Salisbury

The towering spire of medieval Salisbury Cathedral dominates the Wiltshire landscape from virtually all directions, and it's easy to see how somewhere so dramatic, so compelling has been a place of pilgrimage for over 750 years. Tourists still flock to see Salisbury Cathedral today, though many are equally drawn to the charms of the Wiltshire market town that has grown up around it.

Photo: Salisbury Cathedral. Photo by courtesy of Toby Oxborrow, published on Flickr in 2004 under a Creative Commons Licence.

The location

Salisbury is located in the heart of Wiltshire—essentially still a rural area, though with major towns such as Bristol, Bath, Southampton, Winchester, and Bournemouth not far away. Much of the town's beauty is down to the four chalkstream rivers that course through its centre: the Avon, the Nadder, the Wylye and Bourne. The wooded charms of Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are a short drive away.

The economy

Salisbury owes much of its popularity to its strategic position in the South West. It's a convenient stopping off point between the South Coast (and economically important Southampton docks) and Bristol, but it's also a midway point between London and the South West counties of Devon and Cornwall. Through traffic, carried by road or by rail, has always been important to Salisbury. There is an important military presence at nearby Salisbury Plain, but most of the time you see little evidence of it in the town itself.

Things to do

Countryside

There are fabulous riverside walks all over Salisbury. Simply pick yourself a river and walk along the bank and you're pretty much guaranteed an enjoyable, wandering excursion. Once you get outside the Ring Road (effectively the town's bypass), peace and tranquility is virtually assured. There are lovely watermeadow wanders around the Cathedral itself (along the old town path) and to the nearby villages of Britford and Odstock.

Attractions

Salisbury makes an excellent base for a wide range of nearby attractions. There really is something for everyone here. Stonehenge is undoubtedly the biggest tourist draw, but the cathedral in Salisbury comes a close second. With a spire towering 123 m (404 ft) feet above you, you really have to crane your neck to take it all in! The Cathedral Close is mostly devoted to exclusive private homes (former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath used to live here, as did best-selling author Leslie Thomas), but the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum is also here and well worth a visit, as is a National Trust property called Mompesson House. If you like stately homes and gardens, you will want to visit Wilton House, on the outskirts of the city, with its world-famous "double-cube room", though it's expensive and some visitors find it a slightly disappointing experience. Nearby Breamore House is cheaper, older, more friendly, and to my mind far more interesting. Slightly further afield you can find the magnificent National Trust gardens, house, and lake at Stourhead and the stately home, safari park, and other assorted delights of Longleat. Cranborne Chase is home to Larmer Tree Gardens and the secret delights of Chettle House. The warm stone of riverside Bradford-on-Avon and the World Heritage City of Bath are just a short hop away to the north-east. Head in the opposite direction, to the south-west, and you'll find the rural charms of the New Forest, with its furzey heathland and wild ponies.

Culture

Salisbury has its own Arts Centre and several cinemas (movie theatres), and holds an interesting Festival of arts, classical music and theatre in late May and early June each year. Don't forget, though, that you're not far from London, Bournemouth, Poole, and Southampton, where alternative cultural opportunities can be found.

Shopping

Although Salisbury retains many interesting independent shops, many local people prefer to shop out of town in nearby Bournemouth and Southampton (with its mega-shopping centre, West Quay). Salisbury has a couple of smaller department stores and many unremarkable branches of chain stores. It also has two rather indifferent shopping centres (the Old George Mall and the Cross Keys Chequer). Without a doubt the most interesting shopping experience happens on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the huge market square in the centre of town: Salisbury's market, with all kinds of fresh food, clothes, and other irresistible bargains, is an infinitely more satisfying shopping experience than you'll find in the shops themselves.

Places to stay

There's accommodation to suit all budgets, from hotels like the 13th century Red Lion and the White Hart to more functional places such as the Clovelly Hotel, extremely conveniently placed, about a minute's walk from the train station and serving tasty home-made yoghurt for breakfast (at least they did the last time I stayed)! There are also many small and interesting bed and breakfast homes throughout the city, offering a more personal and much more interesting stay, particularly for foreign visitors, at a fraction of the price of a hotel room. They're cheap and cheerful for the most part. If you have a car, you could look further afield at places like Howard's House, with its delightful gardens, in the nearby village of Teffont Evias.

Places to eat

There's an equally wide selection of watering holes. Try the interesting north African restaurant by the railway station (if it's still there) or Anokaa's Indian on Fisherton Street. Reeves the Baker's does excellent take-away cakes and pastries. The Haunch of Venison pub in the town centre serves traditional food and an historically interesting pint!

Getting here

Salisbury is easy to find by road: it sits on the A36 that runs from Southampton to Bristol. If you're coming by train, you'll find Salisbury at a convenient crossroads in the rail network. One mainline runs from Southampton and Portsmouth to Bristol, Bath and Cardiff; another goes from London Waterloo, Basingstoke, and Andover through to Dorset stations like Sherborne and Gillingham through to Exeter and Paignton. This makes it simple to get to Salisbury from most places in England with only one or two rail changes. If you're coming from Birmingham or the North, you have to get a train to Bristol first, then change there for the service to Southampton and Portsmouth (often rather a crowded experience, but a wonderfully scenic journey all the same as you wind back and forth through the river valley south of Bath).

Transport in Salisbury is not as integrated as it might be, with the bus and rail stations a good 10-15 minutes walk apart. The bus station, in the centre of town, is operated largely by Wilts & Dorset. From here, you can get fast buses to such nearby towns as Bournemouth, Southampton, and Ringwood. There are hourly buses to Stonehenge from both the bus station and the railway station.

Map

Here's a map of Salisbury from Google Images. You can use the "Find businesses" tab and search box to find local businesses, places to stay, and so on.

More information

Visit Salisbury and Stonehenge: The official tourist information guide. Or contact Salisbury Tourist Information Centre, Fish Row, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, SP1 1EJ. Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 334956.
Salisbury District Council: "A free holiday service on what you can see when you visit Bournemouth and the surrounding areas in Dorset."
Salisbury: An introduction from Wikipedia.