サウスウィックの天然記念物・トップ6

Outstanding views and the perfect place for a midride picnic or chill.

A must do off road tour

Stoney Littleton Long Barrow is a neolithic chambered tomb located in Somerset that dates back to around 3500 BCE. It is thought to be one of the best preserved examples of its kind in the country! Transport yourself to the past and discover its chambered interior, intricate carvings and ancient artefacts.

Cley Hill stands proud of the surrounding flatlands at 244 m high. There is a trig point, awesome views and steep sided trails to run. It's an important area of chalk downland managed by the National Trust for the plants and insects which live here. Cley Hill is also famous for UFO sightings and crop circles, so keep an eye out :-)

The path along this section of the river Frome between Tellisford Mill and Langham Farm where you join a track to Rode is a lovely run. The grassy field is a nice surface, but it does get a bit wet in the winter. The weir is a popular swimming spot but gets very busy in the summer and you aren't allowed to swim here as the weir gets damaged and affects the working of the mill.

The Iron Age hillfort at Bratton Camp was first carved into the chalk downland over 2000 years ago. The earthworks would have protected a settlement of round houses, granaries, storehouses and workshops. Its strategic position would have afforded residents a far-reaching view and advance warning of any potential attackers. But Bratton's human history stretches back even further than the Iron Age. Three thousand years earlier, a Neolithic long barrow existed here, and 19th century excavations unearthed human skeletons and evidence of cremations. Today, this area of chalk grassland is rich in wildlife, including many important plants that provide a habitat for insects, including the rare Adonis Blue butterfly and the scarce forester moth. Visible from many miles around, Westbury White Horse, which lies just below Bratton Camp, was probably originally cut in the late 1600s to commemorate the Battle of Ethandun, which is thought to have taken place at Bratton Camp in AD 878.

This neolithic long barrow is aligned to midwinter sunrise. For several days either side of solstice you can watch the rising sun shining down the central chamber.

There are over 1,200 hillforts in England, most of which occupy fantastic viewpoints and Bratton Camp hillfort is no different. In fact, it has a truly extraordinary vistas from its earthen ramparts. The camp sits just on the ridge between Westbury and Bratton, and immediately above the Westbury White Horse. There's a long barrow within the castle's fortifications estimated to be around 5,000 years old.