Salisbury, England

On February 2, 2013, a group of six of us from Westminster College traveled to Salisbury, England.

My traveling companions at the train station. From left to right: Greer, Brianna, Ali, Camille and Hannah.

For a decent price, we were able to purchase a tour bus that escorted us to both Stonehenge and Old Sarum. Our first stop was Stonehenge where we all quickly discovered that we'd under-estimated the amount of clothing layers needed. Though the sun was shinny, it was bitterly cold with a wind that seemed to pierce through our winter coats. Nevertheless, we were all thrilled to get to witness first-hand this mystical, awe-inspiring structure that has been pictured in so many of our history books.

The group's next destination was Old Sarum where the town of Salisbury was originally established. Romans, Normans and Saxons have all inhabited the area at one point in history. To better understand the layout of the area, I've included an aerial shot taken from the site's webpage.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/old-sarum/

 This is the first ditch surrounding the site leading up into Old Sarum.

This is the second ditch before entering Old Sarum. If you look at the top of the aerial view, you can see the road we took leading into Old Sarum and the bridge that crosses this second ditch.

Old Sarum

 There were so many nooks and crannies to be explored! We spent about two hours just walking around the site discovering new walkways, staircases and amazing views.

 The remains of the town's original Cathedral.

Our final stop of the day was at the Salisbury Cathedral. The building of the Cathedral began in 1220 and was finished 38 years later in 1258. From 1310 to 1330, the additions of the Cathedral's Tower and Spire were built. With foundations only 4 feet deep, the tower and spire stand at 404 feet high.

The Salisbury Cathedral also contains the largest cloisters of any Cathedral in Britain.

 My attempt to capture the details and colors of the Cathedral's ceiling which were incredible!

The Cathedral's Altar with the Trinity Chapel's stained glass in the background.

 Fun Fact: The Cathedral's Chapter House is home to the best preserved (of four surviving originals) Magna Carta sealed by King John in 1215.