Cottages in North Wessex Downs

Set your holidays within Britain’s most beautiful landscapes. Surround yourself on rolling green hills and stay in a traditional cottage at any of the postcard villages around this AONB. The area is united by a single factor - chalk! Enjoy your time in this designated protected landscape. Find your ideal cottage and explore the community, heritage and conservation of North Wessex Downs.

Stay with family, friends, your partner or on your own. You can find the right cottage for a fantastic stay. Modern and traditional cottages for six, four, two and even one person are waiting to be booked. Child-friendly gardens, cosy lounges and bedrooms, open-plan kitchens, swimming pools and nice outdoor areas to enjoy a good book, have a diner al fresco or simply enjoy the views. Start packing and get your cottage now!

The outdoors in The North Wessex Downs is the most appealing feature of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The landscape draws in hundreds of nature lovers wishing to cycle, walk, run or go horse riding along the several bridleways, footpaths and trails. The area is popular for the most beautiful scenery but also for the popular Watership Down that you can explore either on foot or cycling off-road down the Watership Down Trail and the Whitchurch Trail. Explore the Blackwater Valley, the Blackwater Valley Path or enjoy visiting Highclere Castle, The Vyne or Whitchurch Silk Mill.

The North Wessex Downs is a true paradise for those who love walking and being outdoors. There are a number of long-distance paths you can choose from in the North Wessex Downs AONB, including certain parts of the Lambourn Valley Way and the Ridgeway. Enjoy a 20-mile-long walk along Lambourn Valley Way or choose the Ridgeway National Trail that travels for 68km (42¼ miles) along the side of the North Wessex Downs. The area also includes the Test Way (73km/45 miles), Great Stones Way (58.5km/36 miles), the Wayfarer’s Walk (114km/71 miles) and the White Horse Trail, a route that takes you to all eight white-horse hill figures within Wiltshire. The Brenda Parker Way is a 126km (78 mile) route between Andover and Aldershot. There is no shortage of routes, right? Come and see it by yourself!

There are a few white horses of interest in the area but there is also the oldest one in the country! This 3000-year-old galloping figure of the Uffington White Horse encountered in Walk 11 might be the most well-known white horse in England. This white horse was first mentioned in a mediaeval manuscript from Abingdon Abbey, and it was carved around 3000 years ago in the Bronze Age. Legends also surround the horse. According to legend, the flat-topped mound of Dragon Hill, beneath the White Horse, is where St George is reputed to have killed the dragon and The Manger, on the left side is where the White Horse goes to eat.

Avebury is the site of one of the largest henge monuments in Britain and can be enjoyed in Walk 18. Dating from 2600 BC, the most impressive feature at Avebury is the large henge. This type of Neolithic earthwork consists of a circular or oval outer bank and an inner ditch (unlike a defensive Iron Age hill fort, which has an inner bank and outer ditch). Within this structure is an outer stone circle, one of Europe’s largest stone circles, originally marked with 98 sarsen stones, as well as two smaller stone circles and part of the present village. Along with Stonehenge, the Avebury henge and associated sites have been designated a World Heritage Site. Linking the henge with The Sanctuary is the West Kennet Avenue, which originally consisted of 100 pairs of standing stones.

If you love visiting beautiful and unique villages, head to East Hendred and admire the brick and timber-framed houses, or the Tudor brickwork at the village shop. Visit the Church of St Augustine of Canterbury and look for the hidden, faceless clock - one of the oldest clocks in England! Pay close attention because every 3 hours plays the ‘Angel’s song’ by Orlando Gibbons. Another village to visit is picturesque Lambourn. Enjoy a walk around St Michael and all Angels Church or go to the Market Place and the red-brick castellated entrance to the Isbury Almshouses, just behind the church.

Make the most of your holidays and be in touch with nature. Explore the Great West Way and its beautiful and inspiring Bowood House and gardens. Enjoy the views of the magnificent lake and get some inspiration for your own garden! Go to Westonbirt, The National Arboretum and enjoy a guided walk around this stunning area. Forget about noises, traffic jams and evade daily life surrounded by these incredible landscapes.

The Kennet & Avon Canal opened in the early 1800s. Enjoy the views and walk along this beautiful and unique landscape. At the beginning, this canal was the link between Bristol and the River Thames at Reading. Now, the canal has now been fully restored so now people can enjoy it.

Are you a foodie? Enjoy delicious food and fresh tipples after a long day out visiting and exploring the North Wessex Downs. Enjoy a traditional pub meal or a Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings! Enjoy an afternoon tea with scones, cream, jam and a variety of homemade sandwiches. Take a sip of your tea with a dash of milk and enjoy a traditional English experience. You can also visit vineyards of the area or go to the daily markets in the different villages around.

Those who love being outdoors and in contact with nature, will be absolutely delighted exploring this AONB that comprises several parts of Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire. Admire the variety of wildlife, and explore up to 66 sites of Special Scientific Interest. Marvel at the archaeological site including Beacon Hill and Avebury. The Downs are part of the impressive chalk landscape that most people admire when travelling to southern England. Spend time outside, take pictures and create memories for a lifetime!