Having never stayed in Salisbury before and being just a stone’s throw away from Bristol where I live, it seemed like the ideal location for a quick breakaway. Looking to booking.com for inspiration, I soon happened upon Sarum College, a fine institute of ecclesiastical academia that also rents out rooms to the general public.
In a flash, I was on the train the next day bound for Wiltshire’s cathedral city, and 2-3 days free of all the usual stress at work and the normal weekend routine. Having wheeled my suitcase to Sarum and taking a more circuitous route (I got slightly lost), I arrived somewhat excitedly at the hallowed doorway of this beautiful, red brick building.
I soon discovered from Claire, one of the hospitality team that welcomed me, that Cathedral Close where Sarum College is located is sealed at around 11.00pm at night by means of ancient wooden doors located at 3 gateways, where vehicles and pedestrians come in and out. The only way in or out of this patch of turf after that time is with a key (or a chieftain tank!), for which you pay a deposit of £15.
Having had dinner with friends in the nearby village of Durrington, I was anxious to return to Sarum before the witching hour (an unfortunate expression in this context), imagining myself hammering in vain on the wooden gates begging for someone to let me in, if I arrived so much as one minute late. Thankfully, all was well and I was on site to witness the locking of these ancient doors by 11.15pm. I did see 2 guys wandering around the close after this time, clearly looking for a way out, and wondered if they did manage to escape this ecclesiastical enclosure, or whether I would find them shivering on the grass in the morning.
The amazing thing about staying at Sarum College, is its proximity to Salisbury Cathedral, which you immediately view once you emerge from the front door. I mean there are views and there are views, and this is most definitely the latter. You walk out of the front door, cross the road and there is Salisbury Cathedral in all its glory, standing resplendent in the sun. In his 1995 book, Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson called Salisbury Cathedral “the single most beautiful structure in England and the Close around it the most beautiful space.”
I think I would have to agree with Bryson, because I think I could have stayed in that beautiful space for the whole week. It was the ultimate in relaxation, like a small enclave, cut off from the rest of Salisbury and cut off from the rest of the world, even. I loved that at the end of the day when the cathedral closed it’s doors, visitors would begin to drift away from the Close and that beautiful space would begin to empty.
As the light faded, the cathedral would become all aglow as the floodlights were turned on and this historic place of worship would be lit up like a beacon. I remember being sat on one of the many benches, beholding this beautiful sight with wide eyed wonder. I could have stared for hours and hours, such was the magical experience I was having. Finally, at the end of the night, past 11 o’clock, the gates were shut and you were left alone shut off from the outside world. That was a feeling of such peace and solitude I scarcely thought was possible in the midst of a city.
Things to do
Apart from wider Salisbury, there is plenty to do within the close itself. During my sojourn there, I visited the cathedral itself, which is superb of course, and needs no introduction. Within its sacred and ancient walls, you will find a fascinating, ornate and intricately designed worshipful space, that seems to reach to the very heavens itself. I also visited Mompesson House, a small National Trust 17th Century townhouse just off the adjoining square. There is a garden and tearoom at the rear occupying the very compact space available, which has been utilised to the full.
Of great interest was Arundells, the former home of Sir Edward Heath, Prime Minister in the UK from 1970-1974. His former home was a delight to view and enjoy, including his very interesting study with amazing views out across the garden. This green and floral patch of land was very expansive, reaching all the way down to the river – a river which coalesces with the Avon, or the other way around. One can only imagine the decisions made and policies formed within those hallowed corridors.
Nearby is a museum, with a lovely, rustic tea garden, which also affords incredible views of the tallest spire in the country (6500 tons apparently), which I can believe as the not insubstantial pillars inside the cathedral have clearly buckled under its weight. I didn’t enter the museum, but I did enjoy lunch in the gardens with a refreshing glass of Henry Weston’s cider.
Would I repeat all of this? Most definitely and I think that Sarum College will become a firm favourite in years to come.
Leave a comment