Winterbourne Down

The walk up Winterbourne Down rewards you with proper views across the Wiltshire chalk downlands, the kind of landscape that makes you understand why people have settled around Salisbury for millennia. It's not a dramatic peak - more a high point on the rolling downs than anything you'd call a mountain - but that's rather the point. The terrain is open and windswept, covered in short grass and the occasional clump of gorse, and once you're up there the horizons stretch for miles.

Walkers will find this worth the effort, especially those based at Salisbury Hillside Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or Salisbury Camping and Caravanning Club Site, both within easy striking distance. The walk itself is moderate rather than demanding, though it can be muddy after rain and there's no denying the slope. Allow a couple of hours to get up, have a poke around the summit, and come back down again. History buffs will appreciate being out on ancient ground - these downs have been grazed and crossed for thousands of years - though there's not much to see in the way of monuments once you're there.

Families with older children will manage fine. Younger ones might find it a bit of a slog and there's nowhere to shelter if the weather turns, so timing matters. Autumn or spring are lovely - summer can get exposed and a bit warm without shade. It's the sort of place that makes sense as part of a broader walk rather than a destination in itself, a chance to stretch your legs and feel the space around Salisbury rather than hunt for a single spectacular view.