Join
us on a short walk from Salisbury
Cathedral to historic Old
Sarum , the original Salisbury where the first Salisbury Cathedral
was located. Old Sarum was originally an old Iron Age Hill Fort and
the original battlements are impressive too.
As well as the remains of the old Salisbury Cathedral you can visit
the old Norman Castle, both located within the old Iron Age battlements.
From Old Sarum you can either walk back or catch a local bus.
The walk is pleasant following the River Avon much of the way out
of Salisbury before climbing out of the valley directly up to Old
Sarum.
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 gate
into the High Street. |
You
are now in the main shopping area of Salisbury City. Just keep going
straight, crossing a couple of roads, most of the way is pedestrianised
so you can loiter at any of the shops.
As you cross a road and come to tea rooms a little further down the
High Street follow the signs to "Riverside Walk". The pedestrianised
way bends left between the two tea houses and past the mill. You now
cross the River Avon, (see picture right with Swans).
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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A
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. |
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| 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.
About another 10-15 minutes and you arrive at the bridge pictured
right, you will have noticed Old Sarum hill fort. Our destination,
up, over to our right by now. |
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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.
More details on Old Sarum |
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