Weekend in Salisbury

A 15th-century medieval guildhall and market square with a timber-framed facade. Inside, the council chamber and historic courtroom are open to visitors when not in use.

Tip: Check the noticeboard at the entrance for days when the courtroom is set up for mock trials—free to watch and run by local historians. The clock on the tower chimes on the quarter-hour.

A 13th-century cathedral with the tallest spire in Britain, one of only four surviving copies of Magna Carta, and Europe's oldest working clock.

Tip: The Chapter House exhibition on Magna Carta has no entry fee, but you need to book a free timed ticket from the welcome desk. Go early to avoid queues.

Local museum in a Grade I-listed building with galleries on Stonehenge archaeology, medieval Salisbury, and costume collections. Free entry with a suggested donation of £5.

Tip: The Stonehenge gallery has genuine Neolithic tools and jewellery that you can get much closer to than at the actual site. Allow at least 90 minutes.

A large public park with formal flower beds, a kids' playground, tennis courts, and a café. The river Avon runs along its southern edge.

Tip: The café does good sandwiches under £5. For a photo, walk to the wooden bridge over the Avon at the park's bottom corner—this gives a view back to the cathedral spire.

An Iron Age hill fort and medieval castle ruins on a chalk mound, offering wide views over Salisbury Plain. Costs around £8 per adult.

Tip: Bring binoculars for kite and buzzard watching. The site is exposed, so a windproof jacket is essential even in summer.