AVEBURY, STONEHENGE & SALISBURY
Map: Avebury, Stonehenge & Salisbury Area
Ooooh, mystery, history. England’s southwest countryside holds some of the country’s most goose-pimply prehistoric sites, as well as a particularly fine cathedral town. Get Neolithic at every druid’s favorite stone circles, Avebury and Stonehenge. Then stop by Salisbury for its colorful markets and soaring cathedral.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
Avebury, Stonehenge, and Salisbury make a wonderful day out from Bath. With a car, you can do all three in a day if you’re selective with your sightseeing.
Everybody needs to see Stonehenge, but I’ll tell you now: It looks just like it looks (though the visitors center makes it a well-worthwhile visit). Avebury is the connoisseur’s stone circle: more subtle and welcoming.
Just an hour from Bath, Salisbury makes a pleasant stop, particularly on a market day (Tue, Sat, every other Wed, plus more), though its cathedral is striking any time. Salisbury is also the logical launchpad for visiting nearby Stonehenge (particularly if you lack a car).
GETTING AROUND THE REGION
By Car: Avebury, Stonehenge, and Salisbury are each about 35-40 miles from Bath and 85-90 miles from London. Drivers can do a 104-mile loop from Bath to Avebury (25 miles) to Stonehenge (30 miles) to Salisbury (9 miles) and back to Bath (40 miles). For tips on incorporating Glastonbury and Wells, see the previous chapter.
By Bus and Train: The handiest train station is in Bath, with regular service from London’s Paddington Station (2/hour, 1.5 hours). Many buses run between Bath and Avebury, all requiring one or two transfers (hourly, 2 hours, transfer at Devizes). You could also take a train from London’s Paddington Station to Swindon (4/hour, 1 hour), then take bus #49 to Avebury (£5 return ticket, hourly, 30 minutes). There’s no bus between Avebury and Stonehenge.
A one-hour train trip connects Bath to Salisbury (1-2/hour direct); you can also get there from London’s Waterloo station (2/hour, 1.5 hours). With the best public transportation of all these towns, Salisbury is a good jumping-off point for Stonehenge or Avebury by bus or car. Stonehenge Tour buses run between Salisbury, Old Sarum, and Stonehenge (see “Getting to Stonehenge,” later). Buses also run from Salisbury to Avebury (see “Salisbury Connections,” later). For fares and schedules, check Traveline South West’s easy-to-use website (www.travelinesw.com, +44 871 200 2233).
By Tour: From Bath, if you don’t have a car, the most convenient and quickest way to see Avebury and Stonehenge is with a minibus tour. Mad Max is the liveliest of the tours leaving from Bath (see “Tours in and near Bath” on here).
Avebury
Avebury is an open-air museum of prehistory, with a complex of fascinating Neolithic sites all gathered around the great stone henge (circle). Among England’s many stone circles, Avebury is unique for its vast size—a village is tucked into its center, and roads rumble between its stones. Because the surrounding area has only a thin skin of topsoil over chalk, it is naturally treeless (similar to the area around Stonehenge). Perhaps this unique landscape—where the land connects with the big sky—made it the choice of prehistoric societies for their religious monuments. Whatever the case, Avebury dates to 2800 BC—six centuries older than Stonehenge. This complex, the St. Peter’s Basilica of Neolithic civilization, makes for a fascinating visit. Some visitors enjoy it even more than Stonehenge.
Orientation to Avebury
Avebury is the name of a huge stone circle, as well as the tiny village that sits surrounded by its stones. It’s easy to reach by car, but more difficult by public transportation (see “Getting Around the Region,” earlier).
Tourist Information: There’s no TI, but there’s a National Trust information center in the Old Farmyard, and maps and booklets are sold in shops in the village. For more information on the Avebury sights, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
Britain is home to roughly 800 stone circles, most of them rudimentary, jaggedly sparse boulder rings that lack the iconic upright-and-lintel form of Stonehenge. But their misty, mossy settings provide curious travelers with an intimate and accessible glimpse of the mysterious people who lived in prehistoric Britain.
Bronze Age Britain (2000-600 BC) was populated by farming folk who had mastered the craft of smelting heated tin and copper together to produce bronze, which was used to make durable tools and weapons. Late in the Bronze Age, many of these clannish communities also put considerable effort into gathering huge rocks and arranging them into circles, perhaps for use in rituals with long-forgotten meanings. Some scholars believe the circles may have been used as solar observatories—used to calculate solstices and equinoxes to help plan life-sustaining seasonal crop-planting cycles. A few human remains have been discovered in the centers of some circles, but their primary use seems to have been ceremonial, not as burial sites. The superstitious people of the Middle Ages believed Stonehenge was arranged by giants (makes sense to me); nearby circles were thought to be petrified partiers who had dared to dance on the Sabbath.
Britain’s stone circles generally lie in Scotland, Wales, and at the fringes of England. You’ll find them marked in the Ordnance Survey atlas and signposted along rural roads. Ask a local farmer for directions—and savor the experience. I’ve highlighted my favorites in this book:
Stonehenge is by far the most famous, the only one with horizontal “lintels” connecting the monoliths, and comes with the most insightful visitors center.
Avebury is by far the biggest—so large that a small village was built inside it. Less crowded and simpler to visit than Stonehenge, it’s easy and fun to explore on your own.
Castlerigg is a pretty standard-issue stone circle, but it’s handy for those going to the Lake District (just off the main road into Keswick; see here).
Scorhill, in Dartmoor, is the most remote, mysterious, and magical stone circle, requiring a long drive on rough roads, then a stroll across a moor. It’s hard to reach but worth the effort (see here).
Parking: There’s no public parking in the village center. Visitors can park in a National Trust lot along the A-4361—a five-minute walk from the village (pay with coins or credit card at the info center, open summer 9:00-18:00).
Sights in Avebury
All of Avebury’s prehistoric sights—which spread over a wide area—are free to visit and always open. The underwhelming museum and mansion charge admission and have limited hours. I’ve linked the sights with directions for drivers who want to make a targeted visit to all that Avebury has to offer.
• From the National Trust parking lot, follow the path five minutes through fields to the village center. On your right, you’ll see the first access point to the big stone circle. (To pass through the gate, slide the handle sideways rather than lifting it.) Take some time exploring the remarkable...
