Coombe Bissett Down

Pyramidal orchids

Pyramidal orchids at Coombe Bissett Down, Wiltshire. Credit: Ashley White.

This chalk downland valley in Salisbury is worth a visit at any time of year for its sweeping views.

Location

Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP5 4NA

OS Map Reference

SU11 1248

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A static map of Coombe Bissett Down

Know before you go

Size
71 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

There is limited parking in the reserve car park. If the car park is full, please do not park along the Pennings Drove verge, which prevents access for farm machinery and emergency services.

Bicycle parking

None

Grazing animals

Yes

Walking trails

Different routes of varying difficulties. 

Access

RADAR keys can be used on kissing gates for mobility scooters.
Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

Dogs

On a lead

See our FAQ's for more information.

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Facilities

Accessible trails

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Best time to visit

Late May and early June. Nearby attractions include Salisbury Cathedral (3 miles), Rockbourne Roman Villa (6 miles), Martin Down National Nature Reserve (6 miles), Heale House and Garden (7 miles).

About the reserve

Visitors can come to Coombe Bissett Down to enjoy sweeping views and the floristic richness of lowland calcareous grassland. 

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.

 

Contact us

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01380 725670

Environmental designation

County Wildlife Site
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Map of Coombe Bissett Down

Map of Coombe Bissett Down with walking trails
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
Volunteer

Volunteer, Aline Denton, cuts brambles and blackthorn as part of the farm's conservation management - Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

Volunteer at Coombe Bissett Down

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