RURAL ENGLAND at its very best “One of Britain’s best kept secrets” 44 #timeforwiltshire > Martinsell Hill
Cranborne Chase > Historic milestone > Pewsey Vale > Savernake Forest What view did you wake up to this morning? Chances are it wasn’t as stunning as those that abound in Wiltshire’s glorious countryside. Newborn lambs taking their first unsteady steps. Shadows of hay bales lengthening in the setting sun. Blankets of mist floating low over meadows. Frost glistening on mighty standing stones. Wiltshire is a county for all seasons. The perfect antidote to overcrowded cities. Easy to explore, yet off the beaten track, Wiltshire is an enchanted place where you feel close to the earth and the ever-changing big skies. As the landscape’s mood alters with the seasons and light changes the texture of the hills, you feel connected not just to nature, but to time itself. Almost half the landscape lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the Cotswolds, where dry stone walls, narrow winding lanes and honey-coloured villages meld seamlessly into rolling hills. In Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs, which stretch in a giant undulating swathe across the south of the county. In the North Wessex Downs and Vale of Pewsey where the lush meadows and more austere expanses of upland are a nationally protected landscape. Crop circles are a much-debated feature of the landscape too. Head for the Crop Circle Exhibition and Information Centre in Honeystreet – now open all year round – to ponder the meaning of these mysterious formations. Whether you are walking, cycling or travelling by car, miles of ancient drove roads and quiet country lanes make exploring a pleasure. Look out for charming hamlets, nestling amid rolling, unspoiled countryside. Among them Castle Combe, arguably one of the prettiest villages in England, and the stunning National Trust village of Lacock. There are acres of ancient woodland to be found, too, on the edge of the New Forest National Park and in the Savernake Forest. And always, at the heart of it all, the vast, untouched expanse of Salisbury Plain. An untamed plateau. Sometimes gentle, sometimes wild. Home to rare and endangered species which thrive in the sparsely populated landscape. The 37 nature reserves managed by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust cover a variety of natural habitats. From chalk grassland and woodland to wetland and bog, they are havens for flora and fauna. Lower Moor Farm near Cricklade is a mosaic of lakes, brooks and ponds linked by boardwalks, ancient hedges, woodland and meadows. Langford Lakes between Salisbury and Warminster is the perfect spot for birdwatching enthusiasts. The National Nature Reserve at North Meadow on the outskirts of Cricklade is renowned for its spectacular display of rare Snakeshead Fritillaries during April. While West Woods near Marlborough and Grovely Wood near Wilton are awash with bluebells in May. Wiltshire is also blessed with outstanding chalk streams and rivers. Flowing south from Pewsey, the River Avon supports an abundant variety of wildlife, including the endangered water vole. The gin-clear waters of the Wylye, Nadder, Bourne and Ebble offer excellent trout fishing and delightful riverside walks. The River Kennet winds through the North Wessex Downs, skirting the prehistoric sites of Avebury and Silbury Hill. Even the young River Thames gets a look in, as it meanders through the north of the county, close to the Saxon town of Cricklade. Wiltshire is calming, comforting, refreshing. If you’re tired of the everyday, it’s time for Wiltshire. To find out more and to book your rural break, go to visitwiltshire.co.uk/accommodation visitwiltshire.co.uk 45