Christmas in England - Salisbury

Salisbury Cathedral, Christmas Eve and Day services, Market Days, the Water Meadows, Stonehenge, ghosts, quiet walks, and feeding the ducks in the snow.

Quick Tips:

Salisbury is a small medieval town, well worth a few days visit. However, trains from London's Waterloo and Paddington Stations arrive several times a day. Don't rush off to see the wonderful sights near Salisbury (Stonehenge, Wilton House, Stourhead), spend some time actually in Salisbury.

Best Way To Get Around:

This is a walking town. If you arrive by train, you can be in the city center in 15 minutes or less, with lots of beautiful sights along the way. Cabs meet every train and are inexpensive when taken to the Cathedral or downtown. Bus service out to Stonehenge and to Wilton House is frequent and cheap.

This is the quintessential English hotel. It is a 13th century coaching inn, clad with Virginia Creeper vines, lots of old, black beams, uneven floors, superb service and great food. The Christmas tree was set up near the main fireplace, and we were able to leave a few treats from Santa under it for the kids to open on Christmas morning. The kids even left carrots, cookies and milk for Santa, thanks to the staff. Since the hotel was closed to all except those staying in the hotel, it was a bit like a large family gathering. Staff were extremely helpful, knew everyone''s name and were so accommodating, we all want to return!

Christmas Eve dinner was wonderful, but Christmas Day Lunch was fabulous. Streamers and paper hats and crackers and everyone got in to the spirit. This hotel is one of the few in Salisbury (if not the only one) which has a handicapped room, and again, the staff went out of their way to make it easy for this special guest. On Christmas morning, the owner of the hotel presented wrapped gifts to the three children in our party, and spent time visiting with us. This was my third visit in this hotel, and I''m already planning the next one.

The Red Lion

The rooms are all nicely furnished but vary in size and decor. The family room is extremely large and has 2 double beds, 2 twin beds and a crib. It is located on the 3rd floor, has a sloping, beamed ceiling and a view of Salisbury Cathedral from each of its 3 windows. The handicapped room had two queen size beds, a sofa, a small table and 2 chairs. There is an elevator to all floors.

Lovely, comfortable hotel located near Salisbury Cathedral and just 2 blocks from the heart of the town. The lobby furnishings gave the feeling of a country house, with lots of squishy sofas and armchairs by the fire, with books to read, games to play, and puzzles to work. The rooms, while small, were quite nice. We had 4 rooms in this hotel, only one facing on St. John Street. The window offered a glorious view of Salisbury Cathedral (and the days it snowed it was like a Christmas card view). However, St. John is a very busy street with both foot and motor traffic. Rooms on the other side of the hotel are much quieter but the view is not anything to write home about.

The dining room is full of tables covered with crisp linens and have a view to a small but quite lovely garden. Nine of us had Christmas lunch there and were quite impressed. The food and its presentation were excellent.

Since a group of 50 Old Agers had chosen the hotel for their Christmas weekend, it was quite crowded for 3 days. Before their arrival, it was almost as if we were the only ones in the hotel. Lovely! A full English breakfast was served each morning.

Finding a place where all 13 of us could eat had been a problem since London, and Salisbury was no different. However, the Rajpoot hurriedly pushed tables together and gave us excellent service.

The linens were starched and sparkling white. The wine glasses shone in the subdued lighting. The restaurant itself was long and narrow, not very large but nicely decorated. The service was prompt, correct and pleasant. Our food .. everyone tried something different .. was some of the best Indian food I've ever had. I can hardly wait to visit again.

The Harnham Mill dates from 1135. The building was converted for use as Wiltshire's first paper mill in 1550 when the river was diverted to its present course under the building. Prior to 1550 it was used for ecclesiastical purposes and it is believed muniments from Old Sarum were stored here during the building of the new cathedral.

Harnham Mill is built of Chilmark Stone, bridging a branch of the River Nadder by three arches, the Mill Race, the Eel Stage and the Head Race Vent. A string of moulding runs across the front and round the end of the building's facade above the windows and doorways and is dated around 1200, while the quatre for windows in the end walls are circa 1250. The upper storey brickwork dates from 1559.

This low ceilinged, beamed building offers lunch and dinner menus, has a bar with real ales, and will serve excellent hot chocolate to freezing walkers who stop by to warm up. In the dining room, they have a plexi-glass window in the floor so diners can see the water racing under the building. The dinner menu was extensive, imaginative and the fish dish I ordered was extremely tasty. Although a bit pricey, the delicious food, attentive service and historic atmosphere made for a wonderful evening.

Boxing Day (December 26) is traditionally another quiet day. Since we still had a huge Christmas Lunch to walk off, we decided to walk the Water Meadows. This is a beautiful walk through Queen Elizabeth Gardens, past the site of Constable's view of Salisbury Cathedral and subject of many of his landscapes, to the Old Mill, through the village of Harnham, returning through the Old Harnham Gate to Salisbury Cathedral.

Queen Elizabeth's Gardens are a city park, with a small enclosed area with swings and slides and sand boxes for children, beautiful views over the rivers Nadder and Avon into the back yards of many Close homes. Continuing through the Gardens you come to the Water Meadows which are natural but there is a paved path, which leads to the Old Mill at Harnham. You can either retrace your steps or continue through the village of Harnham, which will eventually bring you to the Harnham Gate entry to the Cathedral. A slow amble, such as we took, can last 2 hours, especially if you stop in at the Old Mill for a cuppa.

