Salisbury Plain, one of Great Britain’s best-known open spaces, consisting of a plateau-like area covering about 300 square miles in the county of Wiltshire, England. The largely treeless tract is developed upon chalk. The area was settled in early times and abounds in prehistoric monuments, of which the best known is Stonehenge. A large part of the plain is used for military exercises.
We had the perfect weather for our ride from Plymouth across the Salisbury Plain in southern England.
It is the largest remaining area of chalk grassland in Northwest Europe and home to 2,300 prehistoric sites.
The Salisbury Plain is a sparsely settled, predominantly agricultural area with a strong sense of remoteness and openness.
Much of the environment is also protected by its designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its populations of rare bumblebee species, and many rare birds, plants and invertebrates.
The fields here, many dating from the final era of enclosure in the period of the Napoleonic Wars, are seemingly endless. With hedgerows rare, they often lack clearly visible boundaries.
There is little settlement, with villages generally located along springlines and some small towns.
View north across the car park of the Salisbury Plain from Stonehenge. There is an expansive sense of sky throughout the region.
Great Cursus (the earthwork) Barrows (burial mounds) northwest of Stonehenge.
Close up of one of the Great Cursus Barrows northwest of Stonehenge.
View of Stonehenge from the northwest. We walked the path all the way around the site.
Close up view of Stonehenge from the northwest.
View of Stonehenge from westnorthwest.
View of Stonehenge from the west.
View of Stonehenge from the southwest.
Jim and me along the path, it was a very windy day!
View of Stonehenge from the south.
View of Stonehenge from the southsoutheast.
View of Stonehenge from the east with one of the two remaining station stones in the foreground.
Stonehenge "heel" stone.
View of Stonehenge from the northeast in front of the "heel" stone with the fallen "Slaughter Stone" in the right foreground.
Francie Stoutamire Photography
