Dinton Park and Philipps House

Dinton Park is more than 230 acres of bowl-shaped classical parkland near Salisbury, with beech and sweet chestnut woods holding veteran chestnuts over 250 years old. Overlooking it stands Philipps House, built between 1814 and 1817 for William Wyndham to a strikingly simple Greek-inspired design by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, and renamed after Bertram Philipps bought it. The house is tenanted and not open, but a ha-ha keeps the view across the park uninterrupted. Paths and benches wind through the woods, and from the highest point Salisbury Cathedral's spire shows on a clear day; look too for the small Iron Age hill fort of Wick Ball Camp and the ornamental lake. In the Second World War the American army used the house and Nissen huts filled the park. Reviewers enjoy the peaceful walks and the view of the house. Dogs are welcome on a lead, as cattle often graze. One tip: the car park by St Mary's Church is small; if it is full, come back another time.