▲▲Avebury Stone Circle
The Neolithic stone circle at Avebury is 1,400 feet wide—that’s 16 times as big as Stonehenge. It’s so vast that it dwarfs the village that grew up in its midst. You’re free to wander among 100 stones, ditches, mounds, and curious patterns from the past.
In the 14th century, in a frenzy of ignorance and religious paranoia, Avebury villagers buried many of these mysterious pagan stones. Their 18th-century descendants hosted social events in which they broke up the remaining stones (topple, heat up, douse with cold water, and scavenge broken stones as building blocks). In modern times, the buried stones were dug up and re-erected. Concrete markers show where the missing broken-up stones once stood.
Explore. Touch a chunk of prehistory. While even just a short walk to a few stones is rewarding, you can stroll the entire half-mile around the circle, much of it along an impressive earthwork henge—a 30-foot-high outer bank surrounding a ditch 30 feet deep, making a 60-foot-high rampart. This earthen rampart once had stones standing around the perimeter, placed about every 30 feet, and four grand causeway entries. Originally, two smaller circles made of about 200 stones stood within the henge.
• Directly across from the parking-lot trail, follow signs into the Old Farmyard—a little courtyard of rustic buildings near Avebury Manor. Today these house museums, WCs, the National Trust information center, a shop, a recommended café, and the two minor sights described next.
Alexander Keiller Museum
This museum, named for the archaeologist who led excavations at Avebury in the late 1930s, is housed in two buildings (covered by the same ticket). The 17th-century Barn Gallery illustrates 6,000 years of Avebury history, with kid-friendly interactive exhibits about the landscape and the people who’ve lived here—from the Stone Age to Victorian times. Across the farmyard, the small, old-school Stables Gallery displays artifacts and skeletons from past digs and a re-creation of what Neolithic people could have looked like.
Cost and Hours: £5, daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-March 11:00-16:00, +44 1672 539 250, www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
• Behind the Stables Gallery is the...
Avebury Manor and Garden
Archaeologist Alexander Keiller’s former home, a 500-year-old estate, was restored by a team of historians and craftspeople in collaboration with the BBC (for the 2011 documentary The Manor Reborn). Nine rooms were decorated in five period styles showing the progression of design, from a Tudor wedding chapel to a Queen Anne-era bedroom to an early-20th-century billiards room. The grounds were also spruced up with a topiary and a Victorian kitchen garden. While it’s fun to tour—and the docents enjoy explaining how each room was painstakingly researched and re-created—it’s pricey and far from authentic...and it has nothing to do with Avebury’s impressive circle.
Cost and Hours: Manor and garden-£12, garden only-£5.50; daily 11:00-17:00, garden from 10:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Jan-mid-Feb, last entry one hour before closing, ask about £5 guided tours; buy tickets at Alexander Keiller Museum’s Barn Gallery, +44 1672 539 250, www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
• The following sights are a long walk or a short drive from the center of Avebury.
From the Avebury village center, take the road southeast toward West Kennet and Malborough (B-4003, a.k.a. West Kennet Avenue). Evocatively lined with an “avenue” of stones, this is known as the...
▲Ritual Procession Way
This double line of stones provided a ritual procession way leading from Avebury to a long-gone wooden circle dubbed “The Sanctuary.” This wood henge, thought to have been 1,000 years older than everything else in the area, is considered to have been the genesis of Avebury and its big stone circle. (You can see the site of the former Sanctuary—turn left onto the A-4, look for the marked pullout on the left, and walk across the road—but all you’ll see is an empty field with concrete blocks marking where the circle once stood.) Most of the stones standing along the procession way today were reconstructed in modern times.
• From the end of the Ritual Procession Way, you can turn right (west) on the A-4. After a mile or so, look to the right for the dome-shaped green hill. Just beyond it is a handy parking lot. (Walkers can reach this in about 20 minutes from the National Trust parking lot.)
▲Silbury Hill
This pyramid-shaped hill just outside of Avebury is a 130-foot-high, yet-to-be-explained mound of chalk. More than 4,000 years old, the mound is considered the largest man-made object in prehistoric Europe (with the surface area of London’s Trafalgar Square and the height of the Nelson Column). It’s a reminder that we’ve only just scratched the surface of England’s puzzling and ancient religious landscape.
Inspired by a legend that the hill hid a gold statue in its center, locals tunneled through Silbury Hill in 1830, undermining the structure. Work is underway to restore the hill, which remains closed to the public. Archaeologists (who date things like this by carbon-dating snails and other little critters killed in its construction) figure Silbury Hill took only 60 years to build, in about 2200 BC. This makes Silbury Hill the last element built at Avebury and contemporaneous with Stonehenge. Some think it may have been an observation point for all the other bits of the Avebury site. You can still see evidence of a spiral path leading up the hill and a moat at its base.
The Roman road detoured around Silbury Hill. (Roman engineers often used features of the landscape as visual reference points when building roads. Their roads would commonly kink at the crest of hills or other landmarks, where they realigned with a new visual point.) Later, the hill sported a wooden Saxon fort, which likely acted as a lookout for marauding Vikings. And in World War II, the Royal Observer Corps stationed men up here to count and report Nazi bombers on raids.
Nearby: Across the road from Silbury Hill (a 15-minute walk through the fields) is West Kennet Long Barrow. The best-preserved Stone Age chamber tomb in the UK, it stands intact on a ridge. It lines up with the rising sun on the summer solstice. You can walk inside the barrow, or sit on its roof and survey the Neolithic landscape around you.
• The final sight is about four miles west of Avebury, along the A-4 toward Calne (and Bath), just before the village of Cherhill. Pull over at the Avebury end of the village and look for the hill-capping obelisk; below it, carved into the hillside, is the...
Cherhill White Horse
Throughout southern England, you’ll see horses (and other objects) like this one carved into the downs (chalk hills). There is one genuinely prehistoric white horse in England (the Uffington White Horse); the Cherhill White Horse is an 18th-century creation. Prehistoric discoveries were all the rage in the 1700s, and it was a fad to make fake ones by cutting into the thin layer of topsoil to expose the chalk beneath. Nowadays, figures like this are cemented and painted white so that the design doesn’t need to be weeded. Above the horse are the remains of an Iron Age hill fort known as Oldbury Castle—described on an information board at the pullout.
