Have only been through Swindon (on the way to Avebury).

Is Salisbury worth a visit for something beyond the cathedral?

Not interested in Stonehenge.

How about some of those great views we keep seeing in costume drama movies or are they illusions?

Grand houses one can tour?

Off the so-called beaten path is never a problem.

Timeframe is October and yes we'll have a car.

I don't know how much I can offer but we were on a guided drive tour through the area on the way to Avebury, and the driver drove by one of the chalk horses that are prevalent in the area.

Salisbury Cathedral is definitely worth seeing. They have a small museum across the street next to a little cafe where we had a quick bite to eat.

Without going into what's in Wiltshire and what's not...

Old Sarum is well worth a visit. Ignoring your apparent prejudice against Stonehenge, the whole "theory" (or silly fad) of leylines is based on alignments between Old Sarum, the cathedral and Stonehenge (read Alfred Watkins' Old Straight Path on the plane over for, IMHO, a wonderful example of how an otherwise intelligent person can construct a tower of nonsense on the basis of meticulous, diligent but innumerate research). There's also increasing visibility of non-Stonehenge excavations and other investigations round Stonehenge.

Laycock Abbey.

Inglesham church is the supreme antidote to Salisbury cathedral.

Stourhead, Wilton House and Lydiard Park are the main stately homes if you like that kind of thing. Oh, and Longleat, which is even wose in my view.

Bradford on Avon's one of the classic "gosh, how quaint" English towns

I would want to include some places just outside the county boundary, of which Bath is the major example, but there is also Westonbirt Arboretum.

And in no particular order:

Malmesbury, with its Abbey and naked gardeners

Castle Combe - "prettiest village in England" where Dr Doolittle was filmed (except for the bits done in France)

Salsbury Plain - sweeping chalk downs

Old Sarum - hill fort and original site of Salisbury

Devizes - market town straight out of Thomas Hardy

Kennet & Avon Canal - especially the Kennet valley round Hungerford, and the Avon valley near Freshford, Limpley Stoke and Avoncliff.

Marlborough - typical market town with a wide main straight.

There are also parts of Wiltshire best avoided.

OK, Chartley...tell me what to AVOID, too

Not Wiltshire but close - the Uffington White Horse, the Manger, Uffington Castle, Dragon hill, Waylands Smithy. All on or near the Ridgeway, above the village of Uffington in Oxon.

The white horse is confirmed to be some 3000 years old.

Westbury white horse and most of the others in Wiltshire are nowhere near as old, at least in their current form.

Did anyone mention Longleat? not for the lions, but for the house?
http://www.longleat.co.uk/longleat-house.html

I have never found much of appeal in the towns of Wiltshire - Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster, Melksham. Swindon has the Steam railway museum, the National Monuments Record Centre, an outlet shopping centre and lots of office blocks.

The roads of Wiltshire can be tiresome, and the radio reception is poor over much of the county.

Malmesbury and the Abbey are quite nice for a stopover as well, and then you are right on the Gloucestershire borders.

Dukey, if you fancy a mini Fodors GTG (coffee, beer, glass of wine?) around the south Cotswolds area let me know. I live on a hill above Stroud, I'm 8 miles from Tetbury (Malmesbury can't be more than 15 miles, my boys play cricket there several times a season), Cirencester is 10 miles, Bath 30 miles. I've met quite a few Fodorites over the years, and even had a couple of them to stay (Barb and Schnauzer). It would be nice to meet with you, having read your posts (and posts about you!) over the years.

Anyway, have a wonderful trip.

We visited Lacock, which is the town you see in movies like Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Cranford. It's worth a stop, and the Abbey is also used in films and TV. Take some time to visit the Fox Talbot Museum while you're there.

Stourhead is lovely. We didn't go in the house, but the gardens are superb.

Lee Ann

>>>>>
Laycock Abbey.
>>>>>

are you having a laugh? i'm pretty certain that spelling things wrong on purpose so they are obscene is against the rules here.

Don't want to hijack the thread -- but I have a quick question about Lacock. Is there a park or public football pitch nearby? After reading this thread we've decided to make a day of it -- found a 2 mile circular walk, picked a pub for lunch but are still hoping to find a place to kick a ball or just let the little ones run around.

I checked google maps but I couldn't see anything definite. It seems like there might be something behind the Stable Tea Rooms but I can't be certain.

Any thoughts?

I'm going to send this to the top, just in case any local fodorites are checking in on their lunch break!

'Polly's Tearoom and Cafe in Marlborough for excellent breakfasts, lunches or teas. Public (i.e. private) school in Marlborough ensures supply of wealthy custom.
Nearby Avebury worth a visit and Devizes is a great little town.
I'd echo recommendations of Lacock Abbey and also Wilton House.

BKP - There is a children's play area opposite the visitors reception according to the NT site.

http://tinyurl.com/35hhwa6

julia_t (specifically) in response to your kind invitation...all of this will happen, God willing, but not until October of 2011 (I wish it WERE this year but I simply cannot get away otherwise I'd be doing it.) Anyway, I'll try to be in touch as the time draws closer.

I am also in the midst of reading Fricker's "Cotswold Classic Walks" and want to attempt at least one if not two...

re Wiltshire I figured since we will be fairly close and will have a car...all in all I might very well have to expand this trip by a couple of days and perhaps concentrate strictly ON Wiltshire for some brief time...so, to EVERYONE who has thoughtfully responded, your suggestions and comments are valued and appreciated.

Dukey, next month I'm doing a 7 day guided walking holiday based out of Calne, Wiltshire. It is described as easy walking/sightseeing - walks no longer than 8.5 miles/day. Since English county boundaries are of little interest to me, I don't know (or much care), which of the walks are actually in Wiltshire.

Anyway, the planned walks are from Calne through the Bowood Estate (ancestral property of the Marquesses of Lansdowne)and along the Wilts and Berks Canal to Lacock, a stroll on the Bath Skyline Walk, a walk from Castle Combe along By Brook Valley and the McMillan Way to Box, a walk from Calne up to Wick Hill, along Maud Heath's Causeway and along the River Avon to Chippenham, and finally, a walk from Silbury Hill along the West Kennet Long Barrow and Ridgeway to Avebury.

I don't normally do trip reports but, if you are interested, I can try to write something up.

When I have written trip reports I have received very few comments and though people assure posters that "lots of people are probably reading them" I kinda stopped doing so.

Anyway, I strongly suspect there are more than a few folks here who would love to read an account of the walking holiday. And if you do, I, personally, would love to hear even just the "practicalities" in terms of what you may have taken with you such as a backpack, food, whether or not you ended up peeing behind somebody's barn, clothing worn, etc., etc. perhaps places you stopped off in and thanks for posting on this thread.

ahh . . . hetismij -- thank you! I apparently wasn't reading very closely. That will be perfect.

Ron and Dukey, I'd love to read both your trip reports!

Lee Ann