Join
us on a short walk from Salisbury Cathedral to the historic Old Sarum
hill fort where the first Salisbury Cathedral was built.
From Old Sarum you can either walk back, catch a bus, or even connect
to the Stonehenge bus.
The walk follows the River Avon much of the way.
The second half of the walk is on grass public footpaths, please wear
suitable shoes. Trainers are fine during the summer months.
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Start
at Salisbury Cathedral and head north through the High Street arch
into the High Street. |
You
are now in the main shopping area of Salisbury City. Keep going straight.
If you want a refreshment after your visit to the cathedral there
is a cheap cafe at the back of Woolworth's on your left.
If you want something more atmospheric you come to two tea rooms a
little further down the High Street.
Follow the signs to "Riverside Walk", the way is now pedestrianised
as it bends left between the two tea houses. You now cross the River
Avon, (see view above, right) |
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You
now go on autopilot, keeping to the left bank of the River Avon. The
way is a wide pathway shared with bicycles.
You pass toilets on your left, next to the main coach park. There
is also a Sainsburys and Tesco supermarkets if you want to stock up
on picnic food, or think the ducks look hungry. |
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little further along you pass under the railway and shortly afterwards
under a low bridge which supports the city by-pass road. Immediately
after this low bridge on your left is a large Waitrose supermarket.
This has a very nice cafe too and your last toilets before Old Sarum.
Its a good place to buy a picnic too, there is a grass area by the
river or plenty of seats along the riverside path at this point. |
Soon
the riverside path crosses a road and bends to the left by a green.
Sometimes there are funfairs here. Keep following the main river.
A bridge crosses over to a leisure centre, keep straight on.
The path now enters a nature reserve area and our path changes into
a boardwalk. After about five minutes the boardwalk veers left, we
keep following the riverbank. Our path is now grass. |
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About
another 10-15 minutes and you arrive at the bridge pictured above,
you will have noticed Old Sarum hill fort. Our destination, up, over
to our right by now. The owner of the field we are in may not be enforcing
his responsibilities to provide a proper gate here, so you may need
to throw your leg over the railings.
Cross the bridge and follow the path straight until it meets a road.
Turn right and cross to the other side of the road. Keep your eyes
left for a small track about 200m or so along the road. The path climbs
up to Old Sarum, just keep going straight. You exit at the road by
a Harvester Steak House Pub, a path doubles back here up to Old Sarum.
Occupied from Neolithic times, the present structure was built by
Iron Age peoples 500bc, it was later occupied by the Romans, the Saxons
and, most importantly, the Normans. A castle, palace and cathedral
were built inside the earthwork, but disputes between soldiers and
priests, plus inadequate water supplies, proved to be huge obstacles
to life there. With the founding of New Sarum (the city we know as
Salisbury) in 1226, this settlement began to fade away.
You have to pay a small charge to enter the hill fort area. Outside
there are extensive excavations of the old cathedral area and fine
views all around.
Buses run up to four times an hour from Monday to Saturday back to
Salisbury. The Stonehenge bus (no 3) also goes by here.
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