Eating in Avebury
$ Circles Restaurant is practical and pleasant, serving healthy lunches, including vegan and gluten-free dishes, and cream teas on most days (daily until 17:00, Nov-March until 16:00, no hot food after 14:30, in the Barn Gallery on the Old Farmyard, +44 1672 539 250).
$$ The Red Lion—a classic thatched-roof pub right in the heart of Avebury village—has updated but unpretentious pub grub; a creaky, dart-throwing ambience; a medieval well in its dining room; and ample outdoor seating (daily, High Street, +44 1672 539 266).
Stonehenge
As old as the pyramids, and far older than the Acropolis and the Colosseum, this iconic stone circle amazed medieval Europeans, who figured it was built by a race of giants. And it still impresses visitors today. As one of Europe’s most famous sights, Stonehenge, worth ▲▲▲, does a valiant job of retaining an air of mystery and majesty (partly because cordons, which keep hordes of tourists from trampling all over it, foster the illusion that it stands alone in a field). Although cynics manage to be underwhelmed by Stonehenge, most of its almost one million annual visitors agree that it’s well worth the trip. At few sights in Europe will you overhear so many awe-filled comments.
GETTING TO STONEHENGE
Stonehenge is about 90 miles southwest of central London. To reach it from London, you can take a bus tour; go on a guided tour that uses public transportation; or do it on your own using public transit, connecting via Salisbury. It’s not worth the hassle or expense to rent a car just for a Stonehenge day trip.
By Bus Tour from London: Several companies offer big-bus day trips to Stonehenge from London, often with stops in Bath, Windsor, Salisbury, and/or Avebury. These generally cost about £65-100 (including Stonehenge admission), last 8-12 hours, and pack a 45-seat bus. Some include hotel pickup, admission fees, and meals; understand what’s included before you book. The more destinations listed for a tour, the less time you’ll have at any one stop. Well-known companies are Evan Evans (their bare-bones Stonehenge Express gets you there and back for £65, +44 20 7932 8385, www.evanevanstours.co.uk) and Golden Tours (£65, +44 20 7630 2028, www.goldentours.com). International Friends runs pricier but smaller 16-person tours that include Windsor and Bath (£164, +44 1843 609 699, www.internationalfriends.co.uk).
By Bus Tour from Bath: I prefer Mad Max’s minibus tour and Scarper Tour’s shuttle bus service. For details see here.
By Guided Tour on Public Transport: The “Stonehenge and Salisbury Excursion” from London Walks travels by train and bus on Tuesdays from mid-May through early October (£98, includes all transportation, Salisbury walking tour, entry fees, and guided tours of Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral; pay guide, contactless card or exact cash, Tue at 8:45, meet at Waterloo Station’s main ticket office, opposite platform 16, verify price and schedule online, advance booking required, +44 20 7624 3978, www.walks.com).
On Your Own on Public Transport via Salisbury: From London, you can catch a train to Salisbury, then go by tour bus or taxi to Stonehenge. Trains to Salisbury run from London’s Waterloo Station (around £48 for same-day return, 2/hour, 1.5 hours, +44 345 600 0650, www.southwesternrailway.com or +44 3457 484 950, www.nationalrail.co.uk).
From Salisbury, take The Stonehenge Tour bus to the site. These distinctive double-decker buses leave from the Salisbury train station, stop in Salisbury’s center, then make a circuit to Stonehenge and Old Sarum, with lovely scenery and a decent light commentary along the way (£18.50, £39 includes Stonehenge as well as Old Sarum—whether you want it or not; tickets good all day, order online, pay driver, or purchase from Salisbury TI; daily June-Aug 10:00-16:00, hourly; special schedule and rates on summer solstice, shorter hours off-season; 30 minutes from station to Stonehenge, +44 1202 338 420, timetable at www.thestonehengetour.info).
A taxi from Salisbury to Stonehenge can make sense for groups (about £40-60). Try Online City Cabs (+44 1722 509 090) or Value Cars Taxis (+44 1722 505 050, www.salisbury-valuecars.co.uk).
By Car: Stonehenge is well signed just off the A-303, about 15 minutes north of Salisbury, an hour southeast of Bath, an hour east of Glastonbury, and an hour south of Avebury.
Stonehenge is about 70 miles and 1.5 hours west of London Heathrow (barring traffic). From the M-25 ring road, connect with the M-3 toward Southampton. Past Basingstoke, exit to the A-303. Continue west past Andover to Amesbury. In 3.5 miles, turn onto northbound A-360 at the roundabout, and follow “From Salisbury” directions from that point (see next).
From Salisbury, head north on the A-360 (at the St. Paul’s roundabout, take the second exit, direction: Devizes). Continue for eight miles, crossing the A-303 roundabout. In one more mile you’ll encounter another roundabout; follow it around to the exit for the well-marked visitors center.
ORIENTATION TO STONEHENGE
The visitors center, located 1.5 miles west of the circle, is a minimalist steel structure with a subtly curved roofline, evoking the landscape of Salisbury Plain.
Cost: £21-27 depending on day, purchase timed-entry ticket in advance online, ticket includes shuttle-bus ride to stone circle, covered by English Heritage Pass (see here).
Hours: Daily in summer 9:30-19:00, early Sept-late May until 17:00. Note that the last ticket is sold two hours before closing. Expect shorter hours and possible closures June 20-22 due to huge, raucous solstice crowds.
Information: +44 370 333 1181, www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge.
Advance Tickets Recommended: Up to 9,000 visitors are allowed to enter each day. While Stonehenge rarely sells out completely, you can avoid the long ticket-buying line by prebooking at least 24 hours in advance at www.english-heritage.org.uk. When prebooking, you’ll be asked to select a 30-minute entry window; once inside, you can stay as long as you like. You may have to wait in line for the shuttle bus to and from the stones.
Crowd-Beating Tips: For a less crowded, more mystical experience, come early or late. Things are pretty quiet before about 10:30 (head out to the stones first, then circle back to the exhibits); at the end of the day, aim to arrive just before the “last ticket” time (two hours before closing). Stonehenge is most crowded when school’s out: summer weekends (especially holiday weekends) and anytime in August.
Tours: Download the free “Stonehenge Audio Tour” app before your visit.
Visiting the Inner Stones: For the true Stonehenge fan, special one-hour access to the stones’ inner circle is available early in the morning (times vary depending on sunrise; the earliest visit is at 5:00 in June and July) or after closing to the general public. Touching the stones is not allowed. Only 30 people are allowed at a time, so reserve well in advance (£59, allows you to revisit the site the same day at no extra charge, +44 370 333 0605). For details see the English Heritage website (select “Things to See and Do,” then “Stone Circle Experience”).
