CountrysideHampshire4.7
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Stockbridge Down is an island of old chalk downland rising above the Test Valley a mile east of Stockbridge, looked after by the National Trust from Mottisfont and designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Its open grassland, scrub and wooded margins support more than half of the UK's butterfly species on the spring and summer wildflowers, and over-wintering birds feed and shelter here in the colder months, while the top gives views from Salisbury Plain to the Hampshire coast. The Down holds 14 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, among them Bronze Age burial mounds, earthworks and the ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort, and the Trust's easy 1.5-mile wildlife and history walk from the car park takes them in. Dogs are welcome on a lead or under close control, on a short lead when the free-roaming livestock are about, with dog bins provided. Reviewers come for the butterflies, the wildflowers and the wide views, and rate it a peaceful place for a walk with children in tow. Tips from visitors: parking is free but on the far side of the B3049, so take care crossing, and there are no toilets or refreshments, so come prepared.
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Dog friendly
1.5 miles (2.4km), easy, from Stockbridge Down car park (grid ref SU375346) across the road from the site, over gently climbing slopes with some rough ground; free parking.
