Woodminton Down

The walk up Woodminton Down rewards you with proper views across the Chalke Valley - that's the real draw here. It's chalk downland, so the going's straightforward enough, and on a clear day you can see for miles across the wiltshire countryside. Nothing fancy, no visitor centre or café, just grass and space and the kind of quiet you don't get near Salisbury.

This is one for walkers who like a gentle ramble rather than a serious hike. Forty minutes up and down, depending on your pace, and you'll have earned a proper sense of having got somewhere. On a sunny afternoon it's lovely - the downland has that exposed, windswept feel that makes you remember why people bothered to settle around here in the first place.

Families with younger kids might find it a bit one-note after twenty minutes - there's not much to do once you've reached the top except look at the view and turn back. Older children and proper walkers will get more from it. The nearby Chalke Valley Camping, less than a mile away, makes this an easy add-on to a park holiday - you can be up and down before lunch if you time it right.

It's free and there's no formal access issues. Best visited when the weather's settled, because on a grey day it's just wet grass without the payoff.