Length of This Tour: Allow at least two hours to see everything.
Services: The visitors center has WCs and a large gift shop. Services at the circle itself are limited to emergency WCs. Even in summer, carry a jacket, as there are no trees to act as a wind-break and there’s a reason Salisbury Plain is so green.
Eating: A large $ café within the visitors center serves hot drinks, soup, sandwiches, and salads.
SELF-GUIDED TOUR
This commentary is designed to supplement the sight’s audio tour app. Start by touring the visitors center, then take a shuttle (or walk) to the stone circle. If you arrive early in the day, do the stones first—before they get crowded—then circle back to the visitors center.
• As you enter the complex, on the right is the...
Permanent Exhibit
This excellent, state-of-the-art exhibit uses an artful combination of multimedia displays and actual artifacts to provide context for the stones.
You’ll begin by standing in the center of a virtual Stonehenge, watching its evolution through 5,000 years—including simulated solstice sunrises and sunsets.
Then you’ll head into the exhibits, where prehistoric bones, tools, and pottery shards tell the story of the people who built Stonehenge, how they lived, and why they may have built the stone circle. Find the forensic reconstruction of a Neolithic man, based on a skeleton unearthed in 1863. Small models illustrate how Stonehenge developed from a simple circle of short, stubby stones to the stout ring we know today. And a large screen shows the entire archaeological area surrounding Stonehenge (which is just one of many mysterious prehistoric landmarks near here). In 2010, within sight of Stonehenge, archaeologists discovered another 5,000-year-old henge, which they believe once encircled a wooden “twin” of the famous circle. Recent excavations revealed that people had been living on the site since around 3000 BC—about five centuries earlier than anyone had realized.
Then step outside and explore a village of reconstructed Neolithic huts modeled after the traces of a village discovered just northeast of Stonehenge. Step into the thatched-roof huts to see primitive “wicker” furniture and straw blankets. Docents demonstrate Neolithic tools—made of wood, flint, and antler. You’ll also see a huge, life-size replica of the rolling wooden sledge thought to have been used to slooooowly roll the stones across Salisbury Plain. While you can’t touch the stones at the site itself, you can touch the one loaded onto this sledge.
• Shuttle buses to the stone circle depart every 5-10 minutes from just behind the gift shop (there may be a wait). The trip takes six minutes. If you’d prefer, you can walk about 1.5 miles through the fields to the site (use the map you receive with your ticket, or ask a staff member for directions).
Along the way, you have the option of stopping at Fargo Plantation, where you can see several burial mounds (tell the shuttle attendant when you first get on if you want to disembark here). After wandering through the burial mounds, you’ll need to walk the rest of the way to the stone circle (about 20 minutes).
Stone Circle
As you approach the massive structure, walk right up to the knee-high cordon and let your fellow 21st-century tourists melt away. It’s just you and the druids...
England has hundreds of stone circles, but Stonehenge—which literally means “hanging stones”—is unique. It’s the only one that has horizontal cross-pieces (called lintels) spanning the vertical monoliths, and the only one with stones that have been made smooth and uniform. What you see here is a bit more than half the original structure—the rest was quarried centuries ago for other buildings.
Now do a slow clockwise spin around the monument, and ponder the following points. As you walk, mentally flesh out the missing pieces and re-erect the rubble. Knowledgeable guides posted around the site are happy to answer your questions.
It’s now believed that Stonehenge, which was built in phases between 3000 and 1500 BC, was originally used as a cremation cemetery. But that’s not the end of the story, as the monument was expanded over the millennia. This was a hugely significant location to prehistoric peoples. There are several hundred burial mounds within a three-mile radius of Stonehenge—some likely belonging to kings or chieftains. Some of the human remains are of people from far away, and others show signs of injuries—evidence that Stonehenge may have been used as a place of medicine or healing.
Whatever its original purpose, Stonehenge still functions as a celestial calendar. As the sun rises on the summer solstice (on or around June 21), the “heel stone”—the one set apart from the rest, near the road—lines up with the sun and the altar at the center of the stone circle. A study of more than 300 similar circles in Britain found that each was designed to calculate the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, and to predict eclipses in order to help early societies know when to plant, harvest, and party. Even in modern times, as the summer solstice sun sets in just the right slot at Stonehenge, pagans boogie.
Some believe that Stonehenge is built at the precise point where six “ley lines” intersect. Ley lines are theoretical lines of magnetic or spiritual power that crisscross the globe. Belief in the power of these lines has gone in and out of fashion over time. They are believed to have been very important to prehistoric peoples, but then were largely ignored until the early 20th century, when the English writer Alfred Watkins popularized them (to the scorn of serious scientists). More recently, the concept has been embraced by the New Age movement. Without realizing it, you follow these ley lines all the time: Many of England’s modern highways follow prehistoric paths, and most churches are built over prehistoric monuments—placed where ley lines intersect. If you’re a skeptic, ask one of the guides at Stonehenge to explain the mystique of this paranormal tradition that continued for centuries; it’s creepy...and convincing.
Notice that two of the stones (facing the shuttle bus stop) are blemished. At the base of one monolith, it looks like someone has pulled back the stone to reveal a concrete skeleton. This is a clumsy repair job to fix damage done long ago by souvenir seekers, who actually rented hammers and chisels to take home a piece of Stonehenge. Look to the right of the repaired stone: The back of another stone is missing the same thin layer of protective lichen that covers the others. The lichen—and some of the stone itself—was sandblasted off to remove graffiti. (No wonder they’ve got Stonehenge roped off now.) The repairs were intentionally done in a different color, so as not to appear like the original stone.
Stonehenge’s builders used two different types of stone. The tall, stout monoliths and lintels are sandstone blocks called sarsen stones. Most of the monoliths weigh about 25 tons (the largest is 45 tons), and the lintels are about 7 tons apiece. These sarsen stones were brought from “only” 20 miles away. Scientists have chemically matched the shorter stones in the middle—called bluestones—to outcrops on the south coast of Wales...240 miles away (close if you’re taking a train, but far if you’re packing a megalith). Imagine the logistical puzzle of floating six-ton stones across Wales’ Severn Estuary and up the River Avon, then rolling them on logs about 20 miles to this position...an impressive feat, even in our era of skyscrapers.
