Walks from Salisbury

Highly recommended

Old Sarum Ruins (1h in)

Stonehenge (4h30 in)

Stonehenge Landscape (National Trust; 4h30 in)

Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: the Bridge Inn (2h30 in; excellent)

Warnings: Have lunch a café or pub next to the river. Return from Stonehenge to Salisbury by bus (very frequent & reliable but check times).

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Historic city, open fields, river valley, pretty villages, chalk downs, ancient drove tracks, steep hillside nature reserve and water meadows.

Time: 9h30 (7h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)

Warnings: Strenuous afternoon climbs.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

An excellent route; Delightful route; lovely start and end points. A long route with very little road walking (and only minor roads), much of it on forest tracks through managed woodland, taking in several nature reserves and a National Trust estate. Easy walking for the most part, a little gooey in places after heavy rain and with a few gates and some stiles; the main challenge is the length. Passes through Bentley Wood nature reserve and at least two other nature reserves, and takes in the National Trust's Mottisfont estate. Can be shortened by jumping on the train one stop from Dunbridge to Romsey.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Mompesson House (National Trust)

Mottisfont (National Trust)

Time: 10h (8h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)

Warnings: The approach to Romsey crosses an active gravel pit between Awbridge and Squabb Wood, which can require diversions, and the lower end of Squabb Wood can be very wet and difficult in winter.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Beautiful; picturesque. Riverside path and flat and easy-going.

Hilly: a quarter on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Mompesson House (National Trust; 6h30 in)

Time: 8h30 (6h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)

Walk details: Railwalks.

Chalk downlands, rolling hills, varied woods, field boundaries, farm tracks and following the Clarendon Way.

Time: 7h30 (6h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Source: An alternative variant of Dean to Mottisfont (Saturday Walkers Club).

Chalk downlands, rolling hills, varied woods, field boundaries, farm tracks, steep-sided chalk downs, river meadows, Test Valley chalk stream and sculpture park.

Time: 11h (9h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Source: An alternative variant of Dean to Mottisfont (Saturday Walkers Club).