Visit a reserve Nature Reserves Coombe Bissett Down Contents Location When to visit Know before you go About the nature reserve What to see Directions Reviews Location Salisbury SP5 4NAWhat3Words: ///truly.appealing.fortunateOS map 130 Grid ref: SU11 1248 When to visit Free and open to visit 24 hours a day. Know before you go Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs RADAR keys can be used on kissing gates for mobility scooters. Dogs on leads are welcome 70.6 hectares Download the reserve leaflet Download our visual pre-arrival guide Download the large print leaflet Download the easy read leaflet Join our volunteering groups About the nature reserve Visitors can come to Coombe Bissett Down to enjoy sweeping views and the floristic richness of lowland calcareous grassland. To protect the wildlife that lives there, particularly ground-nesting birds, we ask that dogs are kept on leads and that any waste is cleared up. Here are the different routes – of varying difficulties – that can be followed around the nature reserve: Download the project leafletfor more information on walking routes. Download the tramper map for routes for mobility scooters. What can be seen here? Visit in late May and early June for a display of wildflowers, including delicate harebells, bee orchid, pyramidal orchid, devil’s-bit scabious and Wiltshire’s county flower - the burnt orchid. Yellowhammer, goldfinch, and skylarks are here. In the summer months the chalk downland comes alive with butterflies such as Adonis blue, chalkhill blue, dingy skipper and marbled white. The history of this site goes back thousands of years: Neolithic Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman artefacts have all been uncovered in and around Coombe Bissett Down, and the steep slopes within the nature reserve are patterned by medieval terraces called strip lynchetts, which were used for livestock grazing. Today, our hardy Herdwick sheep and light-footed Dexter cattle maintain that low-intensity relationship between agriculture and wildlife, which is responsible for generating the rich diversity of plants, insects, and birds. Tell me more Discover more about the project How can I get here? Download directions to Coombe Bissett Down Reviews: Lovely and quiet walk, went with friends. Small car park but managed to get a space. ~ Sarah from Bournemouth Stunning views and a lovely place to start a walk. ~ Helen from Wilton