Martlesham Road Park

The reserve sits just outside Salisbury, a proper slice of wildflower meadow and woodland that most tourists heading to Stonehenge completely miss. You get native trees, open grassland dotted with flowers depending on the season, and enough peace and quiet to actually hear yourself think. There's walking through it - nothing strenuous, just straightforward paths that let you wander for twenty minutes or three hours depending on how you fancy it.

Who should go? Anyone tired of crowded heritage sites, really. Families with younger children will manage fine here without the "are we there yet" complaints. Birdwatchers and botanists get proper use out of it, especially if you time visits for spring and early summer. If you're the sort who'd rather sit under a tree than queue for a museum, this is your spot.

It's free to access and there's no timetable fussing - just turn up when it suits you. Allow at least an hour to feel like you've actually been somewhere rather than just popped by. Best visited on a decent weather day obviously, though it's fine enough after rain if you don't mind muddy boots.

If you're camping at Stonehenge Campsite just down the road, this makes a cracking morning walk before heading off to the monument itself. Beats sitting around the caravan drinking cold tea. The two work well together - culture and nature without the effort.