Trafalgar Square

The chalk grassland around Trafalgar Square in Wiltshire doesn't look like much at first - no monuments, no crowds, just rolling downland that seems to ripple away towards the horizon. This is proper conservation work: a nature reserve where the chalk-loving plants and insects that once covered much of southern England still cling on. You'll find early spider orchids in spring, marbled white butterflies in high summer, and if you're lucky, the occasional chalk-hill blue dancing across the turf.

Walkers get the most from this place. It's not a destination for a quick photo stop - you need to get out across the grassland, move slowly, and actually look. The views back towards Salisbury are worth the leg work, and on clear days you can see properly far. There are no facilities here and no formal paths, so decent boots and a map are essential. Most people allow an hour or two depending on how much ground they want to cover.

It works brilliantly if you're based at Salisbury Hillside Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite, just four and a half miles away. Combine it with a morning walk and you've got a morning sorted. The reserve is free to access, though the land is privately owned so respect any signs. Spring and early summer are the obvious times - the wildflowers and insects are what make it worth the trip. Winter's bleak and honestly a bit forgettable.