Forest bathing at Powerstock Common

Powerstock Common is a 112-hectare Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve near Toller Porcorum, part of the Kingcombe National Nature Reserve since 2021. It is a mosaic of lowland oak and ash woodland, wet woodland, small copses, ponds and grassland. Old conifer plantations have been removed and the land is being returned to open wood pasture, grazed by cattle all year. A disused railway runs through the reserve, entering under an old railway bridge.

The car park at the entrance takes only about three cars, with a little more space further up the track. Two marked circular walks start there, and there are bridleways and open access. The old railway line gives level, partly gravelled walking suitable for off-road wheelchairs; elsewhere the ground is rough, wet in places, and uneven. Cattle may be anywhere on site, and dogs must be on a lead. It is a quiet, out-of-the-way place with no facilities.