9th May: Old Sarum
David R. Abram’s view of Old Sraum
One of the aerial photos in David R. Abram’s exhibition was of Old Sarum, somewhere I’ve driven past many times but never visited. On the next day I planned to go to Exbury Gardens, but my Waitrose delivery came late so I would not have got there before the crowds started to arrive, so I went to Old Sarum instead.
As an English Heritage monument it is a little strange because the car park and much of the site is freely open to the public, at least during opening hours. It is only if you visit the Castle Motte that you pass the small shop (which has real swords for sale!) and the ticket office.
The outer part of the site contains the impressive earthworks of the iron age hill fort (presumably refurbished by the Normans) and the foundations of the first (and second) Salisbury Cathedral. Neither lasted very long before the King quarrelled with the Church and the latter decamped to build the present Cathedral. Presumably the promise of eternal life, offered by the Church, was more welcome than the continual demands for taxes by the King, and the town eventually deserted Old Sarum to be re-established around the new Cathedral.
Speedwell
The Castle mound is itself surrounded by a very impressive ditch. The grass in the mound area was speckled with small blue flowers which I have since learnt is a type of Speedwell. Having explored the Castle mound I wandered down to the Cathedral foundations and then walked back to the car park along the outer embankment of the iron age fort.
From all parts of the monument there are long views over the surrounding countryside, including the modern town of Salisbury and its high Cathedral spire.
The Ordnance Survey plaque.
By the car park the toilets are set into the inner fort embankment and above them there is an interesting plaque about verifying the Ordnance Survey. I was short of petrol and had asked in the Ticket Office if there was a petrol station which did not require me to go back into the traffic misery of Salisbury. Amesbury was one suggestion so on leaving I headed there.
From Amesbury the satnav routed me through the countryside, eventually reaching (to my surprise) Mottisfont. I have since discovered that even better would have been to go via Over Wallop. I am going to use that route in future to get to the Salisbury Plain area while avoiding Salisbury traffic.