Salisbury Plain

Just a short walk from Green Farm is the edge of Salisbury Plain. The nearest access point is Pear Tree hill.  Notable for its history and the immense variety of plant and bird life it supports, Salisbury Plain is the largest area of untilled chalk downland in northwest Europe.   This is thanks to the stewardship of the Army who continue to use the plain as a training area and have kept the ravages of intensive agriculture at bay. Some 23000 discreet archaeological sites are recorded dating back to neolithic times (4000 - 2000BC). 

The weight of history can make the plain an eerie place.  The old coaching road (A360) from Devizes to Salisbury is said to be haunted by the ghost of highwayman William Boulter, who was hanged in 1778.  Salisbury Plain was also the inspiration for the storm scene in 'King Lear'. A more detailed guide to Salisbury Plain, map and routes around are available from Green Farm.

July is a particularly good month to see kingfishers in and around local rivers, lakes and canals. Young birds are active  perfecting their fishing skills while their parents are busy feeding their second family. Jones's Mill, situated on the outskirts of Pewsey is Wiltshire's only Fenland reserve. The River Avon runs through the reserve on its way to Salisbury. It is a good idea to wear a pair of wellies even on a summer's day as it wet all year round although railway sleeper boardwalks mark the route through a mosaic of habitats.

Things to do in Wiltshire - Bradford on Avon, Castle Combe, Devizes, Cotswold Water Park, Kennet & Avon Canal, Lacock Abbey, Malmesbury, Salisbury, Cathedral, Savernake, Stonehenge, Marlborough, Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge & Avebury, Stourhead, Swindon, Warminster, White Horses, Longleat