Salisbury (Old Sarum)

We continued on the path through two high Iron Age banks, past grazing sheep and cows, went through two small gates and onto the access road to Old Sarum. The banks here are about 5000 years old and remained intact until the Roman invasion. They established a garrison in the Avon river valley below, called Sorviodunum. Edward Rutherford's wonderful book Sarum explains all this in detail and worth the read if you are interested in ancient history, especially of this area. I intend to read it again after this trip and should better visualize the places he describes. After the Romans left the Saxons followed, using it as a stronghold against marauding Vikings, and then the Normans who constructed the moat and castle for King Henry I within the old earthworks. The first cathedral was built here in 1092, burned down after five days of being consecrated and replaced by a larger cathedral around 1190. Because the soldiers didn't get along with the church it was decided by the Bishop in 1219 to rebuilt a few miles south. A settlement grew up around this new cathedral - the new town of Salisbury (New Sarum). We could still see the remains of both the castle and the second cathedral, an outline of the walls on the grass. The views were spectacular as the sun broke through every once in a while through the clouds and we could see to the south the spire of the new Cathedral in the distance and green and yellow fields to the north. We were all alone in the silent and ancient place and it was easy to feel the history oozing from the very rock and ground we stood on. Regrettably we couldn't stay longer as we had a tour of the Cathedral tower soon but it was inspiring to be able to walk in and on Salisbury's origins.   gws

view from atop the site

Marie sitting in the palace ruins

view of the cathedral grounds

outline of  second cathedral, 1190 AD

Marie walking over site of cathedral

view of New Sarum from Old Sarum

Marie walking along the ridge above the Norman ditch

view north toward Stonehenge and Amesbury

Marie along perimeter of Old Sarum

'Sarum, barren, dry and solitary, exposed to the rage of the wind, and the church stands as a captive on the hill where it was built like the ark of God shut up in the profane house of Baal'
Peter of Blois, 1135-1203

Salisbury (Stonehenge)

The next morning we were up early for a full course English breakfast cooked up by our landlady and, with her borrowed umbrella, set out to catch our bus for a tour of Stonehenge. We passed Old Sarum on the way (which we would visit later that afternoon) and arrived at the visitors centre after a half hour bus ride, the wide open spaces of Salisbury Plain stretching off in all directions. We took a little tram to the site and, as we approached the familiar circle of stone standing in the distance, the rain stopped and the clouds lifted from the green fields. Hordes of other tourists joined us as we walked slowly up to these ancient and mysterious 4000 year-old blue stones. I couldn't help thinking again as I had done so many times recently how everything in England is old and filled with legends and myths. Likewise these giant sarsen stones crouching here on the open countryside. For reasons I couldn't explain I didn't get the same feeling when I saw them for the first time as I had when I first laid eyes on the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, or even my initial glimpse of the majestic heaven-reaching spire of Salisbury cathedral. Perhaps the anticipation had been dampened by the weather or the number of people there. I had to remind myself this is one of the most famous sites in the world. Marie had looked forward to visiting here for many years and I could see she was totally absorbed in her own experience.

waiting for the bus in Salisbury city centre

arriving at Stonehenge

north-east side

 Close to the roped off area I stood next to the Heel Stone, a rough stone 16 feet above ground which leans in toward the main stone circle and felt its surface as probably many thousands of others have done before me. Off in the distance sheep were grazing in the lush Wiltshire fields. At the summer solstice if I stood within the circle and looked north east through the entrance I would be able to see the sun rise above this heel stone. There is an arrow there to show the direction the sun moves. This place is full of legends and rumours of Druid sacrifices but I won't go into that here. There is a mystical atmosphere you can feel if you step back and find a quiet spot to think and use your own imagination as to why and how these blocks of stone made their way from the Welsh mountains to their final resting place.

 England had had a very rainy winter this year so some of the pathways were shut off and because of this I was able to get some good shots without people in them. Some of the photos look as if we are the only ones there (wishful thinking) but even hundreds more were coming up the pathway when we headed back to the main centre to catch the bus. A guide told me the fine to go into the circle is 3000 pounds and the day we were there few if any took up the challenge. Thankfully we didn't need our brolley after all and I hoped the rain would stay away when we were next dropped off at the bottom of the hill near Old Sarum. We headed up the stony path to the top, and as if to welcome us to this old settlement, the sun came out!  gws

Canterbury - London - Salisbury (Day 26 thru Day 28)

leaving Canterbury, via London, arriving Salisbury

 We left Canterbury under overcast skies, taking a bus to Ashford as the rail lines were being repaired, eventually catching a Southwest Rail train to London. In Ashford waiting for the train we met a very friendly lady, Sheila Webb, from Canterbury who lived in Chartham from 1976 to 1998 and knew Jean Cutting's mother in Chartham Hatch (small world). Sheila was instrumental in establishing a bike path and walkway along the Great Stour River in Chartham and told me about the Adopt-A-Tree program in the No Mans Orchard, in Chartham Hatch, which greatly interested me. She was very helpful in getting us on way as we dragged our luggage through the tube at St Pancras station to Waterloo where we caught the train to Salisbury. From London the train travelled through the green, verdant and rolling English countryside of Sussex, Hampshire and into Wiltshire county. As we approached the city I craned my neck to get my first glimpse of the the town of New Sarum and the soaring tower of Salisbury Cathedral through the already heavily leafed trees lining the track. It was sprinkling and cooler than Canterbury when we hailed a cab to take us to our little loft studio near the center of town. Once we were settled and with the sun trying to come out we headed to Market Place where a typical English fair, in honour of St George's Day was in full swing. There were all sorts of local food stalls selling mead wine, cheeses and jams, a Punch and Judy show attended by a mass of screaming children, jesters, singers, morris dancers and pony rides. We stopped in the old Guildhall for cream tea and scones before walking a short distance to the cathedral grounds, the skies darkening and rain now starting to fall. We explored this beautiful 800 year-old cathedral for a few hours, home of one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta sealed by King John in 1215. I poured fascinated over this ancient document, written on calfskin in abbreviated Latin. As it was Sunday we stayed to attend Evensong, a lovely service of evening prayer with the choral sung by the Lay Vicars. Tomorrow would be another full day - we were off to Stonehenge, Old Sarum and then back to the Cathedral for a fascinating tower tour. But first some fish pie and Bill's beer for dinner! gws

breakfast, #64 St Edmunds, Salisbury

Punch and Judy, Salisbury market square

Medieval entertainment and morris dancers, Salisbury

High Street Gate,  approx 1327, with 14th century knight in armour

Salisbury Cathedral

Marie in the cloisters

model of Old Sarum

Sir John de Montacute, Steward to King Richard II, died 1389

colours to those who served in the Wiltshire Regiment

Medieval clock, from 1386, world's oldest working clock in existence

reflecting pool

600 year old Pheasant Pub

Afternoon tea at the Guildhall

the Poultry Cross, 15th century

Marie and Sheila, Ashford station

#64 St Edmunds, Salisbury