One of the truly wonderful things about staying here at Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is that we’re immersed with a wealth of remarkable historical and national heritage sites right on our doorstep. Below are some of Wiltshire’s ‘must visit’ sites which are only a short walk, cycle or drive from us.
By Car: 1.7 miles (7 mins) | By Foot: 1 mile (21 mins)
Only a short walk (or buggy ride if you’re staying with us) away, you’ll find Bowood House & Gardens.
The House is the historical home of the Lansdowne family which is set within 100 acres of beautifully landscaped ‘Capability’ Brown Parkland. Tickets can be purchased in advance here.
Open seasonally from April to October.
By Car: 4.9 miles (12 mins) | By Bike: 4.5 miles (27 mins)
A visit to the National Trust village of Lacock is like a step back in time.
Lacock has been used as a location in a number of films and television programmes such as Pride and Prejudice, Lark Rise to Candleford and The Other Boleyn Girl and most recently Downton Abbey. Lacock Abbey was also one of the locations for the first Harry Potter film. Spend a morning wandering around the village soaking up the atmosphere and stop by the Fox Talbot Museum to discover the birthplace of photography.
By Car: 8 miles (19 mins) | By Bike: 7.3 miles (35 mins)
A trio of enclosed species-rich meadow on the outskirts of Chippenham with designated sites of ‘Special Scientific Interest’.
Sutton Lane Meadows is becoming more and more well-known amongst tourists for boasting a tremendous habitat of green-winged and southern marsh orchids and has been deemed by the National Trust as ‘one of the best meadow sites in Wiltshire‘.
By Car: 7.8 miles (16 mins) | By Bike: 6.6 miles (38 mins)
The second oldest White Horse in Wiltshire and home to the Lansdowne Monument.
The iconic White Horse at Cherhill is believed to have been inspired by the White Horse in Westbury but can be seen for miles (even from the hotels’ golf course). Cherhill is home to what used to be the farthest edge of the Bowood Estate which is marked by the Lansdowne Monument.
By Car: 6.4 miles (14 mins) | By Bike: 6.5 miles (32 mins)
The flight of the 29 locks at Caen Hill were engineer John Rennie’s solution to climbing the very steep hill in Devizes.
They were the last part of the 87-mile route of the Kennet and Avon Canal to be completed. Due to the steepness of the terrain, 16 of the locks utilise unusually large side ponds to store the water needed to operate.
By Car: 17.8 miles (42 mins)
Nourished by natural hot springs, Bath offers a unique experience with beautiful architecture, irresistible shopping and iconic attractions.
Designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Bath presents some of the finest architectural sights in Europe. This includes the Royal Crescent, The Circus and Pulteney Bridge, alongside a diverse collection of museums and attractions including the Roman Baths, Jane Austen Centre and Thermae Bath Spa.
By Car: 11.3 miles (21 mins)
At the centre of a prehistoric complex in the Marlborough Downs stands Avebury, the largest stone circle in Europe.
This circle features one of the most impressive henges in Britain, as well as the remains of a stone avenue. Originally erected about 4,500 years ago, many of the stones were re-erected in the 1930s by Alexander Keiller.
By Car: 6.3 miles (13 mins) | By Bike: 4.2 miles (23 mins)
If you’re a classic car fanatic then you’ll be surprised to find a classic car museum only a short drive or cycle ride down the road in the town of Calne.
The majority of the cars exhibited at Atwell Wilson Motor Museum are cars from the 1920’s onwards. They also boast a collection of motorcycles, mopeds and push bikes alongside a breadth of motoring memorabilia as well as a reconstructed 1930s style garage complete with cars.
By Car: 7.7 miles (16 mins) | By Bike: 7.6 miles (41 mins)
If you don’t have time to pay a visit to Stonehenge near Salisbury, then the Wiltshire Museum is the perfect contingency.
Showcasing treasures from Stonehenge, explore 500,000 years of Wiltshire’s impressive history in their £750,000 visual gallery which touches on both the Roman and Saxon eras.
Team your Wiltshire adventure with a stay here at Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort…
