History & Heritage itinerary

  • 2 day

Salisbury has been welcoming visitors since 1227. A wonderfully intimate city, set in beautiful Wiltshire countryside.

Five rivers, the Cathedral Close, medieval buildings, green spaces and water meadows – Salisbury is a city on a human scale, a city made for exploring.

Alongside the cathedral and museums, visitors benefit from a thriving cultural scene, a busy Charter Market and a panoply of independent retailers and creators.

  • Experience Salisbury's History & Heritage itinerary


    Day 1:

    As you arrive into Salisbury you’ll see the tallest spire in the country, standing at a breath-taking
    404ft / 123m guiding travellers to Salisbury city for over 800 years. Join an organised tour of Salisbury Cathedral where you will learn all about the cathedral’s history and how it defiantly moved two miles from Old Sarum to its location today.

    See an original 1215 Magna Carta, one of four surviving copies, and the world’s oldest working clock, thought to date back to medieval times in 1386. Take time to walk around the cathedral, absorbing the atmosphere as you look up to the majestic stained-glass windows. 

    Stop for some refreshments in the Cathedral’s Refectory Restaurant, Salisbury Museum Café, or the Bell Tower Tea Rooms (summer only) where you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of Salisbury Cathedral.

    Salisbury is an intimate, friendly cathedral city of ageless beauty and captivating living history. Explore Britain’s largest Cathedral Close, reflecting architectural styles from the 13th to 18th Century. Here you will find Mompesson House, an 18th Century Queen Anne masterpiece of a townhouse, and location for the film Sense and Sensibility, Arundells, a former prime minister’s beautiful home, Salisbury Museum, showcasing impressive historic collections, The Wardrobe, the Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum and Sarum College, providing private retreats and study breaks.

    Salisbury is full of incredibly old pubs, but The Haunch of Venison is believed to be the oldest. Relax in the cosy bar area downstairs before dinner in the gastropub upstairs. History fans will love that there is a secret tunnel and rumour has it, this is where Churchill and Eisenhower planned D-Day. 

    There are plenty of great places to stay in Salisbury, choose one steeped in history with a stay at either Best Western The Red Lion Hotel, Europe’s oldest purpose-built hotel or the elegant grade II listed Mercure White Heart Hotel – both have excellent facilities. Find more SLEEP options here.

    Day 2:

    Salisbury is a modern medieval city and offers visitors an experience like no other. If you visit on a Tuesday or Saturday, you can experience the Charter Market located in the market place, near the Guildhall (home to our award-winning Visitor Information Centre). One of the oldest markets in Britain, Salisbury has hosted a weekly market since 1227. Today you will find a vibrant, friendly market packed with fresh, local artisan produce and unique products – perfect for taking home a gift or two.

    If you like to people watch, then head over to Henderson’s Artisan Bakery for a great spot to see
    the hustle and bustle of the Charter Market, whilst enjoying a coffee and pastry.

    Then, onto St Thomas’s Church, this 13th Century church is home to Britain’s largest and bestpreserved Doom painting. Take time to look up and around to see if you can spot all 250 angels, located on the roof, walls and pillars of this historic Anglican church. Entry to the church is free and there is a free mobile guide that can be downloaded, ahead of your visit.

    In Salisbury, we celebrate the unique and the quirky, the local and the original. Discover Salisbury’s independent shops, with over 200 to visit. Salisbury is a shopper’s paradise, unlike any other high street. Just 10 minutes from the city centre is Fisherton Mill, located in a 19th Century Mill, the largest independent gallery in the South of England. Here you will find a unique collection of work from renowned artists, sculptors and makers and an award-winning café. Find details of all our SHOPS here.

    If you have time, visit Old Sarum, an iron age hillfort on the outskirts of the city and the original site of Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge, England’s greatest mystery, home to the world famous pre-historic stone circle – located just 10-miles north of the city of Salisbury. The Stonehenge Bus Tours run regularly from Salisbury city centre and take in both attractions.

  • Your experience....

    Featured

    Salisbury Cathedral

    Salisbury Cathedral has been a place of worship, welcome, and hospitality for over 800 years. The story of this great Cathedral is a tale of defiance and ingenuity that begins back in 1218.

    • City Centre Location
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access

    2 minutes

    2 minutes

    Arundells

    Arundells is a Grade II Listed home in the heart of Salisbury Cathedral Close. It is the former home of the late Sir Edward Heath – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974.

