Day 16 - The Salisbury Plain

Yucky weather today, but we pushed on, reminding ourselves that it's still so cool that we're in England. Today's adventures took us to the Salisbury Plain which is considered by many to be a huge spiritual place. For several centuries, folks have come to this area to build stone circles, abbeys, and cathedrals. Our first stop was Glastonbury Abbey. This place has hosted a veritable who's who in religious and historical lore. The tor (hill) nearby has the remains of an ancient tower that overlooks the valley and the abbey remains. Joseph of Arimethea and Jesus supposedly visited the site of the future abbey and built a church out of trees and mud. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere are said to be buried here along with St. Patrick (yes...shamrocks and pots of gold). This abbey was huge! There isn't a whole lot left, but the sheer size of what remains is evidence that this complex was large in its time, dwarfing what we saw at Tintern yesterday. The detail work in the remaining columns and arches is amazing. I do believe this is the best ruin I've seen in England!

After a morning snack, we headed off for Salisbury. This city was founded in 1220 with the building of the cathedral starting later that year. The settlement had previously been on a hill just to the east in a Roman fort called Old Sarem. This cathedral is massive, bigger than Wells, but smaller than York Minster. The exterior has carved figures like Wells, but the inside is more amazing! Salisbury has done a great job incorporating new things into this old church. For instance, stained glass has been repaired and restored where possible, but also replaced if needed. One of the first things I saw upon entering was a huge new baptismal font. This amazing piece was built in 2008 and provides a beautiful way of seeing the main aisle as the water has a glassy surface. Moving down the aisle, there is no screen separating the choir area from the congregation. I later learned that their screen was removed in the 1960s. As has been the case elsewhere, Salisbury has a Chapter House with a vaulted ceiling. Salisbury is unique, however, in that their Chapter House has one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta from 1215. It's considered to be in the best condition. I've seen a later copy in the National Archives and this one was by far better--crisper, more legible, and amazingly well-preserved. No pictures were allowed, by the way.

We next made our way to Old Sarum which is nearby on a hill. Evidence shows that humans lived here in 3000 BC. An Iron Age fort was constructed on the site which was later expanded by the Romans, Saxons, and Normans who eventually constructed a castle and cathedral. In 1219, the cathedral was demolished and a new one built at Salisbury. When Henry VIII came along (good old Hank), he needed money so he tore down the castle and sold the materials. All that remains on this hill are the foundations of many of the structures. Unfortunately it was really raining and windy so I only took photos with my phone. I'll have to download those later.

We then buzzed up to Avebury which is a small village that contains three stone circles, one being the largest in Europe. The circles were built around 2,600 BC, prior to Stonehenge. Only Paul and Tim ventured into the fields to photograph these as it was still really windy and rainy. We all did, however, enjoy an afternoon snack and tea at the local pub.

On the way to our B&B, we drove by Stonehenge. We didn't stop due to weather, but are planning to return tomorrow. From the road, I was quite impressed!

We ended this great, cold, rainy day with a wonderful time at a local pub. We must be nearing the trip as our talks are beginning to reflect on what we've seen. Tomorrow we return to London and begin wrapping up what we missed there two weeks ago.

I hear it rained in Conway today! Yea!

Cheers!