Morgan's Hill

Morgans Hill meadow

Morgans Hill meadow. Credit: Stephen Davis.

Morgan's Hill in Calne is known for its orchids, butterflies and for the general quality of chalk grassland and wildflowers.

Location

Calne
Wiltshire
SN11 8PZ

OS Map Reference

OS map 157 Grid ref: SU025672

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A static map of Morgan's Hill

Know before you go

Size
12 hectares
z

Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

From Devizes head north along A361 towards Swindon. Take first turning left towards Calne on brow of hill. After about two miles take first right after golf course, signposted Smallgrain Picnic Area. Walk up grass slope towards the byway and turn right.

Bicycle parking

Warning for cyclists: the road approaching the picnic site is steep, narrow and fast. The nearest designated National Cycle Route is Regional Route 20, which runs through Heddington, Stockley and towards Calne.

Grazing animals

Yes

Walking trails

There is a short and a longer loop to follow, marked out with orange and blue way markers on the site.
The short loop is 0.7 miles.
The longer loop is 1.2 miles.

Access

Not suitable for pushhairs and wheelchairs.

Dogs

On a lead

See our FAQ's for more information

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

Spring and summer. Nearby attractions include Cherhill White Horse and Monument (2 miles), West Kennet Long Barrow (5 miles), Avebury (5 miles), Lacock Abbey and village (13 miles).

About the reserve

Morgan’s Hill between Devizes and Calne offers incredible views of Cherhill Down and the plains of north Wiltshire. The reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its orchids, butterflies and for the general quality of chalk grassland and wildflowers.

A Roman road runs along its northern edge and the fifth century Wansdyke defines its southern border - built to defend the northern territory of Wessex. This large bank with a deep ditch is home to early purple orchids and round-headed rampion. It is believed the hill was named after a local man, John Morgan, who in 1720 was hung at this prominent site for murdering his uncle.

Unusually, all three of the UK’s native conifer trees grow here – Scots pine, juniper and yew – possibly planted as way-markers to signpost the drovers’ route. Keep your eyes peeled for cowslips, primroses and violets in spring, and wild thyme, horseshoe vetch, common rock rose and marsh helleborine in summer. Where there are flowers, butterflies follow. Along the Wansdyke you can find the Adonis, chalkhill, common and small blues. Further down the slopes look for the marsh fritillary – one of the UK’s most endangered species of butterfly, which feeds on devil’s-bit scabious. The reserve is a magnet for moths such as the Mother Shipton, named after a Yorkshire witch because its wing pattern is thought to resemble an unpleasant face. Birds found at the reserve include kestrel, buzzard, yellow hammer and skylark.

We are improving the grassland by removing scrub and grazing with our Dexter cattle and Herdwick sheep. We have cleared an area of invasive tor-grass, scraping back to the bare chalk, so that different plants and invertebrates can colonise.

Contact us

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Contact number: 01380 725670

Environmental designation

County Wildlife Site
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Map of Morgan's Hill

Map of Morgan's Hill
Volunteer

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

Volunteer at Morgan's Hill

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