Salisbury Plain

Undulating plateau between Salisbury and Devizes in Wiltshire, southwest England; area 775 sq km/300 sq mi. It rises to 235 m/770 ft in Westbury Down. Since the mid-19th century it has been a military training area. Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain.

Features A tract of open chalk downs, Salisbury Plain is rich in prehistoric burial mounds and earthworks, particularly of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages. There are extensive remains of Celtic field systems and of Roman settlements.

Military training Salisbury Plain has been used as an army training area since the time of the Napoleonic Wars. A permanent camp was started at Tidworth in 1902. During World War I and World War II many training camps were established in the area, and soldiers were prepared for active service here. The airfields at Upavon and Netheravon have been in use since 1912 and are amongst the oldest in Britain. The main army establishments are the Royal Armoured Corps camp at Tidworth, the Royal Artillery camp at Larkhill, the School of Infantry at Warminster, and the Research Centre at Ponton Down, Britain's centre for chemical and biological warfare.