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Quality/Quantity - When we were in Europe, we visited many churches and Cathedrals. This one is more beautiful than the others. Huge welcome and info station. Cafe. Atmosphere - Huge Cathedral. Not sure if there is an active school here...? I saw many kids in uniform. Clean and large cafe. Parking, see picture for rates. Service - What a nice find. Friendly team when we checked in and asked questions at the info desk. Group and school visits. Price - 11 pounds per person, free if you are a local. Owner Comment - Cut and pasted from you website: "Enjoy the serenity and splendour of this stunning Cathedral, gaze up at Britain's tallest spire, explore Britain's largest Cathedral Close and Cloisters, see the world's oldest mechanical clock and the best-preserved original 1215 Magna Carta."
Very beautiful and historical. The architecture of the church is still in amazing condition. People were sitting outside on the grass and was very peaceful.
What an awe inspiring cathedral. It is one of the main attractions in Salisbury, and rightly so. The cathedral is huge and impressive and set on a nice green area. The exquisite details on on the stone work is breathtaking. I felt very moved whilst walking around, as did my husband, This is the type of cathedral that makes you want to start to attend church again! I really loved the stained windows. Apparently it took 38 years from start to finish to build this masterpiece. There was a beautiful black font in the centre of the main aisle with water permanently running, which I have never seen before.
Salisbury has a magnificent Gothic cathedral. It is important in part because it has the tallest church spire in the UKand it houses one of the original copies of the Magna Carta, which is on display in the Chopter House. It also is home to a 14th-century clock which is reputedly the oldest working clock not only in the UK but also the world. Unlike the clock in Wells Cathedral however, it does not have a clock face. It has lovely grounds and they offer tours to the roof and top of the tower, which provides excellent views. One can and should book the tower tour online in advance.
Simply beautiful cathedral! There's no admission fee, but there is a suggested donation to tour the cathedral - runs to 3£ per person which is not bad at all. We visited on a Sunday and as it is a fully functioning church, they had just finished services and were having a coffee and cake session with the local parishioners afterwards - quite charming like something out of Father Brown. The cathedral itself of course, has a lot of historical significance, including holding one of the original copies of the Magna Carta, but in and of itself, it's a wonderful piece of architecture and artwork. Well worth visiting, especially if you've made the hike out to see Stonehenge, as it's very close by. Salisbury Village itself is very photogenic and a good place for lunch after seeing Stonehenge and the Cathedral. There are many cafes, restaurants, and pubs to choose from, as well as quaint stores and markets. A delightful spot to stroll around the neighborhoods and beautiful streams meandering through town like something out of Wind in the Willows or Beatrix Potter. (Yet there was a dose of reality as the village park was closed to the public, cordoned off by police tape and warded by bobbies, as it was the site of the suspected Novichok poisoning! That's one souvenir I can do without!)
Salisbury Cathedral is absolutely a must-see during your travels through England. Aside from the stunning architecture, the cathedral also houses one of the 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carta. There is a suggested donation of 15GBP, which were happy to pay. We were greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable guide who gave a brief history of the cathedral as we entered. I walked around stunned and wide-eyed the entire time. It's such a beautiful building whose beauty simply can't be captured with a camera. When I think of my top 3 highlights of my recent trip to England, Salisbury Cathedral ranks in the top 3. It's worth a spot on our itinerary. The Cathedral provides a cafe and very clean, modern water closets. Tip: There's parking close to the cathedral for 7 GPB. We parked nearby at the Old George Mall Car Park for 1.50 GBP.
Salisbury Cathedral is the prime example of high gothic architecture in Great Britain, and houses one (and the best preserved) of 4 copies of the Magna Carta. Thankfully, and unlike many overpriced attractions in London (incl. Westminster Abbey), Salisbury cathedral does not charge and entrance fee, and solely asks for donations. Even during church service, visitors can remain inside the cathedral, though are politely asked to remain in the front part of the ship, further from the altar. I highly recommend taking a trip there, exploring the lovely city, or even venturing just 20 minutes south to close-by Stonehenge.
