Juniper Down

Getting to the top of Juniper Down rewards you with proper views across the Hampshire countryside - the kind that make you understand why people bother walking up chalk hills in the first place. It's not a massive hike, but the gradient catches you out if you're not prepared, and the summit itself is exposed enough that wind can be a genuine factor on blustery days.

The down takes its name from the juniper scrub that covers patches of the slope, which turns bronze in winter and draws in migrating birds. History types will appreciate that you're walking over chalk downland that's been grazed for millennia - the landscape around Salisbury is basically one enormous open-air museum. The views toward Old Sarum and across to the Test Valley are the real draw here, especially on clear mornings before the haze sets in.

It's an hour's walk up if you're not rushing, maybe forty minutes if you're fit. Free to access, obviously - you're just walking uphill on open ground. The best time is autumn or early spring when it's not baking hot and the visibility is clearer. Families with younger kids might struggle with the steepness unless they're used to hills, but teenagers will handle it fine.

Based near Salisbury, you've got solid camping options close by. Salisbury Hillside is under three miles away and lets you explore this area properly without driving to a different walk each day. The Meadow Glamping, five miles out, offers something more comfortable if you want to mix hiking with actual comfort.