Old Sarum

Tickets and tours: which to book

Entry works on two levels. The vast outer bailey, with the ramparts and the cathedral foundations, can be walked freely, while the inner bailey with the castle ruins is run by English Heritage and needs a ticket. Members of English Heritage enter free, and children pay less; most people simply pay at the entrance on the day, and booking online in advance is usually slightly cheaper. There are no skip-the-line or timed products, because queues are rare.

The one product listed on GetYourGuide is a guided small-group day from Salisbury that pairs Stonehenge with Old Sarum and a stretch of Wiltshire countryside. It suits visitors without a car who want both monuments in one outing, with transport and commentary included. Check whether the Stonehenge ticket and the Old Sarum castle entry are in the price, and how long is spent at each stop.

Many visitors combine Old Sarum with Salisbury Cathedral on their own, since buses run frequently and the walk from the city is easy. Audio guides are not essential here, but the information panels on the inner mound are good. The sensible plan for most people is to visit independently from Salisbury, and to choose the tour only if you also want Stonehenge without a car.

A short history

People used the hill from as early as 3000 BC, and around 400 BC an Iron Age fort with massive banks and ditches was raised where two routes met the River Avon. The Romans called the place Sorviodunum, and Cynric of Wessex captured it in 552. After the Norman Conquest a royal castle was built by 1069, and the first cathedral was consecrated in 1092; the Domesday Book was probably presented to William the Conqueror here in 1086. Quarrels between the castle and the clergy led to the founding of a new cathedral on the plain in the early 13th century, and the old town was dismantled for stone. Old Sarum stayed a notorious rotten borough until 1832.

Getting there

Salisbury has the nearest railway station, with direct trains from London Waterloo in about an hour and a half. From the city centre, frequent buses towards Amesbury run up the A345 and stop near the turning for Old Sarum, a few minutes' walk from the entrance; the ride takes about ten minutes. Walkers can follow the river path and the lanes north from the city in about 40 minutes. By car, take the A345 north from Salisbury and turn off for Old Sarum; the road crosses the outer ramparts and ends at a car park inside the outer bailey. Southampton and Bristol airports are each about an hour away by road.

Rules and what to bring

Dogs on leads are welcome in the outer bailey, but keep children away from the steep edges of the ditches. Do not climb on the castle walls or remove stone, and fly drones only with English Heritage permission. Wear boots after rain, since the grass and chalk paths become slippery. The site has a small shop and toilets near the castle entrance, and picnics on the ramparts are allowed; for a full meal head back to Salisbury.

When to go

Old Sarum is an open hilltop, so the weather decides the visit. A dry day between May and September gives firm ground, long light and the best views to the cathedral spire. Autumn and spring can be lovely too, but the banks turn muddy after rain and the wind on the ramparts is cold in winter.

The site is rarely crowded. School groups come on weekday mornings in term time, and summer weekends bring local families and dog walkers to the outer bailey. Late afternoon light is best for photographs, when the low sun throws the earthworks into relief. English Heritage sometimes holds family events and medieval re-enactments in the school holidays, which make the inner bailey busier. Allow about an hour and a half for the castle and a lap of the ramparts, and two hours if you also walk across to the cathedral foundations. It combines easily with half a day in Salisbury.