Historic HIKES

A walk can reveal the fascinating countryside surrounding the UK’s incredible ancient monuments

- ANDREW SHAW

THE SITE Stonehenge

Wiltshire is set in a landscape that is full of important archaeology – from burial grounds to ceremonial pathways. To explore this amazing World Heritage Site, the National Trust has put together a number of walking routes across the surrounding chalk downlands. Ranging from three to five miles, the walks pass through areas that are rich in wildlife and allow you to see lesser-known parts of the site. The Neolithic settlement at Durrington Walls may have had hundreds of houses, potentially making it the largest village in north-west Europe at the time. At New King Barrows, near an impressive line of 200-year-old beech trees, you’ll find Bronze Age burial mounds. With stunning views of Stonehenge, it’s a wonderful area to stop for a picnic. The walks are graded as easy, though surfaces may be uneven and sloping. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Parking is available on site, though at peak periods there is a charge to non-members of the National Trust and English Heritage.