Summary
Enclosed by six chalk hills on the Salisbury Plain, Warminster is a market town noted for its historic Longleat estate.
Longleat harmonizes enjoyable family activities characteristic of one of the United Kingdom’s renowned safari parks with the elegance of an Elizabethan Prodigy House.
The expansive Longleat estate is remarkable, featuring a Center Parcs resort nestling beneath its woodland canopy, home to the luxurious Aqua Sana spa and Shearwater Lake.
The National Trust’s Stourhead is a convenient drive from Warminster, while the surrounding chalk hills have been shaped by human activity, housing Neolithic burial mounds and Iron Age hillforts dating back thousands of years.
1. Longleat
This estate is the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, showcasing an exquisite 16th-century Prodigy House within 1,000 acres of landscaped parkland, designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century.
The estate extends significantly further, encompassing an additional 4,000 acres of woodland and another 4,000 acres of farmland.
Within the estate lies the renowned Longleat Safari Park and Shearwater Lake, both of which will be discussed later.
Moreover, Longleat Woods, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the world’s longest hedge maze located on the Main Square north of the house deserve mention.
Comprising 16,000 trimmed English yews, this hedge maze extends 1.7 miles and includes six footbridges and a central observation tower, all orchestrated by the eccentric 7th Marquess, who created four additional mazes on the grounds.
2. Longleat House
This impressive Elizabethan residence was constructed for John Thynne between 1568 and 1580 on land previously occupied by an Augustine Abbey prior to the Reformation.
Enhanced by the magnificent Capability Brown landscaping, the house was among the earliest stately homes to open its doors to the public in 1949.
A visit to Longleat House is essential for exploring the Elizabethan Great Hall, the ante-library adorned with a stunning Venetian painted ceiling, the Red Library housing many of the estate’s 40,000 books, the remarkable State Drawing Room designed by celebrated Victorian interior designer John Crace, among many other features.
As you navigate through the house, you will encounter a plethora of decorative arts, including 18th-century Meissen porcelain, Flemish tapestries, and historic paintings (such as the portrait of Henry Frederick, brother to Charles I, located in the Prince of Wales Bedroom). Access to the house and gardens is included in the admission ticket for the safari park, yet they can be enjoyed with a separate, less expensive entry pass.
3. Longleat Safari Park
Situated across thousands of acres of Wiltshire countryside, Longleat Safari Park made history as the first drive-through safari located outside Africa when it launched in 1966. The park is home to 500 animals, which can be observed from your vehicle or at smaller on-foot enclosures.
Your drive will lead you past white rhinos, lions, elephants, deer herds that have graced the estate since Elizabethan times, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, and playful macaques.
Guests can experience closeness to giraffes and zebras at the African Village and Walking Safari, while the Main Square resembles a traditional zoo.
Here, visitors can board the Longleat miniature steam railway, tackle the famous Hedge Maze, interact with domestic animals at the family farmyard, hand-feed lorikeets, and embark on a cruise to observe the gorilla colony, California sea lions, and a pair of hippos.
This brief overview merely scratches the surface of what the park offers, with new experiences introduced each season.
4. Stourhead
The stunning parkland and mansion at Stourhead are also essential visits.
This estate has belonged to the National Trust since 1946, previously serving as the residence of the Hoare family for 230 years, during which they transformed the house and its Grade I gardens in the 18th century.
Stourhead is known for its intricately designed landscaping and exquisite follies, which may surpass the grandeur of the house itself.
Features include a grotto adorned with statues, a pantheon, lakeside temples dedicated to Flora and Apollo, a Palladian bridge, cascading water features, abundant rhododendrons, and the medieval-style King Alfred’s Tower, standing 50 meters high and offering breathtaking views of the entire estate.
On elevated ground, the house itself is Palladian, constructed in the mid-18th century, housing Henry Hoare’s (1677-1725) art collection, which includes numerous hand-colored prints by renowned artists such as the Baroque painter Carlo Maratta and Mannerist Daniele da Volterra.
5. Shearwater
This captivating man-made lake, nestled within mature woodlands near Crockerton village on the Longleat Estate, offers scenic walking trails leading from the lakeshore into the woodland.
You could hike from here to Heaven’s Gate, approximately an hour away and the site where Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711), a long-term resident of Longleat after losing his see following the Glorious Revolution, composed the hymn “Morning” among others during his time on the estate.
A tearoom at Bargate Cottage, situated at the lake’s southeastern corner and open during summer months, complements the boathouse belonging to Shearwater Sailing Club.
As you explore the banks, you may encounter fishing enthusiasts seeking carp, while the Shearwater Sailing Club hosts races on Sunday and Tuesday evenings in spring and summer.
6. Cley Hill
Maintained by the National Trust, Cley Hill was donated by the 6th Marquess of Bath, Henry Thynne, in 1954. This prominent landmark to the west of Warminster has gained a reputation as a UFO hotspot since the mid-20th century, undoubtedly influenced by the closeness of Salisbury Plain.
Observing the contours of Cley Hill indicates its rich history, including an Iron Age hillfort, two Bronze Age bowl barrows, and undulating terraces carved during the Medieval period.
Cley Hill is adorned with chalk grassland, adorned with wildflowers in early summer, while numerous sheltered ridges offer ideal spots for picnics.
7. Arn Hill Nature Trail
Located on the northern outskirts of Warminster, Arn Hill rises to 200 meters and was gifted to the town by the Marquess of Bath in 1920. This site features a two-mile circular trail that weaves through woodlands and picturesque chalk grassland, where various orchids bloom during summer.
Your path will lead you past a former lime kiln as well as the Kidnapper’s Hole chalk quarry, now serving as pastureland for sheep.