Why didn’t the builders of Stonehenge use what seem like perfectly adequate stones nearby? This, like many other questions about Stonehenge, remains shrouded in mystery. Think again about the ley lines. Ponder the fact that many experts accept none of the explanations of how these giant stones were transported. Then imagine congregations gathering here 5,000 years ago, raising thought levels, creating a powerful life force transmitted along the ley lines. Maybe a particular kind of stone was essential for maximum energy transmission. Maybe the stones were levitated here. Maybe psychics really do create powerful vibes. Maybe not. It’s as unbelievable as electricity used to be.
Salisbury
Salisbury, an attractive small city set in the middle of the expansive Salisbury Plain, is the natural launchpad for visiting nearby Stonehenge. But it’s also a fine destination in its own right, with a walkable core, a famously soaring cathedral (with England’s tallest spire, largest green, and an original copy of the Magna Carta), and a thriving market. While well cared for, practical Salisbury isn’t particularly cute or quaint. But that’s part of its charm.
As the city most associated with Stonehenge, it’s no surprise that Salisbury also has a very long history: It was originally settled during the Bronze Age—possibly as early as 600 BC—and later became a Roman town called Sarum (located on a hill above today’s city). When the old settlement outgrew its boundaries, the townspeople relocated to the river valley below.
Today, sightseers flow through Salisbury on their way to Stonehenge. But if you have time to spare, spend some of it exploring this fine town.
Orientation to Salisbury
Salisbury (pop. 46,000) stretches along the River Avon in the shadow of its huge landmark cathedral. The heart of the city clusters around the vast Market Place. A few short blocks to the south is the walled complex of the Cathedral Close.
TOURIST INFORMATION
The TI is just off Market Place. If you’re headed to Stonehenge, you can buy tickets here (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-14:00, corner of Fish Row and Queen Street, +44 1722 342 860, www.visitwiltshire.co.uk).
Ask the TI about the 1.5-hour city walking tours (£10, daily at 11:00; Nov-March Sat-Sun only at 11:00) or the weekly Ghost Walk (£10, May-Sept Fri at 20:00); both depart from the TI. For walking-tour information call +44 7873 212 941 or visit www.salisburycityguides.co.uk.
ARRIVAL IN SALISBURY
By Train: From the train station, it’s a 10-minute walk into the town center: Exit to the left, then bear right on Fisherton Street, and follow it into town.
By Bus: Buses stop at several points along Market Place (on Blue Boar Row) and around the corner on Endless Street.
By Car: Drivers will find several pay parking lots. Follow the blue P signs (specific parking options, and available spaces, are noted on signs as you approach). To get as close as possible to the cathedral, look for a space at the corner of High Street and North Walk, just inside the cathedral’s High Street Gate. The Old George Mall parking garage, between Market Place and the cathedral, is handy, and the “Central” lot, behind the giant red-brick Sainsbury’s store, is farther out but walkable, with plenty of spaces—even when others are full (enter from Churchill Way West or Castle Street). Overnight, your best bet is the Culver Street garage, located a few blocks east of Market Place (free after 15:00 and all day Sun).
HELPFUL HINTS
Market Days: Don’t miss Salisbury’s market days (see listing later).
Festivals: The Salisbury International Arts Festival normally runs for just over two weeks at the end of May and beginning of June (www.salisburyfestival.co.uk).
Laundry: Washing Well has full-service (weekdays only) and self-service (daily, bring £1 coins, 28 Chipper Lane, +44 1722 421 874).
Getting to the Stone Circles: You can get to Stonehenge from Salisbury on The Stonehenge Tour double-decker bus in summer or (more expensively) by taxi (see “Getting to Stonehenge,” earlier). For buses to Avebury’s stone circle, see “Salisbury Connections,” later.
Sights in Salisbury
ON MARKET PLACE
▲Market Days
For centuries, Salisbury has been known for its lively markets. And today, the big “Charter Market” still fills the vast Market Place each Tuesday and Saturday. This all-purpose market has everything from butchers, fishmongers, and spices to hardware, clothes, and shoes. A little “food court” of international stands is in the center. While fun to browse, this is decidedly not a tourist-oriented market—but it’s great for people-watching, an age-old tradition still going on in a modern English city. At the top of the square is a handy row of bars and coffee shops with outdoor tables.
Additional markets sprout up every other Wednesday (farmers), Fridays (special themes), and the occasional “Car Boot Sundays”—fun for garage-sale-style bargain hunting. For the latest, see SalisburyCityCouncil.gov.uk.
▲St. Thomas’s Church
This Gothic space—short and squat, but still airy and light-filled—boasts an unusual feature: a fully restored “Doom Painting” (illustration of the Last Judgment, c. 1475, over the choir). While these are commonplace in Continental churches, England’s were whitewashed and forgotten during the Reformation. But St. Thomas’s—long hidden behind the painted wooden coat-of-arms of Queen Elizabeth I, which is now displayed over the red door on the right—was uncovered and restored in the late 19th century. Examine the exquisite, Flemish-style details: angels pulling the dead from their graves (on the left) to stand before the judgment of Jesus (at the top); some unfortunate souls are sent to the jaws of hell (on the right)—past the Prince of Darkness, whose toe crosses the edge of the Gothic arch.
Cost and Hours: Free but donation requested, Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun from 12:00, just west of Market Place on St. Thomas’s Square.
ON AND NEAR CATHEDRAL CLOSE
▲▲Salisbury Cathedral
This magnificent cathedral is visible for miles around because of its huge spire (the tallest in England at 404 feet). The surrounding enormous grassy field (called a “close”) makes the Gothic masterpiece look even larger. What’s more impressive is that all this was built in a mere 38 years. When the old hill town of Sarum was moved down to the valley, its cathedral had to be replaced in a hurry. So, in 1220, the townspeople began building, and in 1258 their sparkling-new cathedral was ready for ribbon-cutting. Since the structure was built in just a few decades, its style is uniform, rather than the centuries-long patchwork common in cathedrals of the time. The cathedral also displays a remarkably well-preserved original copy of the Magna Carta (in the Chapter House).
Cost and Hours: £11, cheaper online in advance, Mon-Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun 12:30-16:00, can be closed for special events. This working cathedral opens early for services: Be respectful if you arrive when one is in session.
Information: +44 1722 555 120, www.salisburycathedral.org.uk.
