Places to See, Places to go, Things to do
Such a variety. Do take time to read the choices.
Touring — Walking — Wildlife — Archaeology — History
ALL ON THE DOORSTEP.
While you are staying at Lodge Farmhouse why not take a Quirky Tour ? - a completely different way to see Wiltshire and Cranborne Chase- travelling the drove roads and exploring this sweeping landscape with your own "native guide" and in a 4x4.
Quite apart from the two world famous attractions of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, the area has so much more to offer and Lodge Farmhouse is the perfect tour base.
In the area nearby, nestles the tranquil Chalke Valley in which a string of small villages lie sheltered beneath high maternal downs, typifying the landscape of South Wiltshire and Cranborne Chase. Visitors love to explore the maze of lanes and are always rewarded along the way by the charm of the cottages, the friendliness of the communities and often by the hospitality of the many rural pubs and restaurants.
In the immediate locality and within comfortable walking distance of Lodge Farmhouse you will find 1200 acres of land with access to the public:
- National Nature Reserve (Martin Down) 1500 metres.
- Vernditch Chase (Forestry Commission) 600 metres.
- Middleton Down Nature Reserve (Wiltshire Wildlife Trust) 500 metres
Many beautiful and rare species of plants and animals are to be found on these sites and in addition there is an RSPB reserve just 3 miles west, not to mention a large number of privately owned Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Did you know that South Wiltshire and Cranborne Chase possesses 70% of Europe's remaining chalkland habitat?
A Walker's Paradise This is outstanding walking country. Lodge Farmhouse lies on the Ox Drove, which is among the most ancient of Britain's pre-historic routes and one of many "green lanes" to which hundreds of miles of bridleways and footpaths interlink. This allows walkers to tailor a route with an objective (so often a pub!), or just to wander and to take in the magnificent views from the tops of the downs.
Britain's Pre-historic Cradle The chalkland of Wessex nurtured man's earliest post ice-age development in these islands and so its burial grounds and hillforts are so much part of the landscape that they often go unnoticed by the visitor, but it's worth remembering that you are rarely more than a few hundred metres from an historic feature, or monument. This will tell you something about the unbroken chain of perhaps 250 generations over the 10,000 years of human history that has run its course here. Lodge Farmhouse is surrounded by just these features; an Iron Age Village site, a Roman Road, a medieval hunting ground and so on. The clues to our past are here. Why not come and find them?
We are always happy to suggest places and activities of interest that you might otherwise miss.
Visit Salisbury Cathedral's Website for more information.
E-mail for enquiries and bookings: info@lodge-farmhouse.co.uk
Our access statement is available here or on request, by e-mail or post
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