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Salisbury is a traditional cathedral city, nestled into the English county of Wiltshire. The city and its surroundings are steeped in history. The earliest evidence of habitation of the Salisbury area is a hill fort named Old Sarum. It dates from the Iron Age and sits just two miles from the present city centre. Look a few miles further and the iconic figure of Stonehenge awaits. Stonehenge is believed to have been built over a 1000-year period starting at least 3000 years ago. It is the centrepiece of one of England’s richest areas of prehistoric archaeology. It is the diverse and wide-ranging nature of Salisbury’s past which is its great charm; there is so much to capture the imagination.
Old Sarum lived a chequered existence over the centuries. The site was successively occupied by Romans, Saxons and finally Normans. It was under the regime of the Normans that a castle and cathedral were built on the site. In 1220 however, the bishopric was moved south from Old Sarum, near to the banks of the River Avon. It was here that the Salisbury Cathedral we recognise today was founded. Salisbury Cathedral is one of England’s best-loved and most iconic buildings. Its towering spire, at 404 feet, is the tallest spire in the country. While the new city of Salisbury flourished as a market town, Old Sarum fell into disrepair, but this did not stop the old constituency electing two members of parliament to the House of Commons in the 17th Century, despite it being uninhabited! The ‘Rotten Borough’ was one of the most notorious in the land, until the Reform Act of 1832 put an end to such practice.
Salisbury is fortunate to have retained much of its delightful architecture. Apart from the magnificent cathedral there are many other buildings dating from the 13th Century, one of which – the Medieval Hall – charts the history of this remarkable and charming old town. Salisbury’s atmospheric winding lanes and narrow streets are a delight to explore, and the city offers several excellent hotels in addition to a good selection of cafes, restaurants and traditional inns. The city also makes an excellent base from which to explore the beautiful New Forest and the bleak and intriguing Salisbury Plain.