Salisbury (England)



Salisbury is a cathedral city in the English county of Wiltshire, in the West Country at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Salisbury. Salisbury holds a Charter market on Tuesdays and Saturdays and has held markets regularly since 1227.

Understand
In 2021, Salisbury had a population of 42,000 people.

Salisbury began as a settlement around a cathedral, 'Old Sarum', which was located to the north of the modern city, and which operated between 1092 and 1220. Only its foundations remain. When a new cathedral was built near the meeting of the rivers, settlement grew up around it instead. This town was called 'New Sarum', but eventually renamed 'Salisbury '.

The rivers which flow through the city are landscaped are feed into public gardens, such as the Queen Elizabeth Gardens. The gardens are popular in the summer as the water there is shallow and slow-flowing enough to enter safely.

By plane
The most convenient airports are:
 * is about drive from Salisbury via the M25 (anti-clockwise), M3 (southbound), A303, A346 and A30. There is a Railair coach service to Woking station, where mainline trains to Salisbury can be boarded; two services an hour give a journey time of just over two hours for the whole journey. National Express also offer several coaches a day from Heathrow to Salisbury.
 * is about drive from Salisbury via the M23 (northbound), M25 (clockwise), M3 (southbound), A303, A346 and A30. By train, catch a London-bound train which stops at Clapham Junction (the Gatwick Express does not stop there) from the airport rail station, and change at Clapham Junction for services to Salisbury; two services an hour give a journey time of just under two hours for the whole journey.

Regional airports nearby include:
 * is about away, and is probably the easiest to access, both by car and train. Driving is simple: to get to Salisbury, take the M27 (westbound) towards Bournemouth, then exit at J2 onto the A36 towards Salisbury. Southampton Airport Parkway train station is at the airport terminal. There is one direct train an hour from the station to Salisbury, taking just under an hour or alternatively travel via Romsey, with total journey time varying between 45 minutes to an hour. The X7 Bus for Salisbury leaves from Outside Southampton Central Station regularly.
 * is also 25 miles away. It is an easy drive: the A338 Bournemouth-Salisbury road takes you all the way. However public transport links to the airport are poor, and you should get a taxi from Ringwood or Bournemouth. The X3 bus links Bournemouth, Ringwood and Salisbury every half hour. Bournemouth airport is mostly served by charter flights, and a small number of short-haul scheduled flights.
 * is about from Salisbury, and is the only nearby regional airport with daily services to the USA. Many other short-haul destinations also have frequent flights from here. A frequent coach service (3 per hour) links the airport with Bristol Temple Meads station, which provides onward train connections to Salisbury (destination Southampton or Portsmouth). Through tickets are available. Driving is a little more complex, and you are advised to get a good map or good directions.

By train


Hourly trains also run through Salisbury on the Cardiff to Portsmouth secondary main line. These trains also link Bristol, Bath, Romsey and Southampton with Salisbury.

Connections for the North of the UK are available at Bristol, Basingstoke (on the London line) and from various stations in London. Connections for Wales and rail connections to west Wales for boats to Ireland are available by changing at Cardiff. For Cornwall and the South West Peninsula, change at Exeter.

Train times (from any location) can be found on the National Rail Planner or by calling +44 845 748 4950 from anywhere in the UK. The station is a five-minute walk from the town centre, just head down Fisherton St.

Local rail connections to nearby towns are described at Three Rivers Rail

By bus
National Express operate services to Salisbury from cities throughout the UK including London. Advance ticketing is required.

For those with a special interest in West Country cathedral cities, Wilts & Dorset operate the branded Cathedral Connection between Salisbury and Winchester, taking in some very attractive countryside on route. Despite its branding, this is a rural bus service (number 68) with no need for advance ticketing; it operates six times a day (except Sundays) and takes about 1½ hours for the journey. Timetable details can be found on the website, or by telephoning 01722 336855.

Wilts & Dorset also operate local services throughout the Salisbury area, including services to Stonehenge from the bus station and train station forecourt.

Salisbury Reds operate services at the five bus based park and ride facilities:, , , and. See National Park and Ride Directory. Salisbury Reds also provide service from nearby towns and from as far afield as Swindon, Southampton, Bournemouth, and Dorchester. Fares vary by distance, so tell the driver your destination when you get on.

By car
Salisbury has been a major regional crossroads for thousands of years, and this is still the case today, with the A30, A36, A338, A345 and A360 main roads crossing here. Traffic is notorious in Salisbury, particularly on a Friday, and generally on the A36 Southampton Road, because there is no motorway connecting the major cities of Southampton and Bristol. Through traffic is kept out of the partially pedestrianised and traffic-calmed city centre by the modern dual-carriageway ring road. If you are driving, you may want to consider using one of the Park and Ride sites dotted around the edge of the city. If you want to park closer, there are a number of large car parks with direct interchange onto the ring road, but beware the high prices charged. The cathedral grounds have limited parking but are a good deal: £6 for all day until 11PM, including a free tea or coffee: perfect if you want to see the cathedral and then have dinner in town. Driving in the city centre is not recommended, as there is a complex one-way system, and a large amount of traffic on the non-pedestrianised roads.

If you are driving: Salisbury is a major routeing point on the road network, and will be signed as a destination at the appropriate exits on the M3, M27, A4 and A303.
 * from London, take the M3, A303, A346 and A30,
 * from Bristol the A4 and A36,
 * from Southampton the A36,
 * from Portsmouth take the M27 and A36,
 * and from the North travel via the A34 (Oxford), A303 and A338.

Get around
The bus station is just off the Market Square on Endless St. Buses travel to surrounding villages and towns, and further afield to Swindon, Bournemouth and Southampton.

The main taxi rank is in New Canal Street, opposite the cinema, with smaller ones at the train station and Fisherton St.

The city centre is small enough to walk across in a few minutes. Old Sarum, which is on the edge of the town is a 50-minute walk from the town centre along the river valley.

Bicycles can be hired from Hayballs on Winchester St.

Buy


There are a number of smaller specialist shops and two main shopping centres; The Old George Mall and The Crosskeys.



Eat



 * Fisherton St has many curry houses and Chinese restaurants. Around the Market Square there are a variety of restaurants, there also some upmarket restaurants along New Street near the Cathedral Entrance.

Pubs
There are a lot of pubs in the city centre; the main axis of drinking is Fisherton Street, through the centre and up Milford Hill. Many of the larger pubs stay open until midnight, or later at weekends. Smaller 'local' pubs are found across town.

Connect
Salisbury's area code is 01722 when dialled from within the UK or +44 1722 from outside the UK.

Go next

 * Stonehenge – the ancient monument about 15 km from Salisbury. Started in the Neolithic era (about 2500 BC) and completed in the Bronze Age. Iconic. You can get sightseeing buses straight there from the train station, or you can get buses from the bus station to Amesbury and walk from there (approx 3 km). For the more energetic is only a short cycle from the town centre, about 8 miles (23 km) each way, through the beautiful, and relatively traffic free, Woodfood Valley. After Stonehenge head to the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, which has many finds from the Stonehenge area, on the way to the stone circle at Avebury.
 * Swindon – known for its history as the heart of the Great Western Railway, an hour and 15 minutes by car on A338 and A346