Salisbury is set in England's rural heartland and has a history dating back over 5,000 years.

Things to do in Salisbury

Salisbury Cathedral is set within eight acres of lawn and Britain's tallest spire was added a generation later. The Cathedral holds a preserved Magna Carta. Salisbury is close to Stonehenge. Salisbury Museum is the home of the Stonehenge Gallery, the Monkton Deverill gold torc, the Warminster Jewel and the famous ‘Amesbury Archer’. Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival presents an array of events. Longleat Safari and Adventure Park also includes Longleat House, which is regarded as one of the best examples of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain. Old Sarum was the original Salisbury and the iron age fort was where the cathedral once stood. Mompesson House is an elegant 18th century house in the Cathedral Close. Also situated here is Arundells, the home of former British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath.

Travelling to Salisbury

By Rail

Salisbury has a direct service to and from London Waterloo as well as regular services to Bath, Portsmouth, Exeter, Southampton, Bristol, and Cardiff.

By Bus and Coach

The Wilts and Dorset Bus Company offers local bus services and National Express travel to Salisbury.

By Road

Salisbury can be reached using the A30, A36, A338, A345 and the A360 is nearby.

By Air

Heathrow airport is approximately 90 minutes away. Southampton and Bournemouth, each less than an hour away, have flights from around the UK and Europe; while Exeter, Bristol and Birmingham airports are also within easy reach.

An iron age fort was built on Salisbury Hill 2,500 years ago about 2 miles north of the modern town centre. In the 6th century AD the Saxons invaded Wiltshire. In 1003 the Vikings raided Wilton and founded a new settlement and in 1069 William the Conqueror built a wooden castle.

The modern town of Salisbury began about 1217 when the Bishop decided to move his seat to land owned by the church south of the hill. The main industry in Medieval Salisbury was making wool cloth. Work on Salisbury Cathedral began in 1220 and continued until 1258. The tower and spire were added in 1334. Salisbury grew to be one of the largest towns in England by the 15th century.

When the civil war started in 1642 Salisbury escaped the fighting for two years and remained in royalist hands until January 1646. By then the king was losing the war and he withdrew his troops from Salisbury. The population dwindled but in the 19th century the population increased. In the 20th century Salisbury continued to grow quite rapidly but it remained an agricultural town. Today tourism is one of the main industries.