Tours: Free guided tours of the cathedral nave are offered every hour or so, when enough people assemble. Ask about themed tours and demonstrations.
Tower Tours: Imagine building a cathedral on this scale before the invention of cranes, bulldozers, or modern scaffolding. An excellent tower tour (1.5-2 hours) helps visitors understand how it was done. You’ll climb in between the stone arches and the roof to inspect the vaulting and trussing; see a medieval winch that was used in the construction; and finish with the 332-step climb up the narrow tower for a sweeping view of the Wiltshire countryside. Because only 10 people are allowed on each tour, it’s essential to reserve online a few days ahead—or even longer on summer weekends (£18, includes cathedral and Chapter House; schedule varies but generally Mon-Sat hourly 10:15-14:15, Sun at 12:45 and 13:45, fewer tour times Oct-March; www.salisburycathedral.org.uk).
Evensong: Salisbury’s daily choral evensong (Mon-Sat at 17:30, Sun at 16:30, about 45 minutes) is just as beautiful as the one in Wells Cathedral. Arrive up to 15 minutes early and enter through the north door. Spectators can sit in the nave, or you can ask to be seated in the wood-carved seats of the choir.
Eating: The cathedral has two fine eating options: a glassed-in cafeteria and an outdoor café with prime views (see “Eating in Salisbury,” later).
Visiting the Cathedral: Enter through the cloister, around the west side of the building. Entering the church, you’ll instantly feel the architectural harmony. Volunteer guides posted strategically throughout the church stand ready to answer your questions.
Step into the center of the nave, noticing how the stone columns march identically down the aisle—like a thick, gray forest of tree trunks. The arches overhead soar to grand heights, helping churchgoers appreciate the vast and amazing heavens. Now imagine the interior surfaces painted in red, blue, green, and gold, as they would have been prior to the whitewashing of the English Reformation.
Head to the far wall (the back-left corner), where an interesting model shows how this cathedral was built so quickly in the 13th century. A few steps toward the front of the church is the “oldest working clock in existence,” dating from the 14th century (the hourly bell has been removed, so as not to interrupt worship services). On the wall by the clock is a bell from the decommissioned ship HMS Salisbury. Look closely inside the bell to see the engraved names of crew members’ children who were baptized on the ship.
Wander down the aisle past monuments and knights’ tombs, as well as tombstones set into the floor. About halfway down the nave, you’ll see (and hear) the gurgling 1 Salisbury Font—a modern, oxidized-bronze baptismal font dedicated in 2008 to honor the cathedral’s 750th birthday. While it looks like a modern sculpture, it’s also used for baptisms—one of many ways in which it’s clear that this church is full of life.
When you reach the transept, gape up at the columns. These posts were supposed to support a more modest bell tower, but when a heavy tower was added 100 years later, the columns bent under the enormous weight, causing the tower to lean sideways. Although the posts were later reinforced, the tower still tilts about two-and-a-half feet.
Step into the choir, with its finely carved seats. This area hosts an evensong late each afternoon (well worth attending—see details earlier).
Head down the left side of the choir and dip into the 2 Morning Chapel (on the left). At the back of this chapel, find the glass prism engraved with images of Salisbury—donated to the church in memory of a soldier who died at the D-Day landing at Normandy.
The oldest part of the church is at the apse (far end), where construction began in 1220: the 3 Trinity Chapel. The giant, modern stained-glass window ponders the theme “prisoners of conscience.”
Retrace your steps to the transept and exit into the cloister. Turn left and follow signs around to the medieval 4 Chapter House—so called because it’s where the daily Bible verse, or chapter, was read. These spaces often served as gathering places for conducting church or town business. Enter the little freestanding tent for a look at the best preserved of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. This “Great Charter” is as important to the English as the Constitution is to Americans. Dating from 1215, the Magna Carta settled a dispute between England’s King John and some powerful barons by guaranteeing that the monarch was not above the law. To this day, lawyers and political scientists admire this very early example of “checks and balances”—a major victory in the centuries-long tug-of-war between monarchs and nobles. Notice the smudge marks on the glass case, where historians have bumped their noses squinting at the minuscule script. You can read the English translation printed on the back of the tent.
▲Cathedral Close
The enormous green surrounding the cathedral is the largest in England, and one of the loveliest. It’s cradled in the elbow of the River Avon and ringed by row houses, cottages, and grand mansions. The church owns the houses on the green and rents them to lucky people with holy connections. A former prime minister, Edward Heath, lived on the green, not because of his political influence, but because he was once the church organist.
The benches are scattered around the River Avon and ringed by row houses, cottages, and grand mansions. The church the green are an excellent place for having a romantic picnic or for gazing thoughtfully at the leaning spire. Although you may be tempted to linger until it’s late, don’t—this is still private church property...and the heavy medieval gates of the close shut at about 22:00.
A few houses are open to the public, such as the overpriced Mompesson House and the medieval Wardrobe. The most interesting is...
▲The Salisbury Museum
Occupying the building across from the cathedral entry, this eclectic and sprawling collection was heralded by American expat travel writer Bill Bryson as one of England’s best. While that’s a stretch, the museum does offer a little something for everyone.
Cost and Hours: £9; daily 10:00-17:00; check with desk about occasional tours, 65 The Close, +44 1722 332 151, www.salisburymuseum.org.uk.
Visiting the Museum: The Wessex Gallery (to the left as you enter) is one of the museum’s highlights, with informative, interactive exhibits covering this area’s rich prehistory—from Neanderthal ax heads to Iron Age cremation urns. Check out the ancient Roman mosaic floor and sarcophagus, and the sculpture fragments from the original Old Sarum cathedral. One exhibit details the excavation of Stonehenge, which began as early as 1620—back when it was believed to be Roman rather than druid.
JUST OUTSIDE SALISBURY
These two rewarding sights are practically on Salisbury’s doorstep—within a 10-minute drive of Market Place. While neither is worth planning your day around, either can easily be combined with a trip to or from Stonehenge.
Old Sarum
Today, not much remains of the original town of Old Sarum, but a little imagination can transport you back to very Olde England. The city was originally founded on a slope overlooking the plain below. Uniquely, it combined both a castle and a cathedral within an Iron Age fortification. Old Sarum was eventually abandoned, leaving only a few stone foundations. The grand views of Salisbury from here have in-“spired” painters for ages and provided countless picnickers with a scenic backdrop (bring lunch or snacks).
