer visitor engagement plan for Arne is an important step in helping decide on appropriate levels of promotion. A re-assessment of how RSPB Arne can best contribute to the RSPB s national public engagement objectives in the light of the limits on parking and the potential sensitivity of the habitat and wildlife at Arne should be a key part of this plan, and could include exploring the potential for deploying RSPB staff on other heathland sites within Purbeck. The plan should also assess the appropriateness of the site for national TV coverage, since this inevitably provides massive promotion In view of the difficulties with parking at busy times, we recommend that in order to reduce potential visitor frustrations (and overflow problems), the RSPB develop a live system for alerting people before they arrive that the car park is full. This could be done 51

52 on the Arne website and using social media, so that potential visitors could be alerted via their mobiles. This would help to manage visitor expectations, but would need to be part of a wider heathland strategy (see accompanying report on developing a visitor strategy for Purbeck) so that appropriate information on alternative venues could be provided. Recommendations at Arne 1. Develop a vision for visitor engagement for Arne and use this to inform visitor management planning as part of the overall Arne visitor management plan. 2. Assess the options for developing visitor opportunities at Arne Farm, Over s Fields, Gold Point and The Moors in the light of visitor and nature conservation objectives. 3. Work with partners to ensure the timing of changes at Arne fit with measures needed on adjacent sites (e.g. management of roadside parking). 4. Participate in partnership scheme for on-site visitor engagement staff across the Purbeck Heaths to help achieve RSPB and Wild Purbeck visitor engagement aims (see visitor strategy report). 5. Consider developing an advance warning system for alerting potential visitors when the car park is full as part of a wider heathland strategy (see visitor strategy report). Hartland 8.14 The visitor engagement approach for the Hartland complex is currently very low key by design. While this is appropriate to the spirit of place and fragility of the site, some limited additional measures could both enhance visitor experience and increase the robustness of the site for the future. Changes in visitor numbers and activities may occur because of changes on the Arne Peninsula (including increasing visitor numbers at Arne and management and land use changes), changing perceptions of activities possible on Hartland Moor and new housing in south-east Dorset. These include: An increase in activities such as horse riding and mountain biking away from the bridleway and permitted and promoted routes, which may increase disturbance and damage to tracks, also encouraging path expansion and braiding. Experience elsewhere in Purbeck suggests that trends can develop very quickly. An increase in roadside parking, resulting in increased damage to the verge vegetation and adjacent heath. Diffuse visitor use is harder to manage, with no location to disseminate information to inform choice of routes, information on the special nature and sensitivity of the site and codes of conduct. The removal of roadside fencing as part of a proposed extensive grazing scheme may increase diffuse access onto the heaths from informal parking spaces. It may also 52

53 change visitors perception of the area, as a lack of boundary features can suggest that the area is common land or is open to all without constraint. The removal of coniferous plantation on Slepe Heath is creating a continuous heathland landscape between the Arne and Slepe Roads which is likely to become Open Access following a statutory review of CRoW land (due around 2020), and in the meantime, public perception may be that this area is open access (survey results show that it is already used). The views are good from the ridge top 30, and it is likely to be sought out as a view point by visitors, very many of whom are dog walkers Proposed solutions to these issues include rationalisation of car-parking, an increase in positive on-site face-to-face visitor engagement work, the possible development of new routes, and local community work. Car parking 8.16 The rationalisation of car-parking through opening small, unobtrusive, formal car parks and preventing informal roadside parking potentially has multiple benefits and could: Provide a focal area for the dissemination of information (e.g. routes, events, information on the special nature and sensitivities of the site, seasonal changes to access policies, codes of conduct etc). Focussing visitor access at these points will maximise exposure to chosen information. Prevent further damage to roadside vegetation and impacts associated with diffuse pressure. Provide an opportunity to promoting particular routes which offer a good visitor experience (including viewpoints) while protecting sensitive areas Possible locations (see Map 5) include: A small car park where the Middlebere tramway crosses the Slepe Road. This would be aimed at bird watchers using the hide and less-abled access along tramway, and could possibly be set back from the road. A larger car park on the edge of New Mills Heath at Scotland. This would provide parking for dog walkers, and should be associated with access onto the restoration area and appropriate routes (e.g. a circular walk around the fields and a longer walk linking with the Hartland Way). This may involve removing some, and eventually all, of the fencing that was originally erected to prevent livestock from concentrating on the grassy areas. A car park on Soldiers Road at the entrance to Slepe Heath, which is currently used informally. This will depend on future management of Slepe Heath, but would provide parking for dog walkers wishing to use Stoborough Heath, and potentially an access point onto the ridge at Slepe Heath should access change in the future. A car park on the Arne Road opposite the entrance to Soldier s Road, depending on future access to Slepe Heath and provision of a hide on The Moors

54 8.18 The car parks should be unobtrusive and low key with the minimum of infrastructure to be in keeping with the area. Information panels showing possible routes should be relocated to the car parks. Care should be taken to ensure that net parking is not increased The provision of car parks should be carried out in conjunction with measures to prevent parking along the three heathland roads. Together with plans to install cattle grids this presents opportunities to help create features to help road users realise they are entering a unique area (as is the case in the New Forest). Obtrusive speed restriction and no parking signs would not be appropriate to the low-key approach at Hartland, but a general no stopping sign at the start of the roads, before they enter open country would not be intrusive. Public consultation about changes offers an opportunity to engage with local residents while more subtle approaches than signs can be used to reinforce the impression that road users are entering a special area. An area of alternative green space has been agreed with the local authority as part of Purbeck Local Plan, and will be situated nearby, on the other side of Stoborough village. Promotion of this site, particularly for dog walkers, should be dovetailed with visitor engagement work about Hartland Prevention of roadside car parking will change the carefree ambience of the site, as visitors will no longer be able to pull off the road at will The provision at Sunnyside needs to be improved. At the time of writing the car park is blocked with heaps of gravel and farm machinery. The layout of the site is in any case confusing and perhaps off-putting for first-time visitors, and signs could be improved. Face to face visitor engagement work 8.22 While it is recommended that visitor engagement infrastructure at Hartland should remain low-key in keeping with its spirit of place, a greater presence of on-site visitor engagement staff would have benefits in promoting first-hand experience of wildlife (seeing elusive heathland species and learning more about heathland habitats) and encouraging responsible use (e.g. dogs on leads in the breeding season, no fires, mountain bikes and horse riders on permitted routes). Suggested ways of increasing onsite presence are discussed in the Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Strategy. Engaging with local dog walkers could also be an effective means of increasing awareness about the special nature of the site. New routes 8.23 In the long term Slepe Heath is likely to become Open Access, and may offer the potential for new routes. Creating routes, rather than allowing them to become established through use, offers the opportunity to locate them in a way that will minimise impact to wildlife while maximising visitor enjoyment A walking route from a potential new, small car park on Soldier s Road would offer superb views over Poole Harbour and the Arne Peninsula. Provision of a dedicated family-friendly mountain bike route could cater for the interest in using the site in a 54

55 manageable way (e.g. a chosen, appropriately surfaced route with natural screening as appropriate and no access onto other tracks on site) Measures should be taken to have the redundant pylon line across the central mire of Hartland Moor removed from future OS maps, as it appears this is currently being misinterpreted as a track. Recommendations at Hartland 1. Create small low key car parks on the Arne, Slepe and Soldiers Roads and redesign facilities at Sunnyside 2. Prevent informal parking along these roads by appropriate means (e.g. extending the use of dragons teeth or banks and ditches and use of signs at entry points) 3. Use the opportunity for public consultation presented by (2) and the installation of cattle grids to increase awareness of the special nature and requirements of the site and influence behaviour 4. Provide improved interpretation with information on the special nature and vulnerability of the site, with routes, links to codes of conduct and other sites (see Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Strategy for more information) 5. Increase on-site face-to-face interpretation through partnership working 6. In the long term explore proactively creating new visitor routes on Slepe Heath. Small-scale measures 7. Remove pylon line from OS maps 8. Talk to local horse-riders about existing provision 9. Ensure surface of Middlebere Tramway remains suitable for less-abled access Wareham Forest 8.26 Visitor engagement elements (including promotion and availability of information) are sparse in Wareham Forest, which is nonetheless the busiest case study area. While a low key approach is currently a defining characteristic of the site, there is scope for some appropriate development which could enhance visitor experience within the Forest; contribute to reducing recreational impacts elsewhere, and contribute to increasing visitors and local peoples appreciation and understanding of the natural environment. Development of a facility at the Sika car park A mobile facility or an eco-build appropriate to the site would provide a focus for visitor engagement work, which is currently lacking. In addition to enhancing the experience of existing visitors, it could attract young families to the Forest. It would provide a place 55

