The best MTB trails in Parsonage Down National Nature Reserve

Location signage, that is, how to locate the cuckoo stone, is non-existent! Once you pass through the gate next to Woodhenge you’ll see the National Trust sign. The stone lies way off to your right at about 3 o’clock direction from the sign. If the grass is long it won’t be visible!

Take the small path just over the entrance road to Stonehenge, on the right This leads you right oast the stones and some lovely picture opportunities. It then goes over grass to a double gate beside the A303. You need to cross over the A303 to be able to ride safely up the hill on the pathway and then cross back over at the top to rejoin the gravel. Or simply cycle uo the grass verge as I did but this is a lot more sketchy. A fantastic ride and you are only 10 mins from the end.

Just a fabulous summer gravel ride, very highly recommended. Deep ruts in places and lots of gnarly, sharp, flint gravel. So strong tyres recommended. This is a ride where bike handling skills are important on some narrow/ rutted descents. Very steep hill 16% after Berwick St James Cannot recommended this ride highly enough, simply stunning.

Be aware that after Stonhenge the route takes you down hill on a grass path and you terminate at a double gate beside the A303. The route then indicates to go up the hill to the left apparently on the A303. However, I believe that if you cross over the A303 again ( traffic is pretty slow here usually but do exercise great caution). I think there is a foot path the other side of the A303 that you can ride on in safety up the hill before crossing back over to follow the track again I missed this foot path and rode on the verge, not as nice.

Fantastic summer ride. Highly recommended, just so beautiful on a warm sunny day. Navigation can be a little tricky but just use common sense. Such great views and such remote places. Really special. Also do stop at the lovely cafe at Berwick St James, a total surprise and a refreshment delight! This really is a great ride and one of the best that will stand out all summer. I used a hard tail mtb and would recommend this and quite tough tyres. As this is over a lot of pretty gnarly loose flint gravel which can give tyres a very hard time. Definitely carry spares and a pump. Great views of Stonehenge, couldn't believe the crowds and you want the little path just past the entrance road to the Stones not the entrance road. There is someone there usually to assist you. Cannot recommend this ride highly enough!. There is a steep hill just after Duck lane at Berwick St. James which tops out at 16% " Whitehill". Although the left hand fork on the approach leads to the same place.

Larkhill Camp – Eerie Order on the Edge of the Plain Larkhill Camp feels like riding through a live blueprint of military precision. This historic garrison town, perched on the northern edge of Salisbury Plain, isn’t your typical village stop — it’s a place where wide tarmac roads stretch between regimented rows of near-identical housing blocks, all arranged with deliberate symmetry. Founded in the late 19th century as an artillery training base, Larkhill is still an active military camp, home to the Royal Artillery. You’ll feel that presence in the design — everything is clean, uniform, and spaced out. There’s a peculiar quiet, even when the camp is busy, and it lends a kind of surreal calm to your ride through. While not a classic beauty spot, it’s fascinating in its own right — a moment of stark contrast between the ancient wildness of the Plain and the tightly ordered world of the MOD. It’s not uncommon to hear distant explosions or spot helicopters overhead. And just beyond, the landscape opens up again into chalk trails and flint-edged bridleways. 🚴‍♂️ Bikepacker Tip: Water and supplies are limited here — the camp isn’t set up for tourists — so fill up in nearby Durrington or Amesbury if you’re heading across the Plain. Watch for MOD signs, especially if venturing off-route. 📍 Highlight Type: Urban/Military Landmark 🌄 Surroundings: Military roads, open grassland, access to training areas 📷 Vibe: Surreal, stark, historically charged

A television series that I wholeheartedly recommend introduces culture-loving viewers to remarkable testimonies to human activity from many countries around the world. What they all have in common is that they have been granted "World Heritage" status by UNESCO. One of the episodes documents the ancient and still mysterious stone circle of Stonehenge. The accompanying documentary states: "The Salisbury Plateau in southern England is a harsh and uninviting area, often subject to cold and biting winds. About 5,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, people lived here, about whom we know very little. But what they and subsequent generations left behind is impressive beyond measure: the stone circles and burial mounds of the Megalithic culture." This film (in German) can be found in the ARD media library under the following link => https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/schaetze-der-welt/stonehenge-grossbritannien-folge-16/swr/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS83MjQ1ODkw

A really fun series of humps, some of the puddles are deep.