At 7:00 am Christmas Eve, we were picked up and taken to Stonehenge for our private visit to the stones. The air was cold (very!), the sun wasn't up and there was a light mist falling. Suddenly, this didn't seem such a great idea. Once inside the stones, the mist stopped, the sun began to rise and it became less cold ... the magic of the stones had begun their work. We wandered among the stones, touching them, marveling at how small they seem from the usual viewing area, but how large they become once you are among them.

Gary, our driver, had brought divining rods to show us the strength of the lay lines in the middle of the stones. I watched as the kids held the rods and saw them turning in their hands. Skeptical, I asked for a turn and through no movement of my own, those rods began moving! I don't know how it works, but it really does work; they move on their own and then come to a dead stop.

A fantastic way to start Christmas Eve!

Stonehenge is another must-see, but having a private visit turns it in to an experience of a lifetime. To set up a private visit, you must call or fax the site directly and request permission. Check out their website for further details. Stonehenge

We were met by our guide at the Red Lion, who then proceeded to introduce us to the many and varied ghosts residing in Salisbury. Our guide wore a black cloak, quite suitable for hunting ghosts. There are ghosts in the Odeon, in Debenham’s Department Store, the Old Hospital, and in the George Mall, right where Marks & Spencers is. The youngest member of our group, age 9, was not exactly frightened but he did need a little assurance that he would not see any ghosts. I would recommend this tour for everyone over the age of 12, and for the very adventurous and stalwart 8-12 year olds.

We all met at The Red Lion where our guide, Kathy Quinn, began our city walking tour which helped us get our bearings. Kathy is a lovely older woman who truly loves Salisbury and imparted that feeling to us. We were kind of in the mood to fall in love anyway, and Salisbury was the perfect target. She showed us the Guildhall, the Market Square, the Maltings (an old mill converted to restaurants and shops ... great bookstore), St. Thomas Church with its fabulous Doomsday Painting, the Haunch of Venison pub with its mummified hand, the Cathedral Close with Handel's Room, Mompesson House, and the Salisbury & Wiltshire Museum. With a better idea of Salisbury, we said goodbye to Kathy and then confidently struck out on our own in various directions.

I highly recommend a Blue Badge Guide tour in Salisbury and any other city you find yourself. Blue Badge guides have to study for several years to qualify for the badge and are always extremely well informed.

The Salisbury City Walk lasts approximately one and a half hours and starts at the Tourist Information Centre in Fish Row at 11.00 on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 November to end of March. During the rest of the year, tours occur more frequently. Price is 2-3 pounds.

Our arrival in Salisbury was just in time for the Nativity Play at the Cathedral. The kids were darling, there was a real donkey and cute costumes. The Cathedral had placed carpets on the stone floor for kids to sit on near where the play took place. It was, as Nativity plays usually are, a wonderful retelling of the family story, but with a twist. The main character was a water carrier, a little boy watching the Holy Family from the sidelines and then interpreting what he saw from a child's view. The priest read the scriptures and the Cathedral choir sang. Then we all sang Old Little Town of Bethlehem and the choir and clergy departed. A great way to start Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, after a long, leisurely dinner, we played Scrabble and visited until it was time for midnight services at the Cathedral. We bundled up and headed off ... the Cathedral was lit inside and out, and there were easily 2500 people at the service. The choir sang beautifully, the sermon was the Christmas story, and then we were served the first Eucharist of Christmas. If there had been an altar call, I'd have been the first down front! Even though there had been 2500 in the Cathedral, everyone left silently and outside the Cathedral was so quiet. There was just a touch of frost on the ground and it crunched when you stepped on it. What a perfect end to a perfect day.

Next morning, with every intention of attending an early service, we all slept in and barely managed to get to the 11:45am Family Service. The Family Service was so much fun; it was for young children. The priest said since everyone was leaving the service to go to their own Christmas Day lunches, he wanted the children to see what people in other lands were having today. There were 6 tables, one with African food, one with Jewish food, one with Mexican food, etc. One little boy, maybe two years old, was sitting in the back of the congregation and couldn't see. He was curious to know what was on the tables, so he toddled up the aisle with all eyes following. He tiptoed to the tables and peeked to see what was there. He came to the Jewish table, saw the bagels, grabbed one in each hand and flew back down the aisle to his parents, so proud of what he'd done. The entire congregation laughed, as did the priest. Apparently Daddy had told him he had to return the bagels, so once again the little boy walked up the aisle, got to the correct table and put the bagels back. He then stood, staring at the priest, as if seeking approval. The priest obligingly said, "Thank you, Sean" and the little boy flew back down the aisle satisfied. Another congregational laugh! It was a very relaxed service, to say the least. It's very heartening to see that although this is a huge Cathedral, it is still a parish church.

Salisbury Cathedral's regular services include daily matins and evensongs. The sung services include the Cathedral Choir, which is not to be missed. Schedule your visit around a worship service, enjoy the music and you'll get a feel for the cathedral that a tour can't give you.