Salisbury Cathedral Church

Address: Salisbury Cathedral, The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2EJ, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk

Hours: Cathedral daily 8:45am-6:00pm (tower tour times vary)

Admission: Cathedral entry: Free (donations welcome). Tower climb: approx. £8-£10 (subject to change)

Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, renowned for its coherent early English Gothic architecture and a notably tall central spire. Construction began in the early 13th century and the main body of the cathedral was largely completed within a few decades.

The building features a long nave, an ornate choir and an octagonal chapter house that form a well-preserved example of 13th-century ecclesiastical planning. The cathedral is also noted for housing one of the surviving original 1215 copies of the Magna Carta and for its historic medieval close and cloisters.

The spire, added shortly after the main construction phase, rises to a height of approximately 123 metres and is the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom. The cathedral complex includes a chapter house, library and a medieval cloistered precinct.

Salisbury Cathedral stands beside the River Avon in the city of Salisbury in southern England, within a spacious cathedral close close to the city centre and well connected by road and rail to regional centres such as Winchester and Bath.

• Magna Carta: Contains one of the best-preserved original 1215 Magna Carta manuscripts, which is exhibited under controlled conditions in the cathedral’s collections.

What to See#

• Nave and choir: The cathedral nave, choir and transepts forming a largely intact example of early English Gothic architecture completed in the 13th century.
• Chapter House and Magna Carta: The octagonal 13th-century Chapter House that houses one of the best-preserved original 1215 copies of the Magna Carta on display in the cathedral library or exhibitions.
• Close and cloisters: The cathedral close, cloisters and the surrounding medieval precinct that include ancillary medieval buildings and the Bishop’s Palace nearby.

Salisbury is about 1 hour 30 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Salisbury station; the cathedral is a 15-20 minute walk from the station across the city or a short taxi. By car follow the A36/A30 into Salisbury and park in public car parks near the city center; The Close is signposted from the ring road.

• Visit in the late afternoon light to see the cloister and cathedral stones warm to gold.
• Book a tower tour in advance - spaces are limited and the staircase is narrow.
• Explore the cathedral close early in the morning to watch the light on the chapter house windows and avoid school groups.
• Don't skip the Salisbury Cathedral Magna Carta exhibit; it's one of the best places to see the document outside of London.