Tucked away in a corner of Laverstock is Whitebridge Spinney boardwalk, a surprising hidden gem which runs alongside the banks of the River Bourne.

The organisers said it had a unique beauty all-year-round and in the past 18 months was a haven for many residents and visitors, plants and creatures.

“People plant snowdrops and bluebells, friendships have been made with neighbours who met for the first time, and local clubs and Schools use it for field trips and parents with pushchairs and dog walkers are a regular sight. During home schooling, it was a place of education and discovery and for those who were grieving, it has been part of their healing, a place for thought and reflection where nature can be observed and knowledge shared with another generation.”

It was funded jointly by Laverstock & Ford Parish Council and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

In 2020, the parish council completed installation of the new 250-metre long boardwalk and information boards show the abundant and diverse range of flora and fauna in the area.

Thanks to Laverstock schools pupils, Duke of Edinburgh Award students and the Devenish Bradshaw Charitable Trust, visitors can learn more about the pond which appears each spring, with water voles, egrets, frogs and fish.

Two more boards are to be installed further along the river.

One will be alongside the path leading from the Laverstock schools through to London Road, which details some of the work of the Devenish Bradshaw Charitable Trust to restore habitats on the water meadows.

Bundy Lane in Bishopdown Farm hosts the last board, looking out over the river as it skirts along the edge of Castle Hill Country Park.

The boardwalk is also Stop 13 on the Salisbury Bee Trail, an award-winning environmental project.

Download the Bee Trail app on a smartphone, or pick up a map from Five Rivers Leisure Centre, Salisbury, to find many of the hidden areas in Salisbury where wildlife thrives.

A leaflet with map of the Farm and Spinney Trail is available from the café at River Bourne Community Farm, just across the road from the entrance to the boardwalk on Laverstock Road, or on their website at www.riverbournecommunityfarm.org.uk/trails