Follow the road up towards Buttermere and you will find the Nature Reserve on the left hand side just past the old chalk pit. It’s leased to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust who manage it and it’s a habitat for a variety of flowers, insects and birds.

At its most southerly tip at the top of Ham Hill, it connects with the Mid Wilts Way. This is the best place for parking.

Burnt Orchid © Ian Capper/Geograph

Roman Snail © IJan Burnell/WWT

This valuable, flower-rich chalk downland on steep banks supports a diverse assemblage of plants and wildlife, and it’s a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. A good path runs through the whole reserve, running along the bottom of the northwest facing slope, with a flight of steps to the top of the embankment, trailing through the ash woodland with an exit at the southern end.

The cutting through the reserve is a holloway, or ancient sunken trackway, that formed part of a route from Hungerford to Andover over the steep chalk escarpment south of Ham.

Ham Hill is well worth a visit and the views from the very top of the embankment on a bright, clear day are unforgettable. Bring along a magnifying glass and take a closer look!

Click here for the full description of the reserve at www.wiltshirewildlife.org