Salisbury Cathedral – It’s Magical

I thought I would do a travel post today as it’s been an incredibly long time since I did! I believe the last time I did one was when Adam and I went to St. Ives last year! So, to celebrate mine and Adam’s 9 year anniversary two weekends ago, we took a trip to Salisbury in Wiltshire. It was about an hour on the train from Bath and luckily it didn’t rain once, despite me wearing suitable travelling clothes. You just know though if I had worn something fancy and non waterproof, it would have down poured!

So what can I say about Salisbury? One word – Magical! It was mixed emotions when we got off the train though as the area around the station leaves much to be desired, however once you get into the town and actually into Salisbury itself, it’s so quaint and historical. There’s a beautiful stream/river that runs through the town, even beneath the shops at some points, there’s bridges, delicate and elegant looking buildings, serene and picturesque surroundings and of course… Salisbury Cathedral.

Salisbury Cathedral was the actual reason we went as I hadn’t been there since I was a little child with my grandparents, so I don’t remember a whole lot about it. The architecture and the history behind this cathedral is incredible. I knew it was big, but when you arrive towards the entrance of the grounds, you’re hit in the face with the monumental scale of it. I believe Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest spire in the UK, standing at 404ft high. You can actually take a tower tour which can take up to 2 hours, but unfortunately it wasn’t something I could have managed with my health as there’s 332 steps, which is a bit much for me. Maybe in the near future though, if I’m a lot better, it’s definitely something I want to do!

Regardless of not being able to climb the tower, the cathedral inside is magnificent. The stained glass windows, the sculptures, the fountain, flags, memorials… All of it was spectacular. You can see from the photos just how beautiful everything is. You will have to excuse me with the iPhone photos as we never took our camera, so they’re not the best of quality from what you’re used to here, but I have edited them as much as possible and sharpened them up. One thing we couldn’t photograph was the Magne Carta though unfortunately as it needs to be kept private in a dark room, but seeing something that old on paper is wonderful.

The first Salisbury Cathedral was built in 1092 and restorations, additions etc have been added throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th century, ensuring it’s kept in top condition. I was in awe when I was looking at all the engraving and stone work on the outside of the building, as well as the inside. We were even looking around trying to find some important decorations which symbolise events that happened at that time. I can honestly say it was definitely worth the trip! If you ever find yourself in the South West of England, make the trip to Salisbury Cathedral if it’s your thing, it’s definitely worth it! You make a donation to get in, and the tours are paid for if you do them, but it’s a great day out. Even if you aren’t hugely into religious buildings, the village and town is really beautiful as well.

We even found one of the biggest sweet shops ever! It had 2 floors and was filled with candy in all varieties, so I just had to take photos of it too! After the Cathedral visit and looking around the town (Adam ate lunch and I packed my own), we decided to just wander around slowly and take in the beauty. It was extremely quiet and there weren’t a lot of people around when we were checking out the village, there were some museums too (I’m always a huge fan of museums), but we didn’t have the time to do them before our train home, so maybe next time when we visit! Have any of you ever been to Salisbury? And what do you think of it from my photos? Lorna xx.

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39 Comments

  1. May 10, 2017 / 3:06 pm

    Wow, such a beautiful cathedral! I would just looove to visit. Your so blessed to live there Lorna. ❤️

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 10, 2017 / 3:30 pm

      Glad you like it, John!

  2. sabrina
    May 10, 2017 / 4:30 pm

    Thank you for the photos
    This cathedral is beautiful

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 10, 2017 / 4:34 pm

      You’re welcome!

  3. Travis Bird
    May 10, 2017 / 6:17 pm

    Hi, Lorna. That was a great day out.

    It must be a real thrill to see one of the original issue of the Magna Carta. I’ve seen one of the copies from 1297 which is displayed at Parliament House in Canberra; it was possible to get right to the case and have a close look. Of course, it was utterly incomprehensible. The combination of idiosyncratic handwriting and mediaeval Latin meant that I couldn’t make out one word of it. Still, it was memorable, simply because any recognisable human artefact of that age is very unusual in Australia.

    Your photos catch some impressive aspects of the cathedral. They look good enough for a tourist brochure. (I noticed that your favourite colour appears in several of them.) Did you actually leave the confectionery store without buying anything?

