From Wikitravel
Salisbury is a cathedral city in the English county of Wiltshire, in the heart of
the West
Country.
Get in
By plane
The most convenient airports are:
- London
Heathrow Airport is about 75 miles drive from
Salisbury via the M25 (anti-clockwise), M3
(southbound), A303, A346 and A30. There is a
Railair coach service to Woking station, where mainline trains to
Salisbury can be boarded; two services an hour give a journey time
of just over two hours for the whole journey. National Express also
offer several coaches a day from Heathrow to Salisbury.
- London
Gatwick Airport is about 100 miles drive from
Salisbury via the M23 (northbound), M25
(clockwise), M3 (southbound), A303, A346 and A30.
By train, catch a London bound
train which stops at Clapham Junction (note that the heavily
advertised Gatwick Express does not stop there) from the airport
rail station, and change at Clapham Junction for a service to
Salisbury; two services an hour give a journey time of just under
two hours for the whole journey.
Regional Airports nearby include:
- Southampton
Airport is about 25 miles away, and is probably the
easiest to access, both by car and train. Driving is simple - to
get to Salisbury, take the M27 (westbound) towards
Bournemouth, then exit at J2 onto the A36 towards Salisbury.
Southampton Airport Parkway train station is at the
airport terminal. There is one direct train an hour from the
station to Salisbury, taking just under an hour or alternatively
travel via Romsey, with total journey time varying between 45
minutes to an hour. The X7 Bus for Salisbury leaves from Outside
Southampton Central Station regularly.
- Bournemouth
Airport is also 25 miles away. It is an easy drive -
the A338 Bournemouth - Salisbury road takes you all the way.
However public transport links to the airport are poor, and you
should get a taxi from Ringwood or Bournemouth - the X3 bus links
Bournemouth, Ringwood and Salisbury every half hour. Bournemouth
airport is mostly served by charter flights, and a small number of
short-haul scheduled flights.
- Bristol
International Airport is about 60 miles from
Salisbury, and is the only nearby regional airport with daily
services to the USA. Many other short-haul destinations also have
frequent flights from here. A frequent coach service (3 per hour)
links the airport with Bristol Temple Meads station, which provides
onward train connections to Salisbury (destination Southampton or
Portsmouth). Through tickets are available. Driving is a little
more complex, and you are advised to get a good map or good
directions.
By train
Salisbury has a station on the secondary main line from London to Exeter. From London, travel from London Waterloo
rail station; there are two trains an hour which take about 1hr
30mins for the journey. If you are on a budget, Megatrain
offer highly discounted train travel from London Waterloo to
Salisbury, starting at £1 each way. Megatrain is only available
from London.
Hourly trains also run through Salisbury on the Cardiff to Portsmouth secondary main
line. These trains also link Bristol, Bath, Romsey and Southampton with Salisbury.
Connections for the North of the UK are available at Bristol, Basingstoke (on the London line) and from
various stations in London.
Connections for Wales and rail
connections to west Wales for boats to Ireland are available by changing at Cardiff. For Cornwall and the South West
Peninsular, change at Exeter.
Train times (from any location) can be found on the National Rail
Planner or by calling 0845-7-48-49-50 from anywhere in the UK.
The station is a five minute walk from the town centre, just head
down Fisherton St.
By bus
National Express [1] operate services to
Salisbury from cities throughout the UK including London. Advance ticketing is required.
For those with a special interest in West Country cathedral
cities, Wilts & Dorset [2] operate the branded
Cathedral Connection between Salisbury and Winchester, taking in some very
attractive countryside on route. Despite its branding, this is a
rural bus service (number 68) with no need for advance ticketing;
it operates six times a day (except Sundays) and takes about an
hour and a half for the journey. Timetable details can be found on
the website, or by telephoning 336855.
Wilts & Dorset also operate local services throughout the
Salisbury area, including services to Stonehenge from the bus station and train
station forecourt.
Four bus based park and ride facilities are available, see
National Park and Ride Directory
By car
Salisbury has been a major regional cross-roads for thousands of
years, and this is still the case today, with the A30, A36, A338,
A345 and A360 main roads crossing here. Traffic is notorious in
Salisbury, particularly on a Friday, and generally on the A36
Southampton Road. Through traffic is kept out of the partially
pedestrianised and traffic-calmed city centre by the modern
dual-carriageway ring road. If you are driving, you may want to
consider using one of the Park and Ride sites
[3] dotted around the edge of the city. If you want to park
closer, there are a number of large car parks with direct
interchange onto the ring road, but beware the high prices charged.
Driving in the city centre itself is not recommended, as there is a
complex one-way system, and a large amount of traffic on the
non-pedestrianised roads.
If you are driving:
- from London, take the M3, A303, A346 and A30,
- from Bristol the A4 and A36,
- from Southampton the A36,
- from Portsmouth take the M27 and A36,
- and from the North travel via the A34 (Oxford), A303 and
A338.
Salisbury is a major routeing point on the road network, and
will be signed as a destination at the appropriate exits on the M3,
M27, A4 and A303.
Get around
The bus Station is located just off the Market Square on Endless
St. they travel to surrounding villages and towns, and further
afield to Swindon, Bournemouth and Southampton.
The main taxi rank is in New Canal Street, opposite the cinema,
with smaller ones at the train station and Fisherton St.
The city centre is small enough to walk across in a few minutes.
Old Sarum, which is on the edge of the town is only a 50 minute
walk from the town centre.
