THE county of Wiltshire is sometimes referred to as the chalk and cheese county, dairy products from the lush Salisbury Plain and sheep on the downs.

However it's not a hard and fast rule because many of the valleys on the Marlborough Downs are ideal for dairy farming.

The downs are a great mass of chalk resulting from some primeval upheaval which give the northern half of the county its distinctive rounded look, with great hump-backed hills like Martinsell near Oare, Milk Hill and Tan Hill.

While it makes for hard work for cyclists, the downland provides spectacular scenery that equals that of the dales and fells up north.

The Wiltshire downs may not be as statuesque and craggy as some tourist honeypots in the north but they are nevertheless attractive for their gentle and almost voluptuous curves.

The Vale of Pewsey marks the northern limit of Salisbury Plain, an almost indefinable area that stretches across the south half of the county.

Marlborough is one of the many communities that nestle in the folds of the downs which provide great walking with countless miles of footpaths and other tracks.

Some paths like the Ridgeway which, as it name implies, follows the hilltops, are among the oldest known routes in the world.

Many walks are listed at the Tourist Information Centres in Marlborough library and Avebury Old Chapel.