Cost and Hours: £6.80; daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-March until 16:00; pay parking, +44 1722 335 398, www.english-heritage.org.uk.
Getting There: It’s on the edge of Salisbury, two miles north of the city center off the A-345. The Stonehenge Tour bus stops here (see “Getting to Stonehenge,” earlier), or you can take bus #P11, run by Salisbury Reds (www.salisburyreds.co.uk).
Background: Human settlement in this area stretches back to the Bronze Age, and the Romans, Saxons, and Normans all called this hilltop home. From about 500 BC through AD 1220, Old Sarum flourished, giving rise to a motte-and-bailey castle, a cathedral, and scores of wooden homes along the town’s outer ring. The town grew so quickly that by the Middle Ages, it had outgrown its spot on the hill. In 1220, the local bishop successfully petitioned to move the entire city to the valley below, where space and water were plentiful. So, stone by stone, Old Sarum was packed up and shipped to New Sarum, where builders used nearly all the rubble from the old city to create a brand-new town with a magnificent cathedral.
Visiting the Site: From the parking lot or bus stop, you’ll cross over the former moat to reach the core of Old Sarum. Inside you’ll find a few scant walls and foundations. Colorful information plaques help resurrect the rubble. Additional ruins line the road between the site and the main road.
▲Wilton House and Garden
This sprawling estate, with a grand mansion and tidy gardens, has been owned by the Earls of Pembroke since King Henry VIII’s time. The Pembrokes are a classy clan, and—unlike the many borderline-scruffy aristocratic homes in Britain—their home and garden are in exquisite repair and oozing with pride. Jane Austen fans particularly enjoy this stately home, where parts of 2005’s Oscar-nominated Pride and Prejudice were filmed. But, alas, Mr. Darcy has checked out. Note the unusual weekend closure—the Pembrokes like to have the place to themselves on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cost and Hours: House and gardens-£20, gardens only-£8.25; house—open Mon-Thu 11:30-15:30 with tours every 30 minutes, Sun 11:30-17:15 with no tours; gardens—open Sun-Thu 11:00-17:30; closed Fri-Sat and Sept-April; café-same hours as gardens; +44 1722 746 700, www.wiltonhouse.co.uk.
Getting There: It’s five miles west of Salisbury via the A-36, to Wilton’s Minster Street. You can also reach it on Salisbury Reds buses #2, #26, #R8, #PR3, or—on Sundays—#R3.
Visiting the Estate: Monday through Thursday you’ll see the house on a mandatory hour-long tour (Sundays you roam on your own). The first stop is the Old Riding School, home to the family’s fine collection of luxury cars old and new.
Inside the mansion, you’ll tour several gorgeous rooms decorated with classical sculpture and paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Brueghel. You’ll also see plenty of family portraits and some quirky odds and ends, such as a series of paintings of the Spanish Riding School, and a lock of Queen Elizabeth I’s hair. The perfectly proportioned Double Cube Room has served as everything from a 17th-century state dining room to a secret D-Day planning room during World War II...if only the portraits could talk.
You’ll exit to the garden—flat and perfectly tended, with pebbly paths and a golf course-quality lawn, stretching along the gurgling River Nadder and decorated with a few Neoclassical ornaments. There’s a tiny café and bookshop here.
Nearby: The village of Wilton itself is a proud, workaday burg that’s fun to explore. It boasts the Wilton House at one end of town, a cozy green at its center, and at the far end of town, the Italianate Church of Sts. Mary and Nicholas—dating from the Romantic period of the mid-19th century, when world travelers brought some of their favorite styles back home. The can’t-miss-it church, along West Street, looks like it’d be more at home in the Veneto than on Salisbury Plain.
Sleeping in Salisbury
Salisbury’s town center has very few accommodations. Noisy roads rumble past most of these places: Light sleepers can try asking for a quieter room in back (or pack earplugs). Drivers should ask about parking when reserving. The town gets particularly crowded during the arts festival (late May through early June). If you’re in a pinch, there are a couple of Premier Inns a few miles outside town, one to the north on the A-30 and one to the east on the A-36.
$$$ The Chapter House is a boutique hotel with 17 stylish, modern rooms in a creaky old shell. The rooms are above the trendy restaurant, immediately across from the side entrance to the Cathedral Close (9 St. John’s Street, +44 1722 341 277, www.thechapterhouseuk.com, info@thechapterhouseuk.com).
$$$ Cricket Field House, a cozy little compound just outside town on the A-36 toward Wilton, overlooks a cricket pitch and golf course. It has 15 large, comfortable rooms, its own gorgeous garden, and plenty of parking (Wilton Road, +44 1722 322 595, www.cricketfieldhouse.co.uk, stay@cricketfieldhouse.co.uk). While this place works best for drivers, it’s a 20-minute walk from the train station or a five-minute bus ride from the city center.
$$ Sarum College is a theological college that rents 40 rooms in its building right on the peaceful Cathedral Close. Much of the year, it houses visitors to the college, but it usually has rooms for tourists as well. The well-worn, slightly institutional but clean rooms share hallways with libraries, bookstores, and offices; the five attic rooms come with dramatic cathedral views from their dormer windows (meals available, elevator, limited free parking, 19 The Close, +44 1722 424 800, https://sarumcollegehospitality.co.uk, hospitality@sarum.ac.uk).
$$ The King’s Head Inn rents 33 modern rooms above a chain Wetherspoon pub. While impersonal, it’s a decent value and conveniently located in a handsome old sandstone building between Market Place and the train station. It’s likely to have room when others are full (breakfast extra, deeply discounted Sun nights, air-con, elevator to some rooms, 1 Bridge Street, +44 1722 438 400, www.jdwetherspoon.com, kingsheadinn@jdwetherspoon.co.uk).
Eating in Salisbury
There are plenty of atmospheric pubs all over town. For the best variety of restaurants, head to the Market Place area. Some places offer early-bird specials before 19:00.
$ Reeve the Baker crafts an array of high-calorie delights and handy pick-me-ups for a fast and affordable lunch. Peruse the long cases of pastries and savory treats, and notice the locals waiting patiently at the fresh bread counter in back (daily until 16:00, +44 1722 320 367). The main branch, on Market Place (at 2 Butcher Row), has seating both upstairs and out on the square—either with a nice view of the busy market. A much smaller branch is at the corner of High and Bridge streets at 61 Silver Street (same hours as above but closed Sun).
$$$ The Chapter House is a lively and popular restaurant with an enticing menu of British, South African, and international fare in a trendy setting (daily, 9 St. John’s Street, +44 1722 341 277).
