Morgan's Hill Nature Reserve & Caen Hill Locks
Two of Wiltshire's most rewarding natural landscapes sit within easy reach of Calne, and together they make a perfect day out: Morgan's Hill, a chalk grassland nature reserve with sweeping 360-degree views across the North Wessex Downs, followed by Caen Hill Locks near Devizes — a staircase of 29 consecutive canal locks that is one of the most extraordinary feats of Georgian engineering in Britain
Morgan's Hill: Wildflowers & Wide Skies
Morgan's Hill Nature Reserve rises gently above the village of Heddington, just four miles south of Calne, and rewards the short climb with views that seem to go on forever — walkers report being able to see for miles across the chalk downland in every direction. The reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and in late spring and early summer the short-grazed turf erupts with wild orchids, harebells, chalk-blue butterflies and the ascending song of skylarks.
The hill connects to a network of byways and bridleways across the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making it a natural starting point for longer circular walks into the surrounding countryside. Dogs are welcome, the terrain is gentle, and there is no entry fee — just park considerately in Heddington village and follow the footpath signs uphill.
Caen Hill Locks: Georgian Engineering on the Water
A 20-minute drive south-west from Calne brings you to Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, near Devizes — a flight of 29 consecutive locks that climbs 237 feet in just two miles, built to connect London's river network with the Bristol Channel when the canal opened in 1810. Walking the towpath alongside the staircase of lock gates, each with its own broad side pond, is one of the most visually dramatic canal walks in England.
A waterside café at the top of the flight makes a fine reward after the climb, and the flat towpath in either direction offers easy walking or cycling. The canal itself is busy with narrowboats in summer, and watching a boat work its way up or down the full flight — a process that takes around four hours — is a surprisingly compelling spectacle.
Combining Both in a Day
Start at Morgan's Hill for the morning — the early light on the chalk downland is glorious — then drive south to Devizes for lunch at the Caen Hill Locks café before walking the towpath in the afternoon. The two landscapes could hardly be more different: open, windswept downland followed by the intimate, tree-lined world of the canal, with the sound of lock gates and the slow chug of narrowboat engines replacing the skylarks.
Both sites are free to visit (the Caen Hill car park has a small charge). Devizes itself is worth a detour: its Thursday and Saturday market is one of the liveliest in Wiltshire, and the town's medieval market square is lined with independent shops and good pubs.
Morgan's Hill Nature Reserve & Caen Hill Locks on video
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