Salisbury offers many free activities, focusing on its rich medieval heritage and beautiful green spaces. Key, no-cost highlights include exploring the historic city center, walking through the massive Cathedral Close, visiting the Queen Elizabeth Gardens, and enjoying the twice-weekly Charter Market.
Salisbury Cathedral generally charges for entry but offers free access for worshippers (with a Diocese Card), local residents (SP1, SP2, Laverstock postcodes), Friends, and children under 12, plus free tours/demonstrations like the medieval clock, though it's best to check their website for specific times and to note that attending services doesn't grant free exploration access.
Often cited as one of England's prettiest villages, Castle Combe is steeped in historic charm, with period properties built of Cotswold Stone between the medieval and Stuart eras. Castle Combe might be one of the best known villages in Wiltshire, if not one of the most recognised villages in the UK.
The Secret Garden in Salisbury is a real hidden gem. Tucked away behind the Wiltshire Council offices at Bourne Hill, the walled garden fell into disarray before it was taken over by a team of local volunteers in 2016. The Salisbury Garden Volunteers have created a haven just a short walk from the city centre.
The secret village on Salisbury Plain is Imber, a "ghost village" evacuated by the military in 1943 for D-Day training, with residents never allowed to return, though it's opened to the public a few days each year, primarily for its historic church, St. Giles, and special events like the Imberbus day. The Ministry of Defence still owns the area, using it for training, but allows controlled public access to preserve the memory of the former community.
Consider hobbies like yoga, meditation, or even adult coloring books. These activities can help you escape from the pressures of everyday life and provide a much-needed break. Building New Skills: Hobbies are an excellent way to acquire new skills.
The Quayside Market in Newcastle, UK, is held every Sunday, typically from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, featuring local crafts, art, fashion, and food along the River Tyne. It runs year-round, though hours can be affected by holidays, so checking the Newcastle City Council website is wise.
Salisbury is blessed with a wealth of independent shops specialising in everything from arts and crafts, fashion and homewares to specialist food, sports and health.
Partially inspired by stories told by director Sam Mendes' grandfather, 1917 hit cinemas in 2019 to great acclaim. Although set in northern France at the height of the First World War, a key location on the shoot was Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, where the production rug over 200 metres of replica trenches! Learn more.
Yes, you can visit Imber village in Wiltshire, but only on specific, limited open days each year, as it's located within the Ministry of Defence's Salisbury Plain training area and used for military exercises. Access is generally granted around Easter, Christmas/New Year, and in August, with the best source for confirmed dates being the St Giles Church website, which is usually the only building open.
- Probably the oldest hostelry in Salisbury and certainly the most haunted - The Haunch of Venison provides refreshment in the historic downstairs bar and in the unique restaurant upstairs.
Set in the Yorkshire Moors in Northern England, Yorkshire's Allerton Castle was used for most of the exterior shots of Misselthwaite Manor (the primary location of the entire story), as well as the interior shots. The film was critically and commercially successful, grossing around $40 million worldwide.
Wiltshire's county town, Trowbridge, has the greatest levels of deprivation, with parts of the town centre more deprived than 94 per cent of neighbourhoods, while the southern part of Studley Green is more deprived than 77 per cent.
While there's no single "poshest," Castle Combe (often called the prettiest village) and Shalbourne, along with Biddestone, are frequently cited as Wiltshire's poshest villages by publications like The Times and Daily Mail, known for their historic honey-coloured stone homes, picturesque settings in the Cotswolds, strong community life, and high property values.