We visited this beautiful Cathedral when we were in Salisbury - apparently this is one of the main attractions in this town. It was a cold dreary rain day and the perfect time to visit this magnificent church. We were in awe with the beautiful stained glass and architecture. i understand that Salisbury tries to maintain the medieval look and feel to the town.....well they certainly do. As an American, i am not accustomed to graves/tombs in churches. This cathedral (as well as the beautiful one in London) has tombs of past priests etc. A must visit if you are in Salisbury!
It appears I have a string of overly excited sounding Brit reviews but who cares here comes another one!! Wow. One out of four of the original Magna Carta copies?? Ok I'll be frank. When someone said Magna Carta I was imaging some type of rock or maybe the Declaration of Independence of Britain. And my silly American brain really could not remember what it was. But once I got there, the exhibit did a great job of filling me in! I learned so much and the cathedral itself is beautiful! I loved how the grounds are large and there is plenty of space to move around. The copy of the Magna Carta is well kept and very moving to see. It was inspiring to see a document used by both sides to argue their point of view, and a document that defines so much of history.
One of the greatest, best-preserved early British cathedrals, on the "Brit cathedrals A-list", so to speak. A must-see for anyone even remotely interested in religious architecture. Since I'm not religious, churches for me are "just" splendid examples of the achievements of civilization, and splendid Salisbury Cathedral truly is! The town of Salisbury may not be as picture postcard pretty as Canterbury, but it is certainly worth a visit (a 1.5h train ride from London for about UKP 41, single day return ticket). The cathedral is a 12-15 minute walk from the train station. Not only is Salisbury more "genuine" a medieval cathedral than most others (there have been very few additions), but the inside is marvelously detailed and intriguing, too (see my photos). One thing that did bother me were the "fundraising volunteers" at the entrance (the *only* entrance to the cathedral). There was a "suggested" donation of UKP 7.50 - which, given the fact that you could not get past these ladies unnoticed, was in fact a mandatory donation. Most cathedrals either handle these affairs more discreetly (with donation boxes inside), or demand an entrance fee without the pretense of being a free attraction (like Canterbury Cathedral). I don't mind paying for these wonderful churches, but they should just call it an entrance fee. The cathedral is certainly worth the donation. Photography (flash or non flash) is allowed everywhere unless there's a church service going on. When you enter you will be given a map (available in several languages) of the building, and there are free guided tours by volunteers. There's a tower tour available, which supposedly is great, but which I did not book (it reportedly takes up to 2 hours). Expect to spend at least 1.5 hours at the cathedral.
When we arrived, it was too late to go inside the cathedral, but we were at least able to walk around the outside a bit. It has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom, and it has the best surviving of the four original copies of the Magna Carta.
Absolute stunner! This is a must visit when I. Salisbury. The cathedral is a knock out. And to top it all off, there's some surviving documents from the Magna Carta here.
7 days ago
Kind docents. Very knowledgeable. To go and see the spires you have to pay extra and it is a lot of walking about a two hour tour.. read more
Visiting Salisbury Cathedral was such a lovely experience. With 800+ years of history, it's home to Britain's tallest spire, the world's oldest mechanical working clock, and best preserved original 1215 Magna Carta. When I came it was a bit dreary, so I started the day with tea and a slice of vegan fruit cake from the cafe, which I enjoyed outside sitting on the stone wall of the Cloisters overlooking the courtyard. I got a map for a self-guided tour, and it was lovely to wander and explore at my own pace. The map is really thoughtfully put together with 21 key locations to visit around the church; those locations themselves had signs with more information for a deeper dive on the topic (I appreciate the use of QR codes for even more information!). You'll learn about how to check the water level under the cathedral, take a peak inside their smallest chapel, stand at the font and wonder at the reflections, learn about the Amnesty International candle burning for oppressed people around the world, and more. The docents here are all so lovely and excited to share their knowledge with you, please talk to them and ask questions. I was lucky enough to be here for both a prayer from the priest on the hour, followed by a lengthy demonstration about how the clock works. Visiting the room that houses the Magna Carta, I got a 1:1 with a docent after asking a (silly, but unanswerable) question about the lighting in the recently renovated/updated display box that prevents the document from fading and increases its overall security. Lovely morning here; absolutely worth visiting! read more
