Salisbury

Five thousand years of history converge on this chalk downland, where ancient monuments dot rolling hills just a stone's throw from one of England's finest cathedral cities. Salisbury's towering spire - the tallest in Britain - dominates the landscape for miles around, but step beyond the medieval streets and you're into proper Wiltshire countryside. The chalk downs stretch endlessly, scattered with Bronze Age barrows and Iron Age hill forts that predate even the famous stones up the road.

Urchnont Hill offers cracking views across the Salisbury Plain, where military training shares space with some of the country's most important archaeological sites. It's a landscape that feels both ancient and alive. The National Trust looks after White Barrow, one of many Neolithic burial mounds that pepper these hills like monuments to forgotten kings.

Salisbury itself punches well above its weight. The cathedral's 123-metre spire has been guiding travellers since 1320, and the close around it feels like stepping back centuries. Market days still bring proper bustle to the town centre, though midweek it's refreshingly unhurried.

Getting here couldn't be easier - direct trains from London Waterloo take just over an hour, and the A303 sweeps you straight onto the Plain from the M3. Staying at one of the local camping spots like Stonehenge Campsite & Glamping puts you right in the heart of this ancient landscape. You'll wake to skylarks instead of traffic, with Stonehenge, Old Sarum, and a dozen other historic sites all within easy striking distance.