Watership Down, Hampshire Watership Down, Hampshire Watership Down is a hill, or down, at Ecchinswell in the civil parish of Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green in the English county of Hampshire, as part of the Hampshire Downs. It rises fairly steeply on its northern flank (the scarp side), but to the south the slope is much gentler (the dip side). The Down is best known as the setting for Richard Adams' 1972 novel about rabbits, also called "Watership Down". The area is popular with cyclists and walkers. A bridleway, the Wayfarer's Walk cross county footpath, runs along the ridge of the Down which
Watership Down tales of the "real story". "The Economist" heralded the book's publication, saying "If there is no place for "Watership Down" in children’s bookshops, then children’s literature is dead." Peter Prescott, senior book reviewer at "Newsweek", gave the novel a glowing review: "Adams handles his suspenseful narrative more dextrously than most authors who claim to write adventure novels, but his true achievement lies in the consistent, comprehensible and altogether enchanting civilisation that he has created." Kathleen J. Rothen and Beverly Langston identified the work as one that "subtly speaks to a child", with "engaging characters and fast-paced action [that] make it