About Salisbury 

Salisbury Cathedral is a masterpiece of Early English Gothic, built between 1220 and 1258 with remarkably consistent style. Its spire, at 404 feet, is the tallest in England. Within the cathedral, you can see one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta, and one of the world’s oldest working mechanical clocks from the late 14th century. The surrounding Cathedral Close is one of the largest in Britain, filled with historic buildings, museums and gardens.

Before the current city, the site of Old Sarum, about two miles north of central Salisbury, was the original settlement. and home to an Iron Age settlement and Norman cathedral built in the 11th century. You can still see the ruins of the castle, the old cathedral foundations, and defensive earthworks. The cathedral was eventually relocated in the valley, in part due to tensions between the military garrison and clergy at the old site.

Salisbury is often paired with nearby prehistoric and historic sites. Stonehenge and Avebury, part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site, are easily accessible from the city. The wider landscape is rich in archaeology, with ancient burial mounds, earthworks and hillforts scattered across the chalk downs. Finds from these sites, ranging from Neolithic tools to Bronze Age artefacts, highlight the area’s long history as a centre of settlement and ritual.

Salisbury has a lively arts centre, galleries and independent shops, historic streets such as Butcher Row. The city hosts an annual international arts festival, with concerts, exhibitions and performances. Local traditions are celebrated through regular markets in the central square which add to the character, while the city’s pubs, cafes and restaurants blend the backdrop of heritage with modern life.