Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you're driving from London, head west on the M3 and then M27 to junction 2,
continuing the rest of the way on the A36.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Salisbury's friendly
Tourist Information Centre
is
on Fish Row (
&
01722/334956;
www.visitsalisbury.com). It's open Monday to
Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm; between June and August, it's also open Sunday 11am
to 3pm. For information on the wider south Wiltshire area, you should also consult
www.visitwiltshire.co.uk
.
SPECIAL EVENTS
The
St. George's Day Celebrations
in April is a traditional
medieval celebration of the city's patron saint. You can witness St. George slaying the
dragon in the Wiltshire mummers' play and enjoy the acrobats and fireworks.
Note:
The festival isn't always on St. George's Day itself (April 23); check ahead of time
with the Tourist Information Centre (see above).
During the annual
Salisbury International Arts Festival
(
&
01722/332977;
www.salisburyfestival.co.uk) the city drapes itself in banners, and street theatre—tradi-
tional and unusual—is offered everywhere. There are also symphony and chamber-
music concerts in Salisbury Cathedral, children's events, and much more. It takes place
from mid-May to the beginning of June.
Exploring Salisbury
You can easily see Salisbury on foot, either on your own or by taking a guided daytime
or evening walk with
Salisbury City Guides
(
&
07873/212941;
www.salisbury
cityguides.co.uk). Tickets are £4 for adults and £2 for children 4 to 15. Check with
the Tourist Information Centre (see above) about themed walks, including the ever-
popular ghost walk, and walks for children.
The slightly haphazard collection at the
Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum
,
King's House, 65 The Close (
&
01722/332151;
www.salisburymuseum.org.uk),
includes displays that place nearby Stonehenge and Wiltshire's other prehistoric
sites in context. The “History of Salisbury” gallery houses a small collection of
Turner's Salisbury watercolors. The museum is open Monday to Saturday 10am to
5pm, and between June and September also Sunday noon to 5pm. Admission is a
little steep at £6 for adults, £2 children under 16.
The medieval
Church of St. Thomas & St. Edmund,
St. Thomas's Square
(
&
01722/322537;
www.stthomassalisbury.co.uk), is notable for a 1475
Doom
painting
, above the chancel arch. Once common in English churches, such
depictions of the Last Judgment were largely whitewashed or erased during the Ref-
ormation. Salisbury's survived—by chance—and is notable in particular for a clothed
female figure among the naked souls being dispatched to Hell. She was reputedly a
local brothel keeper who later repented and gave all her “ill-gotten gains” to char-
ity—still damned, but allowed to retain her modesty. Admission is free, and the
church is open daily 8:30am to 6pm.
Mompesson House
ARCHITECTURE Built in 1701 by Charles Mompesson,
while he was a Member of Parliament for Old Sarum (see below), Mompesson House
is an archetypal example of the Queen Anne style, and is well known for its fine
plasterwork ceilings and paneling. Also used as a location for the 1995 Oscar-winning
movie
Sense and Sensibility,
it houses an important collection of 18th-century drink-
ing glasses. Visitors can wander through the garden and order a snack in the tearoom.
The Close.
&
01722/420980.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mompessonhouse. Admission £5.20 adults,
£2.60 children 17 and under, £13 family ticket. Mid-Mar-Oct Sat-Wed 11am-5pm. Closed Nov-early Mar.
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