I checked out of my Brighton AirBnb pretty early at 7:00ish and caught a train to Salisbury. It was about a three hour train journey with one change at Southampton.
I've visited Salisbury briefly before, when I was on a tour of the UK with my aunt back in 2010. At that time, we saw the outside of the cathedral and had a meal at a tearoom nearby. We were there for probably only three hours or so. My main two reasons to visit Salisbury again was to actually experience the cathedral, and the town's proximity to Stonehenge.
I think cathedrals are one of those things that the more you learn about them, the more you want to learn. Definitely the more you learn, the more you appreciate! And I do appreciate a cathedral!
So I arrived in Salisbury at about 10:30 am and dropped my bag at my AirBnb, which was only a few minutes' walk from the station. I headed back out, with my only mission for the day to be spending time at the cathedral. It was just as majestic as I remembered.
Salisbury Cathedral has some impressive fun facts:
It is home to the world's oldest, still functioning, clock. It was built back in 1386. It has to be hand wound each day by cathedral staff.
It has the country's tallest spire at 404 feet.
It was built 800 years ago in 1220 and is unique that it was built in such a short time span -- only 38 years.
The cloisters (covered walkway) are the largest in the UK.
The cathedral close (the green space surrounding the outside of the cathedral) is the largest in the UK at 80 acres.
It holds one of only four copies of the Magna Carta in the world. The one here in Salisbury Cathedral is the best preserved.
The world's oldest, still functioning, clock.
This font was really beautiful. The water ran off the edges and into the floor.
Please pause while we discuss the name Salisbury. You can't not think of Salisbury steak when you see the name Salisbury, right? I had wondered if the dish originated in England and it did not! It's named after an American physician, James Salisbury, who promoted a meat-based diet. He was convinced that soldiers during the Civil War who suffered from diarrhea could be helped with a diet of coffee and beefsteak. Cute. He thought people should eat Salisbury steak (broiled ground beef flavored with onion and seasoning, and covered with gravy or a brown sauce) three times a day. Absolutely adorable.
Now back to the cathedral...
Many stained glass windows, but this blue was my favorite.
Largest cloisters in the UK.
I spent quite a bit of time here in the cloisters. It was a beautiful day and this spot had a wonderful view of England's tallest spire. I wasn't too comfortable at this point asking people to take my photo, so I had to stealthily take selfies. I hate selfies!
I decided to get a bite to eat at the café in the cathedral called The Refectory. I got a sausage roll and a cappuccino and it was delightful. The café actually had a glass ceiling with a view of the spire!
After breakfast/lunch, I went into the exhibit where the copy of the Magna Carta is housed. I learned a bit about it; admittedly, I didn't know much beforehand. The Magna Carta is "a charter of liberty and political rights obtained from King John of England... in 1215, which came to be seen as the seminal document of English constitutional practice." Even the United States Constitution mirrors some of what can be found in the Magna Carta. You can't take photos of the document, otherwise I would've! It was neat to see.
At this time, I headed outside to the cathedral close and sat in the grass, again, just enjoying the views and the weather.
I'm just always so fascinated with the age of these buildings and how they were built so long ago. I love thinking about all the people who have passed through its doors and admired its grandeur, just like I am doing in that moment.
My time with the cathedral was coming to a close. I felt like I should do something else, so I went for a little turnabout the town centre. I popped into some shops, but quickly felt like I was ready to get back to my AirBnB to fully check in and get settled there.
I think I hung out for a little while back at 19 Churchfields Road, and decided it was time for dinner. There were a few spots nearby and I opted for a place called Pizza Venti. After my first pizza experience, I decided that I didn't need to have such a strict English-food-only stance when it came to my meals. Here's the pizza I got!
Another large sized pizza, but this time I kept the leftovers. The waitresses at this restaurant were so sweet. One of them gave me a shot of limoncello with the bill, which I saw was standard practice. I had never had limoncello and, boy, did it make my lips tingle. It was tasty!
Maybe it's odd that I can spend an entire day at a cathedral, but what can I say? I am a cathedral enthusiast!
