Our verdict
A genuine conservation success story and one of the more accessible reserves on this list, with wheelchair-friendly paths, viewing screens and designated parking. Closed on the summer solstice each year — otherwise open all year round.
A downland nature reserve on former arable land at Newton Tony, where the RSPB has recreated more than 200 hectares of chalk grassland to link the wildlife-rich land of Salisbury Plain with Porton Down. It's a stronghold for the rare stone-curlew, alongside lapwings, skylarks, yellowhammers and the brown hairstreak butterfly in the hedgerows and scrub.
RSPB reserve — free to explore on foot, with paths managed for wildlife and visitors alike.