At the Cathedral: For lunch near the cathedral, you have three great choices. The $ Refectory Restaurant has a full menu and fills a winter garden squeezed between the buttresses and the cloister, with additional seating in the cloister itself (Mon-Sat until 17:00, Sun until 16:00). Just outside the close, $ Rifleman’s Table serves breakfast and lunch specials, homemade cakes, cream tea, and artisan coffee in the wood-beamed dining room or on the pebbled patio (daily until 16:00, 58 The Close, +44 1722 331 124). On a sunny day, it’s hard to imagine a nicer setting for a coffee break than $ The Bell Tower Tea Rooms, with outdoor tables on England’s biggest close, peering up at its tallest cathedral tower (limited menu; order at the counter; daily until 16:00).
Indian: If you’re going to try Indian food, do it in Salisbury. These two excellent options both serve creative variations on the typical “curry house” fare: $$$ Café Diwali takes an Indian street-food approach, with delicious, creative dishes served thali-style, on big silver platters (closed Mon, no dinner Sun, 90 Crane Street, +44 1722 329 700). And $$$ Anokaa serves up updated Indian cuisine in a dressy, contemporary setting (daily, 60 Fisherton Street, +44 1722 414 142).
Pubs: $$ The Bell & Crown Inn is the best all-around choice, with reliable pub fare and leather couches under heavy beams (daily, 83 Catherine Street, +44 1722 338 102). $$ The New Inn, the local rugby pub, fills a creaky, atmospheric, 15th-century house rumored to have a tunnel leading directly into the cathedral—perhaps dug while the building housed a brothel? On a sunny day, their back garden is pleasant (daily, 41 New Street, +44 1722 326 662).
Salisbury Connections
From Salisbury by Train to: London’s Waterloo Station (2/hour, 1.5 hours), Bath (1-2/hour, 1 hour). Train info: +44 3457 484 950, NationalRail.co.uk.
By Bus to: Bath (hourly, 3 hours, transfer in Devizes), Avebury (hourly, 2 hours, transfer in Devizes). Bus info: Local buses run by Traveline South West (+44 871 200 2233, www.travelinesw.com). Many of Salisbury’s long-distance buses are run by Salisbury Reds (+44 1202 338 420, www.salisburyreds.co.uk).
Near Salisbury
The most appealing sights in the Salisbury area are Stonehenge and Avebury. But if you have extra time here (or en route to your next stop), these attractions are worth considering. While best for drivers, and not worth going out of your way to see, they may appeal if you have a special interest in gardens, ruined castles, or cute villages.
Stourhead House and Gardens
Stourhead, designed by owner Henry Hoare II in the mid-18th century, is a sprawling 2,650-acre estate of rolling hills, meandering paths, placid lakes, and colorful trees, punctuated by classically inspired bridges and monuments. The creaky old mansion strains to make its obscure aristocratic owners interesting (with eager docents in each room), but the gardens are the real highlight. The recommended two-mile garden path route circles the entire lake (Jane Austen fans will recognize the Temple of Apollo, among other sights). For a shorter walk, the Palladian Bridge offers a fine lookout over the lake. A handful of cafés and restaurants dot the property.
Cost and Hours: £19 includes house and garden; house open daily 11:00-16:00, garden open daily 9:00-16:30, closes earlier off-season; pay parking, +44 1747 841 152, www.nationaltrust.org.uk. It’s 28 miles (40 minutes) west of Salisbury in the village of Stourton.
Corfe Castle
Built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, this castle was a favorite residence for medieval kings until it was destroyed by a massive gunpowder blast during a 17th-century siege. Today its jagged ruins cap a steep, conical hill, offering a fun excuse for a hike and sweeping views over the Dorset countryside. Park at the Castle View visitors center, then follow the path that curls around the back of the castle to the village (about 10 minutes). There you can buy your ticket, cross the drawbridge, and hike up. The castle is mostly an empty husk, with little to bring its dramatic history to life, but it’s fun to scramble along its rocky remnants.
Cost and Hours: £11, daily 10:00-17:00, closes earlier off-season, +44 1929 481 294, www.nationaltrust.org.uk. It’s 44 miles (about one hour) south of Salisbury.
▲Cerne Abbas
Dorset County’s most adorable village is cuddly, one-street Cerne Abbas (surn AB-iss)—about 45 miles (one hour) southwest of Salisbury. It’s lined with half-timbered buildings and draped with ivy and wisteria. Park your car and go for a walk. Head up Abbey Street, passing the lovely St. Mary’s Church on your way up to the village’s namesake abbey. Let yourself in the gate and explore the mysterious, beautiful grounds. If you need a break, the town has some appealing pubs and the fine Abbots Tearoom (7 Long Street, +44 1300 341 349).
The village is best known for the large chalk figure that’s scraped into a nearby hillside: the famous Cerne Abbas Giant. (To find it, head up the street just past Abbots Tearoom—by car or by foot; you can also follow brown road signs to Giant Viewpoint.) Chalk figures such as this one can be found in many parts of the region. Because the soil is only a few inches deep, the overlying grass and dirt can easily be removed to expose the bright white chalk bedrock beneath, creating the outlines. While nobody is sure exactly how old this figure is, or what its original purpose was, the giant is faithfully maintained by the locals, who mow and clear the fields at least once a year. This particular figure, possibly a fertility god, looks friendly...maybe a little too friendly. Locals claim that if a woman who’s having trouble getting pregnant sleeps on the giant for one night, she will soon be able to conceive a child.
The area around Cerne Abbas can be fun to explore—with names seemingly invented on a bet by pub patrons on tuppence-ale night. Piddle Lane leads out of town to villages with names like Piddletrenthide, Piddlehinton (both on the aptly named River Piddle), Plush, Mappowder, Ansty, Lower Ansty, and, of course, Higher Ansty. More entertainment rewards careful map-readers in the surrounding hills: King’s Stag, Fifehead Neville, Maiden Newton, Hazelbury Bryan, Poopton-upon-Piddle, Stock Gaylard, Bishop’s Caundle, Alton Pancras, Melbury Bubb, Beer Hackett, Sturminster Newton, Nether Cerne, and Margaret Marsh. Believe it or not, only one of these names is made up.