Salisbury  SP2   

The sky-line is dominated by Salisbury Cathedral. At 123 metres (404 feet), the spire is the tallest in the UK. and can be seen from many vantage points around the city. On the north of the city is Old Sarum, the ancient fort with its earthworks make an imposing site. The River Avon runs through the city and was one of the main reasons why the valley was settled.  The cathedral's library contains the best preserved of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta.

  In 1386, a large mechanical clock was installed at Salisbury Cathedral, the oldest surviving mechanical clock in Britain.  

The city wall surrounds the Close and was built in the 14th century. There are five gates in the wall, four are original, a fifth was created in the 19th century to allow access to Bishop Wordsworth's School located inside the Cathedral Close. They are known as the High Street Gate, St Ann's Gate, the Queen's Gate, and St Nicholas's Gate. A room located above St Ann's Gate is where the composer Handel stayed, and whilst there wrote several works.

During the Great Plague of London, Charles II held court in the Close.  

The 15th century Poultry Cross in the Market Place originally marked the section of the market trading in poultry.   Salisbury holds a market on Tuesdays and Saturdays and has held markets regularly since 1227.

The Close, essentially a walled city within the city, is ringed by period houses. Two of the properties, Mompesson House, a National Trust property finished in high Georgian style, and Malmesbury House, originally built in 1327, but later remodelled in Georgian fashion also.     In 1226, King Henry III granted the Bishop of Salisbury a charter to hold a fair lasting 8 days from the Feast of the Assumption of Mary (15 August). Over the centuries the dates for the fair have moved around, but in its modern guise, a funfair is now held in the Market Place for three days from the third Monday in October. However, there is still an ancient law stating that the fair can be held in the Cathedral Close.  

Shopping centres include The Old George Mall, The Maltings, and Winchester Street.

Schools

A good range of LEA and Private Schools.

Leisure.

A good variety of local restaurants, public houses. Salisbury has its own playhouse, a racecourse on the western side of the city, sports and leisure facilities, walks and city tours.

Amenities.

Hospital at Odstock, doctors surgeries, dentists, vets, churches and places of worship.

Transport.

Railway station (Southwest Trains) (London-Exeter) on the western side of the city. Good local and National bus service.

Salisbury's annual International Arts Festival, held in late May to early June, provides a programme of theatre, live music, dance, public sculpture, street performances and art exhibitions.

  Close to Queen Elizabeth Gardens are water meadows, the water is controlled by weirs. Because of the low-lying land, the rivers are prone to flooding particularly during the winter months. The Town Path, a walkway that links Harnham with the rest of the city is at times un-passable.

  There is no motorway that links the ports of Southampton and Bristol meaning that all traffic must pass through the city.

  To the north and east is a large flat expanse of Salisbury Plain. This area is used by the military for manoeuvres and weaponry testing. There is a military aviation base at Middle Wallop, a civil airfield at Thruxton and another airfield at Old Sarum where the experimental aircraft the Optica was developed and tested.  

  * The Five Rivers Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool is located just outside of the ring road and was opened in 2002.

  * The local theatre is the Playhouse.       * The City Hall is a multi-purpose entertainment venue and hosts comedy, musical performances as well as seminars and conventions.       * Salisbury Racecourse is a flat racing course to the south-west of the city.       * Salisbury Arts Centre has exhibitions, workshops and an underground music scene with bands playing most weekends.   The Salisbury Journal is the local newspaper.

Local event information can be found on The Best of Salisbury website.   

The pub 'The Haunch of Venison' contains a mummified disembodied hand. The hand was supposedly severed from its owner's body during a game of cards. The hand was an important piece of local culture, as well as a tourist attraction. However, the hand vanished on March 16, 2004 but later reappeared under mysterious circumstances and can still be seen inside the 'Haunch of Venison'.

Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower are said to have met in the small room at the front of the pub whilst planning the D-Day landings.  

Local Attractions. Places of note.

 Nearby is the site of Stonehenge which draws a great number of visitors world-wide.The precise reason for its construction still remains a mystery, in recent years many have expressed the view that far from being a structure celebrating mid summer it was constructed to celebrate the end of winter. Access to the site is restricted and a new by-pass remains many years away.  

Porton Down is the location of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, one of Britain’s most secret and sensitive sites. The centre is used amongst other things as a research centre for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare studies.

    Wilton can be found to the west of Salisbury. The historic Wilton House and its magnificent gardens are well worth a visit.

  Boscombe Down is a small village north of Salisbury with a military airfield. It said locally that leading edge military aircraft are tested at the site and during the early hours can be seen futuristic aircraft are put through their paces.

Salisbury Plain to the north houses bases at Tidworth and Bulford as well as on the Plain itself, which is used as a training area and has live firing ranges.

Our View Salisbury is a very attractive city and historically significant. There is much fine architecture with a visit to the Cathedral a must. There is a good selection of shops restaurants and public houses. The city centre has been developed but many of the original buildings have been spared. A mix of housing needs have been catered for in the city with areas such as Laverstock seeing a modern housing development. Outside of the city are a number of pretty villages, the houses are sought after and buyers out-strip availability. As you get closer to the New Forest the prices reflect the desirability of the area.

  Against. Through traffic remains a problem and should be avoided at peak times. Off road parking difficult in the centre and the main car parks can fill quickly. High prices of some rural properties.