Stowell Park

The chalk downland around Stowell Park near Marlborough is proper walking territory. You're talking about open grassland, scrub, and the kind of light that makes you understand why painters come here. It's a nature reserve, so the whole point is the landscape itself - wildflowers in summer, good bird spotting if you know what you're looking for, and the sort of views that stretch for miles across Wiltshire.

This isn't a manicured garden or a visitor centre with a gift shop. You turn up, you walk, you look around. Walkers will get the most from it, particularly anyone who enjoys chalk downland ecology or just wants a proper stretch of the legs without the crowds you'd find at the more famous beauty spots. If you've got kids, they'll need to be the type who enjoy rambling rather than the "are we there yet" variety - there's no playground, no facilities, just good honest countryside.

The nearest town is Marlborough, which makes this a decent add-on to a wider Wiltshire walking trip. If you're based at one of the nearby campsites - Hillview Park is less than a mile away, or Totteridge Farm if you want pods rather than tents - you can be here in minutes. Allow a couple of hours to do it justice, longer if you're methodical about the wildlife.

Best visited in late spring or early summer when the chalk downland flowers are out. Winter's fine too if you want solitude and dramatic skies.