    • City Centre Location
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access
    • Venue Hire Available

    5 minutes

    Mompesson House

    Mompesson House is the largest house on Choristers’ Green in Salisbury’s Cathedral Close and is one of the most warm and welcoming.

    • City Centre Location
    • Disabled Access

    5 minutes

    The Haunch of Venison

    The Haunch of Venison is one of the oldest pubs in Salisbury. It has oak beams, antique furnitue and wood-panelled walls which all add to the atmosphere. Downstairs is a cosy pub area while upstairs is a restaurant offering gastropub food. It has bee...

    • Dog Friendly
    • City Centre Location
    • Vegetarian Options
    • Independent Business

    10 minutes

    Mercure White Hart Hotel

    Salisbury's Mercure White Hart Hotel is an elegant 4-star Georgian hotel conveniently located in the heart of the city centre.

    • City Centre Location
    • Free Parking
    • Venue Hire Available
    • Meeting Room Hire Available
    • Vegetarian Options

    10 minutes

    Salisbury Charter Market

    Every Tuesday and Saturday, Salisbury's historic Charter Market is held in the Market Place with a variety of local traders offering a range of fresh local produce and products.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access

    2 minutes

    Henderson's Artisan Bakery & Cafe

    Located on Salisbury's historic Market Square, Henderson's is an independent bakery and cafe. Their breads, buns, cakes and pastries are handmade on the premises using only the finest ingredients, many of which are locally and sustainably sourced.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Outside Seating Available

    5 minutes

    St Thomas's Church

    In the heart of the city centre, St Thomas's Church is an open and inclusive Anglican Church that has been welcoming visitors for almost eight hundred years. One of the must see sights of Salisbury.

    • City Centre Location
    • Disabled Access

    10 minutes

    Fisherton Mill - Gallery | Cafe | Studios

    Fisherton Mill is so much more than an amazing art gallery located in one of Salisbury's most beautiful restored buildings.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Outside Seating Available
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access
    • Vegetarian Options
  • At a glance....

    Featured

    Salisbury Cathedral

    Salisbury Cathedral has been a place of worship, welcome, and hospitality for over 800 years. The story of this great Cathedral is a tale of defiance and ingenuity that begins back in 1218.

    • City Centre Location
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access

    The Cathedral Refectory

    The Refectory restaurant at Salisbury Cathedral is open all year round and offers stunning views, and possibly the most unique view, of the spire through the glass roof.

    • City Centre Location
    • Outside Seating Available
    • Vegetarian Options

    Salisbury Cathedral Close

    800 years of history is on show in Salisbury’s Cathedral Close. At 80 acres it is Britain’s largest Cathedral Close and reflects architectural styles from the 13th through to the 20th Century.

    • City Centre Location
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access

    The Haunch of Venison

    The Haunch of Venison is one of the oldest pubs in Salisbury. It has oak beams, antique furnitue and wood-panelled walls which all add to the atmosphere. Downstairs is a cosy pub area while upstairs is a restaurant offering gastropub food. It has bee...

    • Dog Friendly
    • City Centre Location
    • Vegetarian Options
    • Independent Business

    Best Western The Red Lion Hotel

    The Red Lion Hotel Salisbury is Europe's oldest purpose-built hotel. It is housed in a 13th century building that now features 60 guest bedrooms, a traditional restaurant and bar for both residents and the public.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Disabled Access
    • Outside Seating Available
    • Vegetarian Options
    • Meeting Room Hire Available
    • Venue Hire Available

    Salisbury Charter Market

    Every Tuesday and Saturday, Salisbury's historic Charter Market is held in the Market Place with a variety of local traders offering a range of fresh local produce and products.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access

    Henderson's Artisan Bakery & Cafe

    Located on Salisbury's historic Market Square, Henderson's is an independent bakery and cafe. Their breads, buns, cakes and pastries are handmade on the premises using only the finest ingredients, many of which are locally and sustainably sourced.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Outside Seating Available

    St Thomas's Church

    In the heart of the city centre, St Thomas's Church is an open and inclusive Anglican Church that has been welcoming visitors for almost eight hundred years. One of the must see sights of Salisbury.

    • City Centre Location
    • Disabled Access

    Fisherton Mill - Gallery | Cafe | Studios

    Fisherton Mill is so much more than an amazing art gallery located in one of Salisbury's most beautiful restored buildings.

    • Independent Business
    • City Centre Location
    • Outside Seating Available
    • Dog Friendly
    • Disabled Access
    • Vegetarian Options
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