20 Attractions to Explore Near Fonthill Lake

Old Wardour Castle was a stylish statement of the wealth and status of its builder, Lord John Lovell, who was a loyal supporter of Richard II. It was built in the 14th century as a lightly fortified luxury residence for comfortable living and lavish entertainment. Today the castle ruin provides a relaxed, romantic day out for couples, families, and budding historians alike. The castle was the inspiration for the one featured in the Kevin Costner film 'Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

Philipps House, originally Dinton House, overlooks its picturesque village. A seat of a branch of the Wyndham family, it is a Palladian mansion, built in Chilmark stone by Jeffrey Wyatt – later Sir Jeffrey Wyattville – for William Wyndham IV of Dinton and Norrington. Inside, its finest feature is a great ‘Imperial’ staircase. Philipps House was much loved by many creative people during this era. The interior spaces were converted into artist studios with bedrooms available for paying guests. The

Win Green Down in south-western Wiltshire, England is a 26.0 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, notified in 1971. There are extensive views, with Bournemouth, the Isle of Wight, Salisbury, Glastonbury Tor, the Mendips, the Quantocks and Milk Hill all visible in clear conditions. It is classed as a Marilyn, and is a landmark due to the clump of trees on the high point. The parent peak is Long Knoll. One of the iconic location for a trek and also you can spend some beautiful t

Gold Hill is a very steep and short climb – iconic for its famous views, entering into the national consciousness through the 1973 Hovis Bread advert. At the top of the street is the 14th-century St Peter's Church, one of the few buildings remaining in Shaftesbury from before the 18th century. Adjacent to the church is the former Priest's House, which is still part of the Gold Hill Museum building but now houses a shop.

Shearwater is a man-made freshwater lake near Crockerton village, about 2+1⁄4 miles southwest of the town of Warminster in Wiltshire, England. The lake is formed from a tributary of the River Wylye. The lake is surrounded by mature woodland and is popular with anglers, walkers , runners, and cyclists. The Shearwater Sailing Club has a boathouse and a variety of dinghies on the lake, the largest being sixteen feet in length.

White Sheet Hill is another fine example of elevated chalk grassland which has evidence of ancient history at its summit. It has a neolithic enclosure dating back to 3,000 BC, and an Iron Age hill fort at the top. There are also Bronze Age barrows, some of which are clearly visible. It is incredible to think they have survived for 3 to 4,000 years. The Roman road which runs along the hill was at one time the main route through the Selwood Forest. The hill is part of the Stourhead estate and has

A wownderful 11 acres of garden set in the heart of Cranborne Chase. created by General Pitt Rivers in 1880 is an extraordinary example of Victorian extravagance and vision, the perfect country wedding venue. The gardens hold a unique collection of ornate buildings, ranging from the spectacular Singing Theatre to the magical Roman Temple. The magical garden welcomes guests to wander through hidden walkways, unwind on the lawns, and discover the unique charm of this beautiful setting.

Stourhead is the best example of a garden inspired by the great landscape painters of the seveneeenth century. Ernst Gombrich suggests it should bear the signature of an Italianized French painter: Claude Lorrain. The estate is about 4 km northwest of the town of Mere and includes a Grade I listed 18th-century Palladian mansion, the village of Stourton, gardens, farmland, and woodland. Stourhead has been part-owned by the National Trust since 1946.

Cley Hill is a prominent hill to the west of Warminster in Wiltshire, England. Its summit has a commanding view of the Wiltshire / Somerset county boundary, at 244 metres elevation. The land is in Corsley parish and is owned by the National Trust. A 26.6-hectare area of chalk grassland at Cley Hill was notified as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1975. It was one of the best trekking location in this area and also a beautiful place flourished with natural beauty.

This circular temple was built in 1765, by the architect Henry Flitcroft, to outdo William Chamber’s earlier Temple of the Sun at Kew. It is dedicated to Apollo, the sun god. Nestled on a hilltop, the temple has delightful views over the lake.

Wilton House is an English country house at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, which has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. The first recorded building on the site of Wilton House was a priory founded by King Egbert circa 871. The present Grade I listed house is the result of rebuilding after a 1647 fire, although a small section of the house built for William Herbert survives. The house stands in gardens and a park which are also Grade I listed. While still a

Longleat House was widely regarded as one of the best examples of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain and one of the most beautiful stately homes open to the public. The house is set in 1,000 acres of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown, with 4,000 acres of let farmland and 4,000 acres of woodland, which includes a Center Parcs holiday village. It was the first stately home to open to the public, and the Longleat estate includes the first safari park outside Africa

The Longleat hedge maze is considered the world's longest, with 1.69 miles of pathway. It is constructed using more than 16,000 English yews forming the walls surrounding a central tower and features six raised footbridges.The maze has 8-foot tall hedges that winds around a massive estate that functions as the seat of the Marquesses of Bath and hosts a few unusual features including a drive-through safari park stocked with more than 500 exotic animals. The maze has several dead ends and multiple

King Alfred’s Tower is a 160ft high folly, designed by Henry Flitcroft for Henry Hoare II in 1772. It is believed to mark the site where King Alfred the Great rallied his troops in 878. The tower commemorates the accession of George III to the throne in 1760 and the end of the Seven Years War. The 49-metre-high triangular tower has a hollow centre and is climbed by means of a spiral staircase in one of the corner projections. It includes a statue of King Alfred and dedication inscription.

Bratton White Horse is a hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain, approximately 1.5 mi east of Westbury in Wiltshire, England. Located on the edge of Bratton Downs and lying just below an Iron Age hill fort, it is the oldest of several white horses carved in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, an action which may have obliterated another horse that had occupied the same slope. A contemporary engraving from around 1772 appears to show a horse facing in the opposite direction that was rat

Situated just outside of Salisbury city centre, Queen Elizabeth Gardens combines formal planting with a relaxed atmosphere to offer something for everyone. Queen Elizabeth Gardens is perfect for those looking to appreciate the scenery or to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city centre; continuing this, the park also provides access to the Town Path and a pretty walk past the water meadows out to Harnham.

The Wessex Ridgeway is a long-distance footpath in southwest England. It runs 136 miles from Marlborough in Wiltshire to Lyme Regis in Dorset, via the northern edge of Salisbury Plain and across Cranborne Chase AONB. The footpath was opened in 1994. At Marlborough, the footpath meets the Ridgeway National Trail which continues into Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Two further long-distance footpaths extend to Hunstanton in Norfolk; together, the four paths are referred to as the Greater Ridgewa

The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum is a military museum at The Close in Salisbury, England. Its collection telling the stories of those who served their Monarch and country. Themes include The Peninsular War, Crimean War, Boer War, First and Second World Wars and events since 1945 including Afghanistan.

Arundells, the home of former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, is situated in the beautiful Cathedral Close in Salisbury. The house and its extensive garden are open to the public five days a week from late March to late October each year. Arundells remains very much as it was when it was Heath’s home. An avid collector, Heath amassed works by LS Lowry, John Singer-Sargent, John Nash, John Piper, Walter Sickert and Augustus and Gwen John, as well as model warships made by Napoleonic prisoners of