Dorset Badger Watch
Old Henley Farm Buckland Newton Dorset DT2 7BL
Badgers are not always a farmer's best friend, but this farm in deepest rural Dorset has decided to exploit rather than fight Britain's cutest larger mammals. You are taken to a hide facing an overgrown bank, from where at around dusk, badgers slowly emerge to feed at a grassy area in front of the hides. The badgers here are, of course, totally wild so you never know when they'll appear, or how many, but sightings are almost guaranteed unless the weather is awful, and if you're really lucky in spring you can also see their cubs. The hides are comfortable enough, with lighting for you to read or take notes, and you can stay until midnight if you have the inclination: the animals don't seem to mind the fact the area around the hides is lit up. As well as badgers, you can spot various other wild beasties such as foxes, owls, bats and hares, but it's probably the striped noses of the badgers that will linger longest in the memory.
