‘The greatest biodiversity in England’ – a wander through the Isle of Purbeck ‘super’ nature reserve

28.05.2024 - 11:27 / theguardian.com

Mike Leigh’s brilliant 1976 Dorset-based comedy Nuts in May begins with Keith and Candice-Marie taking the chain ferry from Sandbanks across the mouth of Poole harbour to the Isle of Purbeck, where they camp, visit Corfe Castle, walk along the mighty Jurassic coastline and end up in an altercation with a young Brummie couple called Finger and Honky. For me, watching Nuts in May is an annual tradition, as is visiting the peninsula where it was filmed. Most of us have places for which we feel a particularly strong pull; one of mine is Purbeck. And since this peninsula’s recent status as England’s first “super” nature reserve, I’m beginning to understand why.

Being a relatively remote peninsula, Purbeck has seen little major development over the past 70 years, despite its south coast location. On a human scale, the landscape is relatively unchanged since Keith and Candice-Marie’s ill-fated camping trip half a century ago. Behind the scenes, however, years of conservation work from seven organisations – including the National Trust, RSPB, Dorset Wildlife Trust and Natural England – has led to the creation of a near-continuous jigsaw of restored habitats, making it the UK’s first designated super nature reserve, running clockwise from Brownsea Island and the Studland peninsula to Arne, further west on Poole harbour.

The removal of fences has allowed for continuous grazing: pigs, cattle, ponies, donkeys have free rein across 1,300 hectares; don’t be surprised to see them lazing on the roads, woodlands and in the heathland. This work, combined with Purbeck’s broad mix of habitats – from the limestone cliffs at Durlston and Kimmeridge to downland, heathland, the harbour and sandy beaches – have led to this peninsula being cited as having the greatest biodiversity in England. According to Peter Robertson, senior site manager at RSPB Arne, while most conservation work is based around slowing the decline of biodiversity, here it’s actually on the rise.

The crowning glory of Purbeck’s biodiversity – and an area often overlooked by visitors – is the northern peninsula of Arne, which combines healthland, ancient woods, secluded beaches, estuaries and the southern reaches of Poole harbour. Here it is hoped that ospreys and white-tailed eagles will breed this year. The RSPB reserve is a great place to see other raptors, including harriers and goshawks, as well as waders, spoonbills, terns and ground-nesting reptiles and birds such as nightjars, stone chats, sand lizards and woodlarks. On a late warm spring or summer evening the churring of nightjars is a common sound; to encounter these prehistoric-looking birds makes for an enchanting experience. A good place to see them is Hyde’s Heath at dusk. On a different part