56 to supplement available information on the wildlife and habitats of the sites and maps and routes. It could include a regular wildlife sightings board, space for advertisement about Forest events, and a focal point for visitor engagement work. It could also include a cafe. Outdoor education for children 8.28 Visitors to Wareham Forest are predominantly local, and in the long term, these education measures offer a powerful way to influence the local perception of the forest and the wider area, including understanding and appreciation of heathland and forest wildlife Wareham Forest has great potential for forest school activities which, in the highly designated Purbeck landscape, tend to be relegated to rather fringe sites. These can include regular sessions for pre-school and school groups, and out-of-school sessions, and may have a fixed base or work on a pop-up basis. Wareham Forest is ideally located close to Wareham, and offers relatively robust but suitable habitat. Proactive work to promote the site for forest schools should be aimed at local forest school providers 31,32, local pre-schools and schools (four Purbeck primary schools are currently receiving forest schools training through the Purbeck NIA) A current trend in pre-school provision is an increase in outdoor-based Scandinavian style kindergartens (for example Kids love nature based at the Avon Heath visitor centre 33, with another proposed for Durlston). Some of these have fixed, indoor accommodation, others have more temporary shelter (e.g. Edmondsham Outdoor Nursery and Forest School 34 ). There are currently three pre-school nurseries within the Wareham area, but none of them is outdoor based or offer a time in a forest environment. In addition to forest school sessions, it would be worth exploring the potential for opening an outdoor kindergarten, which should be outdoor based, not just include outdoor time in its schedule. Increased visitor engagement measures 8.31 While there are FC staff based at Wareham Forest with the natural history and people skills necessary for good quality visitor engagement work, staff time constraints mean this is currently very limited. A partnership approach across the Purbeck Heaths could increase the amount of on-site face-to-face engagement work within Wareham Forest, enriching visitors experience while helping to change attitudes toward the site and potentially damaging behaviours. With such measures in place, Wareham Forest would potentially be a more robust site which could reduce the pressure on sensitive sites Additional way-marked routes would increase the accessibility of the site to visitors who are not familiar with it. A sensitive approach is needed so that current informal routes are not jeopardised, as landowners are not necessarily in favour of providing permissive routes

57 8.33 Site users have expressed concern over the continuity of cycle routes in the forest. Gore Heath is used informally by mountain bikers and dog walkers, and has been proposed as a site for mineral extraction 35. An area at Woolsbarrow adjacent to the Sika Trail bike routes has been proposed for ball-clay extraction 36, and mountain bikers are concerned about how this may affect their use of the route. Alternatives should be provided should these areas become unavailable Concerns have been raised over the amount of dog mess, particularly in heavily used areas such as Lawson s Clump. FC may wish to consider re-visiting its stick and flick policy and provide more dog bins With car parks and relatively robust areas, Wareham Forest offers a good location for promoted events for recreational users aimed at enriching their experience on site by expanding their understanding of the wildlife and landscape, of management (e.g. cattle grazing) and helping to promote responsible use. These are most likely to be successful if focused on user groups (e.g. dog walkers) or themes (e.g. seasonal festival). Wareham Forest and Heath 8.36 Wareham Forest already contains significant areas of heathland habitats, and a further 638 ha of heathland recreation is underway. Recognising the importance of the heathland within the forest in the name could contribute to a change in the local perception of the forest as something of a scenic outdoor playground and dog walking park to an areas of importance for wildlife with opportunities for outdoor activities and dog walking. The word heathland has many associations, and it is hoped that work over the Purbeck heaths will help encourage positive associations of meaningful experience of wildlife and wild places and corresponding understanding and appreciation of the vulnerability of some elements of heathland habitats. Other alternatives include the name Wareham Forest Heath, or one or more of the original heath names in use before the site was afforested (Northport Heath, Morden Heath, Decoy Heath, Gore Heath, Bloxworth Heath etc.) ection-s

