Pillow Mound

A raised mound of earth sitting in the Hampshire countryside near Petersfield, Pillow Mound is one of those sites that rewards curiosity more than it demands it. The thing is actually an artificial warren - built sometime in the medieval period to farm rabbits for meat and fur, which was a proper business back then. What you're looking at is essentially an early form of intensive farming, just with rabbits instead of chickens.

It's not going to blow your mind visually. The mound itself is fairly modest, the kind of thing you might walk past without realising what it is. But that's rather the point - once you understand what you're standing on, it becomes genuinely interesting. Medieval people were surprisingly practical about food production, and this is archaeological evidence of that ingenuity.

Walkers will find this worthwhile as part of a longer loop around the area. It's the sort of stop you make because you're passing through, not the sort of destination you drive an hour to reach on its own. Families with older kids who enjoy a bit of history might get something from it; younger children will likely ask why you've stopped at a bump in a field.

There's no visitor infrastructure that I'm aware of - no café, no visitor centre, no entry fee. Just the mound itself. The nearby glamping options at Adhurst Yurts or Wallops Wood would make for a proper base if you're combining this with other walking in the South Downs area. Allow ten minutes maximum here, then push on to somewhere with better views.