West Wiltshire Downs

Set in and around an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the edge of Salisbury Plain the rolling chalk hills of the West Wiltshire Downs and Cranborne Chase are a very special place to walk.

Your walks will take you across high downland ridges with far reaching views, through verdant broadleaf woodland and along the beautiful Wylye Valley, visiting attractive villages such as Heytesbury, Corton, Sherrington, Knook, Ashmore, Tollard Royal and Bratton with their thatched cottages, historic churches and fine manor houses.

 

Gate surrounded by cow parsley, leading into a path through fields of cops

 

There is a tremendous amount of visible prehistory on the Wiltshire Downs, and you will see numerous burial mounds, ancient field systems and flint workings. You will walk around the battlements of two of Britain's finest iron-age hillforts and visit the Westbury White Horse below Bratton Camp, close to the site where King Alfred defeated the Danes in AD878.

 

Deciduous woodland with a carpet of bluebells

 

The airy downland ridges provide a hunting ground for numerous birds of prey and the chalk soil supports a stunning quantity and variety of wild flowers - many comparatively rare - which in their turn attract a great variety of butterflies. There are flowers throughout the spring and summer, but for the best chance of seeing a mass of orchids visit in early June.

Bed & Breakfast option

Your holiday in the West Wiltshire Downs will be based at a comfortable family-run guest house in the attractive village of Stourton on the National Trust' Stourhead Estate. Your room will have ensuite bathroom facilities  and you will have a choice of continental or full English breakfast served in the adjacent inn. Stourton has an excellent inn serving meals in the evening, whilst surrounding towns and villages, also have a number of quality restaurants and inns.

Dinner, Bed & Breakfast option

Your holiday in the West Wiltshire Downs will be based at the historic Spread Eagle Inn in the estate village of Stourton. The attractive bedrooms are furnished with items from the National Trust's antique collection which combine seamlessly with modern comforts. The food at the Spread Eagle is excellent, with the vast majority sourced from the Stourhead estate itself, other local producers and other National Trust estates. In summer you can round off dinner by joining the resident peacocks for a walk around the lake, and in winter enjoy the warmth of a roaring log fire in the comfortable and welcoming bar. All bedrooms have ensuite bathroom facilities.

What's included in the price of this holiday?

WWD map

Bed & Breakfast
Holiday Options

Easy Easy
Code:WWDSB3
Grade:Easy - Moderate
Nights:3
Price:£455.00
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Easy Easy
Code:WWDSB5
Grade:Easy - Moderate
Nights:5
Price:£695.00
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Easy Easy
Code:WWDSB7
Grade:Easy - Moderate
Nights:7
Price:£845.00
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Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Holiday Options

Easy Easy
Code:WWDSH3
Grade:Easy - Moderate
Nights:3
Price:£565.00
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Easy Easy
Code:WWDSH5
Grade:Easy - Moderate
Nights:5
Price:£925.00
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Easy Easy
Code:WWDSH7
Grade:Easy - Moderate
Nights:7
Price:£1,175.00
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Currency Converter: All of our prices are in British pounds. To estimate the cost in another currency use the currency converter here.

Travel information
Rail: Warminster
Onward travel: Public bus or taxi

more travel information

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