58 Recommendations at Wareham Forest 1. Develop a facility (e.g. a family-friendly cafe) to provide a focus for visitor engagement work and to attract families with young children 2. Promote use of site to pre-schools, primary schools and local Forest Schools for outdoor learning to enhance local appreciation of the site and wider environment 3. Explore potential for outdoor nursery 4. Increase on-site face-to-face interpretation through partnership working including holding themed events 5. Consider using this more robust site to absorb some of the recreational pressure from elsewhere on the Purbeck heaths as part of a Purbeck heathland project (see visitor strategy report), which would require increased staff/volunteer/partner presence 6. Provide additional interpretation and route information at key access points 7. Explore the potential for more way marked routes and safeguard and enhance provision for off-road cycling 8. Consider change to flick and stick policy and provision of more dog bins 9. Consider a name change e.g. Wareham Forest and Heath Greenlands Farm 8.37 Greenlands Farm initially appears to offers potential for the development of visitor engagement facilities of some kind, as it is on relatively robust habitat, there are already buildings, it is at a pinch point where visitor access is focussed, and it offers good views of the surrounding landscape. However, although robust in itself, surrounding habitats are vulnerable to recreational pressure. In particular, increased access to Brand s Bay is highly undesirable from a conservation perspective, as it will increase disturbance to wildfowls and waders feeding and roosting in the bay, one of few remaining relatively undisturbed areas in Poole Harbour. This is a particularly vulnerable location, and is not considered a suitable location for promoting general recreational access Two-way vehicular access would be difficult at Greenlands, which restricts opportunities to use the site as a visitor hub. The majority of visitors are currently cyclists passing through, who are unlikely to stop, limiting potential to engage with visitors. Recommendations are that the property is continued to be used for volunteer accommodations, or is developed as a holiday cottage. It has some potential as a field classroom, although this is provided at a more convenient location near Knoll Beach. 58

59 8.39 The shoreline of Brand s Bay adjacent to Greenlands Farm would benefit from measures to decrease disturbance. These could include low-key signs, increased wardening presence to help visitors experience and appreciated the wildlife value of the site and to encourage dogs to be kept on leads, discourage canoe launching and help with avoidance of fires. It may be possible to reduce access to the shoreline by encouraging a path inland from the beach, screened by gorse (e.g. with temporary fencing). Improved interpretation and information near access points from the ferry could help promote responsible behaviour. Organised mountain biking events sometimes use routes close to the shore, which should be set back onto the bridleway east of Ferry Road Recommendations for a heathland visitor hub are presented in the Wild Purbeck NIA Visitor Strategy together with suggestions for integrated visitor engagement work across the Purbeck heaths. Options for future use of the whole Studland Peninsula will be considered in work currently being commissioned by NT. Recommendations at Greenlands Farm 1. Greenlands offers more limited visitor engagement opportunities than initial consideration suggests due to the vulnerability of the surrounding habitat and access constraints. The farmhouse could be developed as a holiday cottage, or there may be potential for a field classroom. 2. Measures to decrease disturbance to Brand s Bay are needed. Dovetailing visitor management at the three sites 8.41 Site managers of the three case studies are already talking about working more closely with each other. While allowing the identity of each site and the profile and branding of the relevant organisation to remain unaffected, a cross boundary approach would provide a more resilient framework for visitor management across the Purbeck heaths. Key opportunities include using the strengths and opportunities offered by particular sites and organisations to benefit all sites; and developing consistent messaging. For example: Using the strengths of particular organisations to benefit all sites, e.g. a partnership approach to heathland visitor engagement work could see experienced RSPB staff working at other sites. Making the most of the strengths and opportunities presented by specific sites in a way that will have a positive impact on other site, e.g. building relations with dog walkers through tailored events at Wareham Forest. Developing resources at more robust sites to protect more vulnerable areas e.g. working to meet the needs of mountain bikers at Wareham Forest the need for them to use other heathland sites. Consistent messaging about heathland codes of conduct. While sites may differ in their exact requirements, aligned messages will help reinforce common themes (e.g. dog control, dealing with dog waste). 59

60 Improved information at each site about other sites, e.g. suggestions of where else to go, recommendations about which sites are most suitable for particular recreational activities or wildlife experiences. This should include both site-based and event-specific information. Co-ordination of events would ensure dates do not clash, help promotion of individual events, and provide the opportunity of a joined-up programme covering different aspects at different sites as appropriate (e.g. dog walkers events, heathland management events, nightjar walks, reptile walks, moth-trapping etc.). Increasing communication and support between partners e.g. when changes at one site (e.g. parking or dog policies) may result in additional pressure on another site Sharing best practice about new challenges presented by evolving recreational activities 60

61 Map 5: Recommendations for the Arne Peninsula and Greenlands Farm 61

62 Map 6: Visitor management recommendations for Wareham Forest 62