Pepperbox Hill

Pepperbox Hill commands the high point of the chalk ridge six miles south-east of Salisbury beside the A36, and on top stands Eyre's Folly, an early brick folly of the 17th century thought to have been built by Giles Eyre of Brickworth House. Nobody is sure what it was for: a viewpoint for ladies following the hunt, a haunt for highwaymen and a Home Guard lookout have all been suggested, and today it is bricked up and admired from outside. Around it a mosaic of scrub and grassland supports orchids, juniper and yew woodland, and the chalk downland next door is one of Wiltshire's significant sites for rare butterflies including the Duke of Burgundy, kept in trim by a herd of local cattle brought in by the rangers. A circular route around the site follows an uneven, sloping grass path. Reviewers come for the views, with Salisbury Cathedral's spire picked out by the toposcope on the hillside. Tips from visitors: the byway up from the A36 is steep, unsurfaced and pothole-riddled, the free car park of about 20 spaces has a 2-metre height barrier, so bigger vehicles must stay on the main road, and check for ticks afterwards.