Martin: Chalk Grassland and Prehistory

This can help you decide in advance whether to focus more on the landscape, a walk or the history.

Martin Down: Chalk Grassland and Orientation

Martin Down is a 350-hectare area of chalk grassland. The figure indicates its size, while the term chalk grassland describes the landscape type. Together, these features give your visit a specific connection to nature, distinct from the archaeological monuments. This allows you to consider the landscape as a focus in its own right, alongside prehistory.

Parking for Martin Down is available in Martin and off the A354, north of the Sixpenny Handley roundabout. The second location can be identified by its road and roundabout; Martin is listed as another parking option. When planning a visit, you can take these two parking locations into account and check the latest access information in advance.

Prehistoric Traces

Bokerley Dyke is a linear earthwork approximately 5.75 kilometres long. Its approximate length conveys the structure’s elongated character and distinguishes it from a single burial mound. The earthwork on Martin Down was built in the Middle Bronze Age and later also used by Romano-Britons. Its construction and later use therefore belong to different periods of its history.

A Bronze Age burial mound on Martin Down is a prehistoric monument. Earthwork and burial mound refer to different forms: here, the linear course of Bokerley Dyke contrasts with a single mound. This comparison helps you consider the two monuments as distinct archaeological remains, rather than treating them as one structure.

Walking, Cycling and Horse Riding

The Martin Down & Vernditch W20 is an easy circular walk. Its easy rating applies to this walking route; it is not a rating for other activities in the area. If a walk is the main focus of your trip, the W20 is a specific route to consider.

The map of public access in Martin Down National Nature Reserve, published on 2 December 2016, shows certain areas where visitors can ride horses or cycle. It also warns that access may be restricted and that the rights to ride and cycle are not permanent. If you are planning either activity, check the latest access information in advance.

The distinction matters when planning: the W20 is described as an easy walk, while the cycling and horse-riding information applies to specific designated areas. The walking grade therefore applies to the circular route; for the other two activities, the map information and its caveat are what matter.

Discover more destinations: Overton, Monk Sherborne, Eastleigh, Tadley, Ellingham, Farnborough, East Tisted, Alton

For the broader travel overview: Hampshire.