Parsonage Down National Nature Reserve
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Overview
Parsonage Down NNR near Winterbourne Stoke is a traditional downland working farm, owned and managed by Natural England. The reserve is notable for its array of summer wildflowers, with over 150 species being recorded. These include salad burnet, dropwort, devil’s bit scabious and knapweed. Orchids are also abundant with burnt tip, green-winged, frog, fragrant and pyramidal all being recorded on the site. Anthills cover the old downland meadows, and green woodpeckers feed on the anthills, which are the favoured site for plants such as thyme and rockrose. The highest point of the reserve contains some areas of scrub vegetation, and these support birds such as yellowhammer and turtle dove, with lapwing and grey and red-legged partridge also breeding on the downland. Over-wintering birds include golden plover, redwing and fieldfare, and during the spring and autumn migrations, wheatears and whinchats stop over on the Down. The site is also home to mammals such as badgers, deer and foxes.
About the area
Wiltshire’s charm lies in the beauty of its countryside, with expansive chalk landscapes of the Marlborough and Pewsey downs and miles of uninterrupted views deep into Dorset, Somerset and the Cotswolds. Stroll through quaint timbered and thatched villages in the southern Woodford and Avon valleys and explore the historic streets of the stone villages of Lacock, Castle Combe and Sherston.
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Nearby places to stay
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Nearby places to stay
Stonehenge Campsite & Glamping Pods
This small campsite is split into three areas and has good, modern toilets and showers, a laundry facility and a shop for essentials. The lower end of the site has hardstandings for car...
The Great Bustard
Behind the Great Bustard's smartly presented 19th-century brick façade is a stylishly revived and renovated restaurant with rooms. Walk through the cosy bar with its open fire to the op...
The George
Dating from 16th-century, and now Grade 2-listed, The George is centrally located in Amesbury. Stonehenge and Salisbury are right on the doorstep. This charming property is most welcomi...
Burcombe Manor B&B
Located in the village of Burcombe, only five miles west of Salisbury, Burcombe Manor is a family home set at the edge of a 1300-acre farm with views out over the water meadows. Bedroom...
Manor Farm Teffont
Cool pet-friendly holiday cottages in a sustainable country setting...
Enford House Cottage
Enford House Cottage is part of Grade II listed 18th-century vicarage, found to the northeast of Salisbury Plain. There’s a lovely thatched walled garden and the cottage is a stroll awa...
Enford House Cottage
Enford House Cottage is part of Grade II listed 18th-century vicarage, found to the northeast of Salisbury Plain. There’s a lovely thatched walled garden and the cottage is a stroll awa...
Coombe Touring Park
Coombe Touring Park is a very neat and attractive site adjacent to the racecourse with views over the downs. The park is well landscaped with shrubs and maturing trees, and the very col...
