Hi all,

Going to London next week. I had planned for us to take a daytrip to Salisbury, but to be honest, we don't have much planned to do there except to take the tour of Stonehenge and loaf around town. I'm not sure if we would even take a tour of the cathedral, unless we were suddenly taken with keen interest.

So, we had either planned on just loafing around town or getting back to London early and doing some of our stuff we have planned for there. To be clear we are planning to take the earliest Stonehenge tour available if only so that perhaps we can skip some crowds and get better photos. So getting up early is no big deal for us. We're trying to stay impervious to rain as well...

Anyway, we're big literary buffs and so my husband mentions to me that he'd wishes we could go to Glastonbury to see the abbey there with all its associated myths. He tells me that it is fairly close to Salisbury and could we combine the two trips?

I am skeptical but reading about Glastonbury on the boards makes me convinced that this long day would be worth it. Here are my concerns:

1. First Stonehenge tour is at 10:00 and bus comes back at 11:00 earliest. Trip to Bristol (train stop closest to Glastonbury) seems to get in around the :45 mark every hour. So the earliest we could get off to Bristol would be noon-ish, and of course this would mean that we take very little time at Stonehenge.

2. Arrive Bristol at 1 and then have to bungle around trying to get a bus to Glastonbury, have no idea how long that would take. Let's say an hour tops to get to G from B. Arrive G at 2:00 earliest.

3. Sun starts setting at 3:30-ish, so it seems like our time here would be extremely limited and there are several sites to see: abbey and tor specifically.

Ok so it sounds like I've talked myself out of seeing both in one miserable day! But would it be smart to drop Stonehenge altogethe and just go to Glastonbury? It sounds more up our alley, but it is further from London, harder to navigate towards, and damn if I might regret not seeing those stupid stones!

Also, for anyone who has been to Glastonbury: can you get to the Tor and Abbey on foot from town? It appears that way on google maps, but as always I am skeptical....

"<i>He tells me that it is fairly close to Salisbury . . . . </i>"

That is his first mistake. They are not near each other at all. