Approach Salisbury from almost any direction and you will see the spire first, a slender stone needle rising above the water meadows, the tallest church spire in Britain at around 123 metres. The cathedral beneath it was built with remarkable speed in the thirteenth century, which gives it an unusual unity of style, and it stands in the middle of a vast, peaceful lawn, the Cathedral Close, surrounded by elegant old houses. John Constable painted it from the meadows, and the view he chose is still there.
The cathedral's chapter house holds one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, the charter of 1215 that limited the power of King John and became a cornerstone of English law. It is in remarkably good condition, and it is worth seeing. The city itself grew up in the thirteenth century when the bishop moved down from Old Sarum, an Iron Age hill fort a couple of kilometres north, whose ramparts and castle ruins are still visible.
Salisbury lies at the meeting of several rivers, the Avon, the Nadder, the Wylye and the Bourne, and the water meadows around the city are lush and green. To the north stretches Salisbury Plain, a vast chalk upland, much of it used by the army for training, with signs warning of tanks crossing and red flags flying when firing is in progress. Stonehenge, the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, stands on the plain about fifteen kilometres north of the city.
The riding around Salisbury is a pleasant mix of open chalk downland, with long views and gentle curves, and narrow lanes through river valleys and villages. The main roads, like the A303 past Stonehenge, can be very busy, especially in summer, and slow. Salisbury has plenty of cafés, pubs and restaurants, as well as fuel and other services, though the city centre has a complicated one-way system and parking can be difficult. Park on the edge and walk in.