Prescombe Down National Nature Reserve

The chalk downland here rolls north of Salisbury in proper waves of grass and wildflowers - it's the kind of landscape that makes you understand why people get obsessed with Wiltshire's countryside. Prescombe Down itself is a straightforward walk across open grassland, nothing complicated about it, and that's exactly the appeal. You get wide views across the chalkland, plenty of space, and the genuine feeling that you've left something behind.

This is a nature reserve first and foremost, so expect to see birds - skylarks especially - and if you time it right with spring and early summer, the wildflowers absolutely transform the hillside. Walkers make up the core audience here; it's not a spot for long scrambles or dramatic vistas, but rather for people who actually want to walk and observe rather than photograph themselves at a landmark.

The reserve is free to access, and you can spend anything from forty minutes to a couple of hours depending on how much you want to potter about. The walking is gentle enough for families with older children, though it's exposed so weather matters.

If you're camping at Chalke Valley Camping just two miles away or Marshwood Farm Camping a bit further off, this makes a natural morning or afternoon wander before heading back for a proper meal. The Salisbury area has several chalk downland reserves within easy reach, so you could easily string together a few walks across the region without too much driving.