メルクシャムウィズアウトの天然記念物・トップ10

A stunning area to explore. Chalk tracks aplenty. Watch out for cyclists, especially if you have a dog, the bikers can be speedy.

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

A must do off road tour

Morgan's Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and hilltop vantage point where you can enjoy commanding views over Cherhill Down and the plains of north Wiltshire.

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.

Erected in 1859, the Three Shires Stones mark the point where Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire meet. Although the marking is pretty impressive, it's nestled at the side of the main road, part of the Fosse Way, so it's easy to miss. It's said that the stones were once part of an ancient burial 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.

The Devizes Millennium White Horse is one of the most recent chalk figures cut in the UK, created in 1999. It sits up on an escarpment on Roundway Hill just north of Devizes and it's easily accessible by multiple footpaths and bridleways. You can view the horse from the south as well as from neighbouring Milk Hill. It's one of many past and present chalk horses on Wiltshire's hills.