Quality/Quantity - When we were in Europe, we visited many churches and Cathedrals. This one is more beautiful than the others. Huge welcome and info station. Cafe. Atmosphere - Huge Cathedral. Not sure if there is an active school here...? I saw many kids in uniform. Clean and large cafe. Parking, see picture for rates. Service - What a nice find. Friendly team when we checked in and asked questions at the info desk. Group and school visits. Price - 11 pounds per person, free if you are a local. Owner Comment - Cut and pasted from you website: "Enjoy the serenity and splendour of this stunning Cathedral, gaze up at Britain's tallest spire, explore Britain's largest Cathedral Close and Cloisters, see the world's oldest mechanical clock and the best-preserved original 1215 Magna Carta." read more
3 years ago
Very beautiful and historical. The architecture of the church is still in amazing condition. People were sitting outside on the grass and was very peaceful. read more
What an awe inspiring cathedral. It is one of the main attractions in Salisbury, and rightly so. The cathedral is huge and impressive and set on a nice green area. The exquisite details on on the stone work is breathtaking. I felt very moved whilst walking around, as did my husband, This is the type of cathedral that makes you want to start to attend church again! I really loved the stained windows. Apparently it took 38 years from start to finish to build this masterpiece. There was a beautiful black font in the centre of the main aisle with water permanently running, which I have never seen before. read more
3 years ago
Salisbury has a magnificent Gothic cathedral. It is important in part because it has the tallest church spire in the UKand it houses one of the original copies of the Magna Carta, which is on display in the Chopter House. It also is home to a 14th-century clock which is reputedly the oldest working clock not only in the UK but also the world. Unlike the clock in Wells Cathedral however, it does not have a clock face. It has lovely grounds and they offer tours to the roof and top of the tower, which provides excellent views. One can and should book the tower tour online in advance. read more
2 years ago
Simply beautiful cathedral! There's no admission fee, but there is a suggested donation to tour the cathedral - runs to 3£ per person which is not bad at all. We visited on a Sunday and as it is a fully functioning church, they had just finished services and were having a coffee and cake session with the local parishioners afterwards - quite charming like something out of Father Brown. The cathedral itself of course, has a lot of historical significance, including holding one of the original copies of the Magna Carta, but in and of itself, it's a wonderful piece of architecture and artwork. Well worth visiting, especially if you've made the hike out to see Stonehenge, as it's very close by. Salisbury Village itself is very photogenic and a good place for lunch after seeing Stonehenge and the Cathedral. There are many cafes, restaurants, and pubs to choose from, as well as quaint stores and markets. A delightful spot to stroll around the neighborhoods and beautiful streams meandering through town like something out of Wind in the Willows or Beatrix Potter. (Yet there was a dose of reality as the village park was closed to the public, cordoned off by police tape and warded by bobbies, as it was the site of the suspected Novichok poisoning! That's one souvenir I can do without!) read more
Salisbury Cathedral is absolutely a must-see during your travels through England. Aside from the stunning architecture, the cathedral also houses one of the 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carta. There is a suggested donation of 15GBP, which were happy to pay. We were greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable guide who gave a brief history of the cathedral as we entered. I walked around stunned and wide-eyed the entire time. It's such a beautiful building whose beauty simply can't be captured with a camera. When I think of my top 3 highlights of my recent trip to England, Salisbury Cathedral ranks in the top 3. It's worth a spot on our itinerary. The Cathedral provides a cafe and very clean, modern water closets. Tip: There's parking close to the cathedral for 7 GPB. We parked nearby at the Old George Mall Car Park for 1.50 GBP. read more
Salisbury Cathedral is the prime example of high gothic architecture in Great Britain, and houses one (and the best preserved) of 4 copies of the Magna Carta. Thankfully, and unlike many overpriced attractions in London (incl. Westminster Abbey), Salisbury cathedral does not charge and entrance fee, and solely asks for donations. Even during church service, visitors can remain inside the cathedral, though are politely asked to remain in the front part of the ship, further from the altar. I highly recommend taking a trip there, exploring the lovely city, or even venturing just 20 minutes south to close-by Stonehenge. read more
We visited this beautiful Cathedral when we were in Salisbury - apparently this is one of the main attractions in this town. It was a cold dreary rain day and the perfect time to visit this magnificent church. We were in awe with the beautiful stained glass and architecture. i understand that Salisbury tries to maintain the medieval look and feel to the town.....well they certainly do. As an American, i am not accustomed to graves/tombs in churches. This cathedral (as well as the beautiful one in London) has tombs of past priests etc. A must visit if you are in Salisbury! read more