- Salisbury Cathedral [4], tel
01722 555120, open daily 7.15am-6.15pm, suggested entry donation
adults £3.80, senior/student £3.30, child £2 - constructed
between 1220 and 1258, Salisbury Cathedral has the highest spire in
England at 404 feet (123 metres). Cathedral services take place
daily and opening times can vary at short notice depending on
services. The cathedral close is especially beautiful with fine
lawns surrounded by elegant and historic buildings. There are daily
guided tours up the tower (extra payment) - not for those scared of
heights but the views are magnificent. For history buffs, the
cathedral has an original copy of Magna Carta on show.
- Old Sarum [5],
tel 01722 335398. Located on a hilltop north of modern
Salisbury, Old Sarum is the site of the original city, showing
evidence of habitation from 3000BC to 1219 when the bishop
relocated Salisbury Cathedral to its current location. Until 1832
Old Sarum was a 'rotten borough', electing two members of
parliament despite long periods during which there were no
residents. Most of the site is free to enter, although there is a
charge to enter the Inner Bailey.
- Stonehenge is also
definitely worth seeing. It is the ruins of a neolithic monument,
and it is truly incredible that some of it still remains!
- Bulford Kiwi, Canberra Drive (not numbered).
Kiwis longing for home, might want to do
a pilgrimage to the Bulford district, where a 130 meter high
(covering a full 1.5 acres!) image of a Kiwi bird was carved in the
chalk rock by New Zealand soldiers waiting to return home after the
end of World War I. Free.
edit
- The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum [6], The King's
House, 65 The Close, Salisbury tel 01722 332151, open Mon-Sat
10:00am-5:00pm (Jul-Aug Sun 2:00pm-5:00pm), admission adults £5.00,
child £2.00 - This small but varied museum houses displays on
the history of Salisbury, costume, ceramics, pictures and the
Stonehenge Gallery. In 'Notes from a Small Island', Bill Bryson
comments that "Salisbury museum is outstanding and I urge you to go
there at once"!
Buy
The Charter Market is a retail market held twice-weekly on
Tuesdays and Saturdays (except the third Tuesday in October) from 8
AM to 4 PM (till 3:30 PM between Christmas and Easter) in Salisbury
Market Square. The market consists of 90 stalls plus 10 farmers'
stalls.
There are a number of smaller specialist shops and two main
shopping centres; The Old George Mall and The Crosskeys.
- Cactus Jacks is an excellent Mexican
restaurant on water lane, just off Fisherton St, overlooking the
river. Which has great food, drink, and atmosphere.
- Fisherton St has many Curry Houses and Chinese restaurants.
Around the Market Square there are a variety of restaurants, there
also some upmarket restuarants along New Street near the Cathedral
Entrance.
- hox
brasserie, 155 fisherton st salisbury
(head down Fisherton street, under
the railway bridge, it is located just before the roundabout on the
left side), ☎ 341600, [7]. 6 to
12. Good, modern Indian
restaurant 22.00. edit
Drink
There are a large number of pubs in the city centre; the main
axis of drinking is Fisherton Street, through the centre and up
Milford Hill. Many of the larger pubs stay open until 12, or later
at weekends. The main axis of drinking is the town end of Fisherton
Street and Milford Street where many of the larger pubs are.
Smaller 'local' pubs are found across town.
The largest club is The Chapel (Milford Street), but it is
expensive to get in (£8-10 usually, but cheaper before 10-11).
Other clubs include N&N (Endless Street by the bus station) and
Level 2 (Catherine Street).
- Byways Guest House, A large bed and breakast
located in a quiet area of the town centre, within 10 minutes walk
of the market square. Free wi-fi and parking, prices start from £39
for a single room. 01722 328264
- Salisbury Youth Hostel, Milford Hill,
telephone 327572, [8].
This is a 200-year-old building in secluded grounds and just a
short walk from the heart of Salisbury. Open every day; reception
open 7:30am-10:30pm. £15 (adult); £11 (under 18).
- Hillside B&B, [9]. Hillside B&B
is in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside in a village called
Odstock, around 3 miles south of Salisbury. As of Jan 2007: £27.50
for Single, £45 for Double / Twin, discounts for longer stays
- Edwardian Lodge (Edwardian Lodge), 59 Castle Road, Salisbury, SP1
3RH (head north from
the town centre along Castle Street, Go straight under the
roundabout onto Castle Road, it's on the right about 300 metres
after the roundabout), ☎ +44 (0) 1722
413329, [10]. Guest house, halfway between the city centre
and the castle of Old Sarum. single:
£42, double £60, family £75. edit
- Sarum College, 19 The Close (Cathedral Close, city centre), ☎ 44 (0)1722 424 800, [11]. Rare opportunity to stay inside Salisbury's
Cathedral Close. City centre, yet quiet and just steps away from
medieval cathedral. Rooms for all budgets. Premier rooms are
refurbished and have uninterrupted views of Cathedral. £45-£105. edit
Splurge
The
White Hart, St John Street, Salisbury SP1
2SD, ☎ +44 (0)
1189714700. In an elegant
Georgian building near the gates to the cathedral grounds.
Excellent, upscale, b&b hotel. £150-£300. edit
Contact
Phone
Salisbury's area code is 01722 when dialled from within the UK
or +441722 from outside the UK.
- Stonehenge - the
ancient monument about 15km from Salisbury. Started in the
Neolithic era (about 2500BC) and completed in the Bronze Age.
Iconic. You can get sightseeing buses straight there from the train
station, or you can get buses from the bus station to Amesbury and
walk from there (approx 3km)
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