National Trust - Win Green

Win Green sits 910 metres above sea level on the Wiltshire downs, offering proper chalk grassland with views that stretch across three counties on a clear day. It's a National Trust nature reserve that feels properly wild - no visitor centre, no café, just you and the landscape.

The hill fort here dates back Iron Age, though you won't see dramatic earthworks. What you will see are adders, slow worms, and if you time it right, marsh fritillary butterflies. The walking is straightforward but can be exposed when the wind picks up. Allow two hours minimum to do it justice, longer if you're into spotting wildflowers or just want to sit at the top with a flask.

It's the sort of place where you'll actually feel like you've walked somewhere, rather than shuffled around a tourist trail. Not ideal if you've got restless kids - they'll get bored quickly once they've reached the summit. But for anyone serious about downland walking or wanting to understand Wiltshire's landscape properly, it's worth the drive from Shaftesbury.

Free to visit, as you'd expect from the Trust. Combine it with either Gold Hill Glamping or Chalke Valley Camping, both a short drive away, and you've got yourself a proper weekend in proper countryside. Best visited outside school holidays when it's genuinely quiet.