Our verdict
Secluded and unsignposted — park at the Smallgrain Picnic Area and walk in a quarter-mile along a narrow byway — but worth the effort for the orchids alone if you visit between May and July.
A 12.6-hectare SSSI between Calne and Devizes, one of the best sites in the country for orchids — 11 species have been recorded on its chalk grassland — with a Roman road along its northern edge and the fifth-century Wansdyke earthwork forming its southern boundary. The hill is said to be named after a local man hanged here in 1720 for murdering his uncle. Views stretch out over Cherhill Down and the plains of north Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve — free to explore on foot; many are dog-free to protect wildlife.