It appears I have a string of overly excited sounding Brit reviews but who cares here comes another one!! Wow. One out of four of the original Magna Carta copies?? Ok I'll be frank. When someone said Magna Carta I was imaging some type of rock or maybe the Declaration of Independence of Britain. And my silly American brain really could not remember what it was. But once I got there, the exhibit did a great job of filling me in! I learned so much and the cathedral itself is beautiful! I loved how the grounds are large and there is plenty of space to move around. The copy of the Magna Carta is well kept and very moving to see. It was inspiring to see a document used by both sides to argue their point of view, and a document that defines so much of history. read more
5 years ago
Glad we took advantage of the free guided tour. We had a wonderful visit made even better by our tour guide Tricia-- everyone loved her! Her informative and upbeat commentary made our day. read more
11 years ago
One of the greatest, best-preserved early British cathedrals, on the "Brit cathedrals A-list", so to speak. A must-see for anyone even remotely interested in religious architecture. Since I'm not religious, churches for me are "just" splendid examples of the achievements of civilization, and splendid Salisbury Cathedral truly is! The town of Salisbury may not be as picture postcard pretty as Canterbury, but it is certainly worth a visit (a 1.5h train ride from London for about UKP 41, single day return ticket). The cathedral is a 12-15 minute walk from the train station. Not only is Salisbury more "genuine" a medieval cathedral than most others (there have been very few additions), but the inside is marvelously detailed and intriguing, too (see my photos). One thing that did bother me were the "fundraising volunteers" at the entrance (the *only* entrance to the cathedral). There was a "suggested" donation of UKP 7.50 - which, given the fact that you could not get past these ladies unnoticed, was in fact a mandatory donation. Most cathedrals either handle these affairs more discreetly (with donation boxes inside), or demand an entrance fee without the pretense of being a free attraction (like Canterbury Cathedral). I don't mind paying for these wonderful churches, but they should just call it an entrance fee. The cathedral is certainly worth the donation. Photography (flash or non flash) is allowed everywhere unless there's a church service going on. When you enter you will be given a map (available in several languages) of the building, and there are free guided tours by volunteers. There's a tower tour available, which supposedly is great, but which I did not book (it reportedly takes up to 2 hours). Expect to spend at least 1.5 hours at the cathedral. read more
10 years ago
When we arrived, it was too late to go inside the cathedral, but we were at least able to walk around the outside a bit. It has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom, and it has the best surviving of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. read more
8 years ago
Absolute stunner! This is a must visit when I. Salisbury. The cathedral is a knock out. And to top it all off, there's some surviving documents from the Magna Carta here. read more
Salisbury Cathedral is a lovely place to visit when sightseeing in Southern England. I would strongly advise taking one of the free docent-led tours (which seem to start every 15 minutes or so) after paying the admission donation. Do ask if there's any special services going on, as that might affect your visit. Also, be sure to be around at the top of the hour when the clock chimes. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the cathedral and the different items located within it - medieval and modern graves, parts of the architecture (the church has been changed and expanded throughout the ages, including the introduction of a modern reflecting font). She pointed out all sorts of neat things in the cathedral, highlighting different parts of British history, as well as answered a lot of different questions posed by our group of tourists. In the adjoining chapter house, they have an original copy of the Magna Carta on display - no pictures allowed in that room, which also has some nice biblical friezes. The cathedral also has a decent gift shop (specializing in cathedral stuff, Salisbury and Stonehenge stuff, and general English historical stuff) and airy cafe/tea room. It's an easy walk from the downtown shopping streets of Salisbury, so park in town and walk. One odd thing: partway on our tour, a voice on the loudspeaker invited us all to stop and pray (or for those who don't pray, to sit in silence) - while it was a good reminder that this is still an active house of worship, it may seem off-putting to non-Christians (or those who will get shushed if they talk during the prayer). read more
11 years ago
Amazing piece of sacral architecture. Historic exhibit inside surprisingly captivating. Can explore the history of the cathedral when visiting during non-mass hours. A nice and picturesque cloister inside as well. Contains one of the 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carta, and allegedly the most preserved one (going to have to take their word on that one) that is open for viewing which is awesome. Well worth a visit if you're in the area. read more