Upon emerging from the woods, you will be greeted by panoramic views encompassing Salisbury Plain, Dorset to the south, and expanse over low-lying Somerset to the west.
Arn Hill is vibrant with wildlife in summer, featuring butterflies such as small blue and fritillary, alongside birds like chiffchaffs, meadow pipits, skylarks, and tree-creepers.
8. Lake Pleasure Grounds (Warminster Town Park)
A point of local pride for Warminster, the Lake Pleasure Grounds encompasses an elongated rectangular body of water.
Facilities include a café in the pavilion offering bird-feed for the ducks, a children’s play area, a paddling pool, tennis courts, and a skate park established in 2019. The park has been designed to optimize wildlife attraction, granting visitors the opportunity to spot herons, kingfishers, or even otters while relaxing on the benches.
During summer months, you can rent a rowboat or canoe for half an hour, with buoyancy vests provided for safety.
9. Battlesbury Camp
Located west of Warminster, Battlesbury Camp is an Iron Age hill-fort featuring a double circuit of defensive earthworks. When visiting sites like this, it is essential to recognize how much of what is observed is a product of human alteration.
The ditch nestled between the two ramparts resembles a valley, shaped by human hands nearly 3,000 years ago.
The summit of this hill would have provided a secure environment for the community, as it remains challenging to access from the northeast and west sides.
Battlesbury Camp was inhabited until the 1st century BC, likely concluding violently, evidenced by numerous graves containing men, women, and children found near the north-west entrance.
10. Westbury White Horse
White Horses are synonymous with Wiltshire.
These large equine figures are sculpted on hillsides by stripping away the upper layer of grass to expose the underlying chalk.
The tradition is believed to date back to Anglo-Saxon times, being revived in the 18th century.
The Westbury White Horse stands as the oldest in the county, carved around 1742 at the edge of Bratton Downs, overlooking Salisbury Plain.
This figure measures 55 meters in height and 52 meters in width, traditionally viewed as a restoration of a white horse made in the 9th century to commemorate Alfred the Great’s victory at the Battle of Edington in 878. A modern stone on the hilltop commemorates this historical battle.
Bratton Castle also reveals earlier history, marked by the evident double ramparts of another Iron Age hill-fort.
11. Copheap
The nearest of Warminster’s six hills lies just north of the town, a short walk from the train station.
Copheap was acquired by the council shortly after World War II and has been developed into a memorial site.
From Copheap Lane, visitors will encounter a traditional timber lych gate, accompanied by benches and an inscription on its lintel beam.
Beyond this point, access is granted to woodlands and chalk grassland, culminating in a preserved Neolithic barrow at the summit.
The views from the clearings are stunning, offering vistas of Salisbury Plain to the west and Warminster, with Cley Hill to the west.
12. The Athenaeum Centre
This distinguished Jacobean Revival structure on High Street serves as a theatre built in 1858. Initially, the Athenaeum functioned as a literary institution, while the existing auditorium was converted from a lecture room into a stage in 1912. Rescued by a charitable trust in the late 1990s, the venue has evolved into a community-oriented facility, hosting plays by local theatre groups and organizing performances by national touring musicians.
The Athenaeum offers an intimate setting for enjoying contemporary Hollywood releases and organizes children’s activities during school holidays, in addition to a variety of adult workshops ranging from yoga to watercolour painting.
13. Smallbrook Meadows Nature Reserve
This unique wetland habitat is quite rare across Wiltshire’s chalky grassland, yet a significant area can be found along the Rivers Were and Wylye, beginning at the far end of the Lake Pleasure Grounds.
Divided into six smaller meadows, this reserve encompasses just over 30 acres and features a series of ditches along with a pond excavated in 1989. Intriguingly, three of the six fields were previously used for farming and fertilized, thus not producing wildflowers during summer, contrasting with the three “unimproved” fields, which burst with blooms such as water avens, ragged robins, cuckoo flowers, marsh marigolds, and yellow irises in May and June.
The riverbanks and pond serve as a vital habitat for water voles, which are declining nationally but thriving in this reserve.
Kingfishers are often sighted in early summer, while later in the season, dragonflies and damselflies abound.
14. Aqua Sana
Nestled in a valley surrounded by towering redwoods on the Longleat Estate lies a luxury spa resort offering a diverse choice of packages tailored for day guests.
Choosing the ideal experience and treatments can be a delightful challenge.
For instance, the “Brighten and Glow” day includes an Elemis facial and Frangipani hot stones, while the “Re-energising Spa Day” boasts a Decléor Mind and Body Re-energising treatment.
If indecisiveness prevails, the “Luxury Spa Experience Day” comprises over 15 distinct spa experiences and two hours of treatments designed to refresh you from head to toe.
For those pressed for time, options such as morning escapes, afternoon teas, and twilight spas are available to provide a serene conclusion to your day.
15. Dents Museum and Factory Shop
A distinguished presence in Warminster since 1777, Dents stands as a prestigious glove manufacturer. The company has crafted luxury gloves for royalty since the era of George III, including those designed for the coronation of Elizabeth II.
This pair is preserved at the company’s museum, which is closed to general visits but available for pre-arranged private viewings.
Additionally, visitors can explore gloves commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and a collection made by other manufacturers.
Among these artifacts include a pair attached to gauntlets worn by Charles I, fine wool gloves belonging to Victoria, and a left-handed glove from Elizabeth I’s coronation, embellished with silver thread and sequins.
From Monday to Saturday, patrons can also visit the Factory Shop, offering expertly crafted belts, purses, wallets, bags, and hats, alongside an extensive selection of gloves.
