Situated next to the A35 road between Dorchester and Poole; the forest provides a home for sika deer, the Dartford warbler and a population of sand lizards.

The fire severed the road from Wareham to Bere Regis and exploded ammunition left behind from Second World War troop manoeuvres.

[1] The photograph accompanying the Life piece shows fire-fighters trying to counteract the blaze, which saw flames leap to over 150 feet in height.

[4] A track that passes through the site comprises part of the 'Wareham Forest Way', a walk that leads from Wareham to Sturminster Marshall.

[9] In 2006 the Journal of Zoology published the results of a nine-year study that looked into the breeding frequency of the site's smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca).