Wiltshire countryside

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Wiltshire is a large, mostly rural, inland county covering approximately 3,255 square kilometres. Its countryside is special in every respect, with internationally important heritage, treasured landscapes and a great quantity of wildlife.

A far-reaching rights of way network, country parks, nature reserves and open spaces allow residents and visitors alike to take advantage of what the Wiltshire countryside has to offer.

Wiltshire Council's aim is to protect and conserve Wiltshire's countryside heritage and provide facilities, access and opportunities for people to enjoy it.

Country parks and open spaces

Wiltshire Council manages a number of country parks and open spaces across Wiltshire for the visiting public. For more information see Ranger services.

Nature reserves

A number of designated and non-designated nature reserves are open to the public and located across Wiltshire. These are managed by a range of organisations including Natural England, The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, community groups and Wiltshire Council. In the next few months details of nature reserves across the county will be available on this website.

Special landscapes

Almost half of Wiltshire Council’s administrative area is considered of national importance in terms of landscape and is designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Much of the remaining county is designated as locally important Special Landscape Area (SLA).

Rich biodiversity

Wiltshire is a wonderful county for wildlife - important habitats, rare and protected species and a wide diversity of animals and plants. This ‘biodiversity’ is a result of the county’s wide-ranging land form, geology, soils, habitats and built structures, which in turn have been influenced by farmers, landowners, conservationists, developers and others. The importance of Wiltshire’s biodiversity is recognised in that many areas of the county are covered by international and national nature conservation titles.

Wiltshire Council works to conserve and enhance Wiltshire’s biodiversity by the carrying out of the Wiltshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), its Biodiversity Improvement Grant scheme by making financial contributions and dedicating staff time to a wide range of conservation and environmental organisations and projects in the County, and through its core work. For more information, please see biodiversity

Countryside Access and Recreation

A wide range of leisure and access opportunities are available in Wiltshire’s countryside, including walking, cycling, fishing, horse riding and boating. Check out access to the countryside for more information.

Environmental Education

Wiltshire’s countryside provides a wide range of opportunities for formal and informal environmental education for all ages, covering wildlife, habitats, heritage and archaeology.

The Council manages a number of countryside sites that can be used as an environmental education resource. A range of other organisations in Wiltshire offer educational support and information to schools, colleges, home education groups and individuals, including the provision of Teacher Packs. For more information, please see environment education

Countryside related terminology

There is a bewildering amount of terminology and acronyms relating to countryside topics that are often confusing. See the countryside glossary for a description of the most commonly used acronyms.

Last updated: 6 October 2011