Culture and History on the Square Our tour group leader books this hotel for his groups. While this is an older property that could use some updated touches, the key here is the location. Right in the center of town, which has very limited parking, near the cathedral and the town shopping center. Yes, you don't get all of the modern touches in the rooms, no A/C could be an issue late in the summer season, but, the location is center city and the hotel has it's own parking lot. This hotel, for it's age is clean and well maintained. One additional note: The hotel staff was very attentive, Morning and evening meals were included for our group. Our salmon dinners were excellent as well as the mushroom soup and that was a surprise given the nature of so many hotel restaurants. read more
10 years ago
5*p Salisbury Cathedral Anglican, Gothic, tallest spire in England The Chapter House holds one of the four copies of the Magna Carta - very cool read more
15 years ago
I think this might be my favorite cathedral I visited. It was simply amazing on the inside, and the outside architecture is equally amazing with it's soaring spire (interesting historic side note: Salisbury was not bombed in The Blitz because of the spire. The Luftwaffe didn't want to run the risk of destroying it because they used it as a landmark to find their way around a blacked out Britain). To me this has become the quintessential cathedral I think of now, and it even has an original Magna Carta as well (although no pictures allowed). It's 5 pounds to get in if you go through the main entrance, and I'm of the opinion that religious buildings should be free to enter... but this one was very nice. read more
11 years ago
Great tours and guides to answer questions. Loved the experience and the opportunity to see the Magna Carta. Restaurant was very good as well. read more
Visited April 2015: "Incredible Medieval Architecture" When we arrived, we were told that the church was closed all day due to it being Good Friday. I remember looking at their facebook page, and nothing was stated about them being closed. Neither did their website. We were also too late to see the Magna Carta. We took some pictures of the grounds. There is a few for the tower (about $17) but not to see the Cathedral. read more
18 years ago
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15 years ago
This cathedral is absolutely amazing. Although I found Norwich Cathedral to be a little more elaborate on the inside, Salisbury surpasses Norwich on overall design due to its insanely high steeple -- I believe it's the tallest one in the UK? Maybe I'm wrong, but someone told me that and I believe everything I hear. Anyway, the outside of the building is covered in detailed carvings including all the saints....and there are even empty spaces left for anyone else who happens to be canonized later on (I'm sure they'll add my own stone effigy once I take a dirt nap, right??). The vaulted ceilings inside are ornate and impressive, and the stained glass and general architecture are just so beautiful. The fact that this place could have been built so long ago and is STILL standing just blows me away. And....I overheard one of the church officials telling another visitor that the floors are only 4 feet thick -- the people who built it didn't create a "real" foundation to support the place, and that right there either demonstrates amazing luck or some seriously sophisticated knowledge of bedrock and geology. There are a bunch of highly elaborate tombs throughout (I think I posted some photos) as well as incredibly old ones (12th century, OMG). Plus the medieval clock -- the world's oldest fully operational timepiece. Crazy! OH -- and in a back room, there is an original copy of the Magna Carta. The Magna Freaking Carta!!!! Unfortunately you aren't allowed to take photos in that room....but wow. I thought seeing the U.S. Constitution was cool when I was younger, but this shit blows that out of the water hands down. The only things I didn't like: 1) the bathrooms suck, they're in a gross little trailer about 400 miles around to the back of the building, and 2) there was some really weird-ass art exhibit going on throughout the chapel and its grounds -- creepy modern sculptures of people which were not only disturbing to look at, but just seemed really out of place and honestly kind of inappropriate when surrounded by all the beauty and REAL artistry of the cathedral itself. I mean, I wanted to take a photo of the whole lovely courtyard, but one of those atrocities was smack in the middle of it and ruined the shot. Gross. I'm no art critic, but....wait, as of now, yes I am. That shit sucked. No admission required, however donations are encouraged. read more
13 years ago
19 years ago
SALISBURY CATHEDRAL, is one of Great Britain's finest medieval cathedrals and a world class heritage attraction. It was built in the 13th century to replace the Norman Cathedral at Old Sarum. The cathedral which was the favourite of John Constable has been immortalised in many of his paintings. read more
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