Parsonage Down

The site is a national nature reserve in recognition of its importance as part of the Salisbury Plain landscape and calcareous grassland it supports.

Parsonage Down and Cherry Lodge Farm together form the only farm directly managed by Natural England. The farm is run for the benefit of wildlife and conservation within the SSSI and NNR, and is home to the oldest registered herd of English Longhorn cattle in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web |title=Managing the oldest Longhorn herd in the UK that still registers females with modern technology! |url=https://herdwatch.com/en-uk/case-studies/elise-longhorn-cattle/ |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=Herdwatch UK |language=en-GB}}

Following the introduction of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, the whole of the site was designated "access land" and is, therefore, open to public access.

The site has the largest population of burnt orchid (Neotinea ustulata) in northwest Europe.Harrap, Anne and Simon (2005) Orchids of Britain and Ireland - a field and site guide

• [https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1004185.pdf Natural England citation sheet for the site] (accessed 11 April 2022)

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• [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england Natural England website] (SSSI information)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090727091954/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nnr/1006118.aspx Parsonage Down National Nature Reserve]

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Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire

Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1971

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