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 10, 2017 / 6:19 pm

      Hi Travis!

      Oh that’s amazing you got to see a copy too! I know there’s a few around. Ours in Salisbury is in amazing condition, all the text is visible but of course being in Latin, it’s not readable to me either. Which was my favourite colour? The burgundy? And no we didn’t leave the sweet shop empty handed at all, ha ha. Quite a few sweeties were purchased!

  4. May 10, 2017 / 6:37 pm

    Oh my,you know you have me there! Wonderful!! Have you ever been to the Wells Cathedral?

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 10, 2017 / 7:00 pm

      I have been to Cardiff Castle, but not Wales Cathedral. Where’s it located?

  5. May 10, 2017 / 7:23 pm

    No Lorna, I meant Wells in Somerset!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 10, 2017 / 7:24 pm

      Oh!! Sorry I completely misread the spelling, ha ha. I’ve only ever driven through Wells, I haven’t ever stopped and looked around. I’m going to look up the Cathedral now and see!

      • Lorna
        Author
        May 10, 2017 / 7:27 pm

        I looked it up! It’s by Wookey Hole, which I’ve been to a few times. It’s only 35 minutes drive, so I might definitely need to check that out this Summer! Thank you!!!!

  6. Ali
    May 11, 2017 / 1:33 am

    What an amazing place to visit. Thanks for sharing x

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 2:17 am

      Glad you liked it!

  7. Grace
    May 11, 2017 / 2:17 am

    Oh wow, that looks like an incredible place, so fab hun xx

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 2:19 am

      It really was amazing!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:54 pm

      Thank you!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:54 pm

      It really was!

  8. Lindsey Puls
    May 11, 2017 / 4:01 pm

    Wow! Salisbury Cathedral looks amazing! I love that photo of you – too cute! And congratulations on your 9 year anniversary – that is amazing. 🙂

    ~Lindsey
    http://have-clothes-will-travel.com/

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:55 pm

      Thank you so much! 🙂

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:55 pm

      It was really cool!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:55 pm

      They were beautiful!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:56 pm

      Thanks!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:56 pm

      Thank you!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 11, 2017 / 10:56 pm

      Glad you like it!

  9. May 12, 2017 / 3:35 am

    It appears to be a wondrous, even magical, place. (Then again, the place where I lived was settled in a single afternoon in 1889, so we’re a bit short on antiquities,)

    And that banner — “Sursum corda” — brought a whole lot back to me. (Latin: “Lift up your hearts.”)

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 12, 2017 / 11:40 am

      Really glad you liked it, Charles! Glad it could bring back memories!

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 12, 2017 / 11:40 am

      Glad you like it!

  10. May 15, 2017 / 7:57 pm

    Such beautiful photos. It’s mind blowing to think of how these astonishing buildings were constructed so many centuries ago. I see Lincoln Cathedral every day (as it towers over the city at the top of the hill) and it always looks so impressive. We also have one of the original surviving Magna Carta copies here in Lincoln too – it’s in a specially built vault in Lincoln Castle. Very impressive indeed. 🙂

    Sorry to see that you ended up in the stocks though… I hope the rotten fruit and vegetables were not too disgusting… 😉

    I could certainly linger in that sweet shop… 😀

    • Lorna
      Author
      May 15, 2017 / 8:21 pm

      I feel the same way about Bath Abbey! I see it every weekend in town here and it’s still magnificent. That’s amazing you have a Magna Carta there too 😀 And luckily the people were on best behaviour with me on that day, so it was just tomatoes being thrown!

  11. June 29, 2017 / 7:47 pm

    What a stunning place Lorna! The Cathedral is magnificent, and I can only imagine how exciting it was seeing it in person! The architecture is incredibly beautiful and elaborate, and it was a pleasure to see your images from your visit. Hopefully you’ll get to visit again and explore the area even more. Thank you for sharing!

    p.s – Wow that’s a lot of sweets!

    Lots of love Saba x

    http://www.trulymadlydeeplyfashion.blogspot.com

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 2, 2017 / 11:11 am

      Thanks, Saba! Glad you like the photos!

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