Broad Town

Hotels are scarce in Broad Town itself, since this is a small farming parish rather than a tourism hub, but the surrounding area of north Wiltshire offers plenty of choice within a short drive. Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon both have a range of budget and mid-range hotels, from chain options handy for the M4 to smaller independent inns, while Marlborough to the east has a good selection of characterful coaching inns and boutique guest houses along its historic high street. Staying in one of these nearby towns puts you within easy reach of Broad Town's white horse and the wider North Wessex Downs, as well as the M4 corridor for exploring further afield into the Cotswolds or toward Bath. Wherever you choose to stay, the Downs above Broad Town are only a short drive away, and the quiet lanes around the village make it an easy half-day detour rather than a destination requiring an overnight stay on its own. Families and walkers alike will find the countryside around Broad Town well suited to day trips, with the option of returning to more comfortable, better-served accommodation in Swindon or Marlborough each evening. Booking ahead is sensible during the summer months and on weekends, when Wiltshire's market towns and countryside draw steady numbers of visitors exploring the region's ancient monuments, downland walks and white horse trail.

Broad Town rewards anyone happy to get outdoors. The main draw is right on the doorstep, with several more of Wiltshire's famous white horses within easy reach.

• Broad Town White Horse - Cut into the chalk in 1864 by local farmer William Simmonds, this 80ft by 60ft hill figure is one of eight historic white horses in Wiltshire and is looked after by a dedicated village restoration society formed in 1991. Tucked away from the main roads, it has a reputation as the county's "secret" white horse.
• North Wessex Downs National Landscape - Broad Town sits right on the edge of this protected chalk downland, with waymarked paths, ancient trackways and sweeping views across the Vale toward the Marlborough Downs.
• Hackpen White Horse - A short drive or a longer walk away near Broad Hinton, this is another of the county's chalk horses and can be combined with Broad Town's figure for a proper white-horse tour.
• Christ Church, Broad Town - Built in 1844-45 with funding from the Marchioness of Ailesbury and the Goddard family, the parish church is a modest but handsome piece of Victorian architecture.
• Swindon and Marlborough - Both within easy reach, giving access to museums, shops and the wider attractions of Wiltshire, including the Georgian market town of Marlborough and its broad, historic high street.

Broad Town has no pub or restaurant of its own, so visitors head a short distance to neighbouring villages. The Crown Inn at nearby Broad Hinton, an Arkell's pub sitting between the Broad Town and Hackpen white horses, is a popular stop for a country pub meal, while Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon offer a fuller range of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Broad Town sits on the fringe of the North Wessex Downs, a landscape of open chalk grassland, steep escarpments and quiet farmland that makes for atmospheric, if occasionally exposed, camping country. It is worth remembering that wild camping without a landowner's permission remains illegal in England, so anyone hoping to pitch up on the Downs above the village should stick to a licensed campsite or seek permission from the farmer or landowner first - the fields around Broad Town are working farmland, not open access land, however inviting the views from the white horse might look.

That said, the wider area around Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett and Marlborough has a reasonable spread of campsites and caravan parks catering to both tents and touring units, many of them making the most of the same downland scenery that surrounds Broad Town. Given the exposed, breezy nature of the escarpment, the terrain suits a settled pitch with good drainage more than a wild-camping adventure, and conditions can turn wet and heavy underfoot outside the summer months. Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable window, when the chalk paths are firm, the evenings are long enough for a walk up to the white horse, and the downland wildflowers and skylarks are at their best; midsummer weekends can be busy locally thanks to Wiltshire's popularity with walkers chasing the county's white horse trail.

For those who would rather not rough it, glamping options in the wider Wiltshire countryside - shepherd's huts, bell tents and small camping barns - offer a good compromise, combining a taste of the outdoors with proper beds and a roof that copes with the Downs' changeable weather. Whichever way you camp, Broad Town's own White Horse and the quiet lanes of Thornhill and Cotmarsh make a memorable focus for a short countryside break, best enjoyed as part of a wider explore of the North Wessex Downs rather than a stay confined to the village itself.