Additional information
Terrain
- Pavements and metalled footpaths
Landscape
- City streets and water-meadows
Dog friendliness
- Not suitable for dogs
Parking
- Central car park (signed off A36 Ring Road)
Toilets en route
- Central car park, Market Place, Crane Bridge Road
About the walk
Salisbury, or New Sarum, founded in 1220 following the abandonment of Old Sarum and built at the confluence of four rivers, is one of the most beautiful cathedral cities in Britain. Relatively free from sprawling suburbs and high-rise development, the surrounding countryside comes in to meet the... city streets along the river valleys. Throughout the city centre, buildings of all styles blend harmoniously, from the 13th-century Bishop's Palace in The Close, the medieval gabled houses and historic inns and market places to stately pedimented Georgian houses and even the modern shopping centre. Majestic cathedral and close Salisbury's skyline is dominated by the magnificent spire of the cathedral, a graceful centrepiece to the unified city. An architectural masterpiece, built in just 38 years during the 13th century, the cathedral is unique for its uniformity of style. The tower and spire, with a combined height of 404ft (123m) – the tallest in England – were added in 1334, and the west front of the building is lavishly decorated with row upon row of beautifully carved statues in niches. The rich and spacious interior contains huge graceful columns of Purbeck stone, and many windows add to the airy, dignified interior. Of particular interest are the impressive tombs and effigies in the nave, the cloisters and the library, home to a copy of the Magna Carta. Originally built to house the clerics, the Cathedral Close is one of the largest and finest in Britain. It is entered by a series of medieval gateways and contains several grand structures in a rich variety of architectural styles, dating from the 13th century to the present day. Four of these fine buildings are open to the public as museums. The highlights are probably Malmesbury House, originally a 13th-century canonry, with its magnificent roccoco plasterwork and an Orangery that once sheltered Charles II, and Mompesson House (owned by the National Trust), an exquisite Queen Anne building with period furnishings, china and paintings. City streets Beyond The Close, Salisbury is a delight to explore. You can wander through a fascinating network of medieval streets and alleys, with names like Fish Row, Silver Street and Ox Row, lined with half-timbered and jettied houses. On this city walk you will see the 15th-century St Thomas's church, noted for its Doom painting (c1475), believed to be the largest painting of the Last Judgement in existence, the hexagonally buttressed 15th-century Poultry Cross, the last of four market crosses in the city, the timbered medieval house of John A'Port (Crew Clothing Co) in Queen Street, and the Joiners' Hall with its superb Jacobean facade in St Ann Street. Away from the hustle and bustle, your riverside stroll through Queen Elizabeth's Gardens and along the Town Path to Harnham Mill will reveal the famous view across the water-meadows to the cathedral, much admired by many an artist.
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