Salisbury Cathedral (a photo gallery)

August 29, 2022

There’s been a request to give a close-up of a Salisbury steak, but I haven’t been able to find one yet so we’re stuck with the cathedral until the real thing comes around. Could be worse.

The day didn’t go quite as planned for either half of the team. The general idea was that we would split up - I would go for a bike ride, and Rachael would take a walk up the Avon after running a few errands in town. The top item on on her list is a stop by Stonehenge Cycles to see if they’ll look at her gears that have started skipping and need some expert eyes on them - not surprising, since it’s been ten weeks and 2,000 miles since it was serviced back in Canterbury.

Stonehenge Cycles doesn’t open until nine, on a good day. We wait around until then with the thought that if she can’t get it seen until tomorrow she might go riding with me today instead. Nine comes and goes, and it’s apparent that this isn’t one of those good days - as she discovers when she bikes over and sees the closed sign in their window. It’s a bank holiday today, and they along with many other outlets are closed today.

She still thinks she’ll walk though, and moves on to the second item on her list - searching department stores and clothing shops for a new blouse to replace one that’s wearing through. She’s had her eye out for one for the past week or so without success, and we’re in the largest place we’ll stay over in before returning to France in two weeks so this is her best chance. She even tried mail ordering one she liked, but she can’t place an order (even over the phone) without a UK phone number as a reference.

Definitely time. She’s been wearing this on tour since at least when we sold our home and hit the road back in 2018. Looks like the moths have been at it.

She spends maybe two hours at this, stopping in nearly 20 shops before finding one she’s happy with - in the children’s section, at the exorbitant cost of about £6, the same as we paid for her single use tennis shoes back in Ludlow when she was trapped in the stairwell of our hotel barefoot.

A new look, from New Look. For ages 12-13, but she feels young enough at heart to get away with it.

And then she’s off on her 12 mile walk, north along the Avon and around the ruins of Old Sarum.

Shortly after she left I headed out the door myself, a 40 mile loop southeast of town loaded onto the Garmin. I’m only a mile into the ride though when it takes me through High Street Gate and across the close in front of the cathedral. Its a pedestrian/dog only zone and I could bike around the perimeter but I decide to dismount and walk across and get a closer look at the cathedral.

The close is a pleasant, tranquil area - open and grassy, the cathedral on one side and fine manors and historical buildings lining the other. Benches are placed around the edges, and people are sitting on them or just on the grass, walking around looking up at the cathedral, or taking photos of their dogs. It’s a very quiet morning and a peaceful, serendipitous scene.

13th century High Street Gate, the primary entrance to the cathedral close.

At 80 acres, Salisbury’s cathedral close is the largest in Britain. The buildings around it reflect 800 years of architectural style.

Another view of the cathedral, from further back.

Angels Harmony, by Helaine Blumenfeld (2011).

None of my dogs were ever so well behaved.

Walking past the front of the church I see that the gate to the cloister is open. I haven’t really decided whether to enter the cathedral itself, but it looks like I could just walk inside the cloister and have a look. I step inside with the bike, see a maintenance worker there and ask if I can just lean my bike against the wall inside, and he assents so I leave it there and walk around the cloister. It’s an amazing space, so light and airy - and today at least, very quiet. There are only a few others around.

The 14th century spire of the cathedral, from inside the cloister. Over 400 feet tall, it is the tallest spire in Britain.

Two majestic cedar trees tower over the center of the cloister. They were planted here in 1837 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria.

Another view of this wonderful cloister, the largest in Britain.

I walk past the door to the Chapter House, which opens off the cloister. There’s an attendant there, and a sign outside reminds me that one of the only four remaining copies of the Magna Carta is inside. How can I not stop in? I ask the attendant if I’m likely to have any difficulty getting ticketed today as a walk-in, and she thinks not - it’s a very quiet morning. So I walk over to the ticket desk, buy my way into the cathedral for £10, and take a tour. I’ll see the Chapter House at the end, and trust to human nature and luck in assuming my bike will still be there waiting for me at the end. Who would walk inside a cloister and steal a bicycle, after all? Especially such a funny looking one.

The inside of the cathedral is stunning - so spacious, so airy, so full of interest. If I’d done any sort of advance research at all I’d have known that the oldest still-working clock in the world is here. It’s the first thing I come to when I enter, and a volunteer is standing there waiting for the day’s benediction to complete before giving a presentation of the clock and it’s functioning.

I came away with only one regret from this visit - I thought I was taking a video of this presentation, but I botched it somehow. It’s a shame, because it’s an amazing thing to watch. He activates the clock and we watch as it completes its cycle, goes into an intense whir of mechanical activity, and at the end a bell chimes deeply nine times from far up above in the cathedral.

Allegedly the oldest working clock in the world, believed to have been built in 1386.

Retired regimental colors of the Wiltshire Regiment, the oldest over 200 years old.

The prisoners of conscience window, in the Trinity Chapel at the eastern end of the cathedral.

Afterwards I exit the cathedral and reenter the cloister. After a quick but pointless check to see that my bike is still there I walk over to the Chapter House for a look there. It’s another light, appealing space dripping with history. Inside is a small tent housing the best preserved of the four originals of the Magna Carta. The interior is dimly lit and photography of any kind is forbidden to protect the document, but on the outside is a blown up photograph. Beside it is an English translation of the Latin original, with a few annotations and highlights.

The Magna Carta is inside the small tent on the right.

Next to the enlargement is an English translation of the Latin original. Bolded clauses are still part of English law today.

I’ve probably spent over two hours in the cathedral, and by the time I leave it’s early afternoon - too late for the ride I had in mind. I consider doing something shorter but then remember The Project. With less than two weeks left in Britain now I’d best keep on task, and today is probably the last good chance for real rest day before we leave for France. I’d best take the opportunity.

Later, Rachael and I will walk back to town for a Thai meal, at the Giggling Squid. Probably the best Thai of the entire tour, dating back to its beginnings almost six months ago in Barcelona (and yes Susan, even better than the meal we shared in Paris).

Today's ride: 4 miles (6 km)
Total: 2,298 miles (3,698 km)

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