When one thinks of Wiltshire the images which spring most readily to mind are the spacious rolling downland of Salisbury Plain and associations with pre-history which are at their most stunning at Avebury and Stonehenge.

Whilst Wiltshire is more complex than this a journey northwards to the Marlborough Downs will reinforce this picture of sweeping chalk downland and ancient times. Here, there is also the handiwork of more recent history, in the famous Wiltshire White Horses. There are now eight of them and they have their own newly opened long distance path, 'The White Horse Trail'.

The Vale of Pewsey and Savenake Forest, part of the Kennet District, offer a complimentary landscape which also has many enjoyable walking opportunities; and the Kennet and Avon canal, joining the two rivers, provides delightful waterside rambling through peaceful rural countryside.

South of Salisbury Plain the Wylye and Nadder river valleys offer lovely walks, once again through a quiet rural landscape a million miles away from the hustle of industrial Swindon in the north of the county.

The Ridgeway
www.nationaltrail.co.uk
Britain's Oldest Road - 137 km long, much of it following the ancient chalk ridge route used by prehistoric man, The Ridgeway offers the chance to get away from the bustle of life in this busy part of England. Perfect, but not too strenuous, for long distance use, this Trail is also ideal for day trips or less.

Walking in Wiltshire
www.walkinginwiltshire.org.uk
All the information you need to get walking in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside. More than 80 free walk descriptions, plus links to the walking groups in the county so you can arrange to take a walk with friends and other ramblers. Joining a group enables you to experience the walks with others and get great tips and references to points of interest and advice.

Foot Trails
www.foottrails.co.uk
Foot Trails specialise in gentle walking, at a relaxing pace with creature comforts. Easy to reach. Foot Trails inspiring walking weekends and 4 night breaks give you a few days of blissful time out from everyday life. There are plenty of wonderful walks in Wiltshire. Make the most of the British Countryside.

Walking Britain
www.walkingbritain.co.uk
With nearly 2850 pages of information, "Walking Britain" is dedicated to the footpaths that cross the landscape. The National Parks feature strongly including the Lake District, the Peak District and Snowdonia, not to mention the Yorkshire Dales. Also detailed are the Brecon Beacons and Pennines. Coverage of Scotland and Ireland will be improved with more emphasis on these areas in future.

White Horses of Wiltshire
www.wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk
www.wiltshire-web.co.uk/history/horse.htm
www.yourguide.org.uk/whitehorse/index.html
Wiltshire is without doubt the county of counties when it comes to white horses, with no less than nine laying within its boundaries, although only seven of these are now visible. The vast expanse of chalk downs, with their smooth, steep sides provide a number of ideal sites to exercise the art of turf cutting.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
www.wiltshire-web.co.uk/wildlife
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is a member of the Wildlife Trusts, a partnership of 47 county wildlife trusts that work together for the benefit of wildlife nationally. This means our influence is felt beyond the county boundary.

The 44 nature reserves in Wiltshire, are managed for the benefit of wildlife, and provide safe havens in a disappearing countryside. They include many examples of habitats that are under threat in Wiltshire - chalk downland, hay meadows, ancient woodland, and wetlands.

They are nearly all open for everyone to visit, to enjoy, and to learn how important these places are for Wiltshire's wildlife and people. Full details on the Wiltshire Wildlife Website