Did you know that a ghostly centurion is supposed to haunt a picturesque wood near Dorchester?

A Roman road runs through Thorncombe Wood at Higher Bockhampton with legends of a ghostly centurion who roams upon it!

Thorncombe Wood has been a wonderful feature of the Dorset countryside as far back as the time of famous novelist Thomas Hardy in the 1800s.

His cottage on the edge of the wood looked out on a dense natural world which has become much more managed in modern times with walkways, benches, picnic areas, information points and guides.

The attractive 66-acre site of woodland and heath is managed by Dorset Council as a wildlife reserve for public recreation and education and has been owned by the authority since the 1970s.

It is a noted site for bluebells and has a wide variety of tree types from oak, hazel and ash to beech, sycamore, sweet chestnut and even giant Redwood pines.

Dormice have been recorded together with song thrush, marsh tit and lesser spotted woodpecker, red listed birds of conservation concern which all breed in the wood.

Other wildlife includes night jars, woodpeckers, chiffchaffs, bats, deer, badgers and squirrels.

The ancient art of coppicing is alive and well and helping to contribute to the biodiversity of the wood, opening it up to more light and encouraging the growth of primulas.

There is a small public car park at the entrance to the wood which can be found by taking the Kingston Maurward College turn-off from the Dorchester bypass, travelling three-quarters of a mile and then turning left to Higher Bockhampton before continuing up the hill and turning right in to the site.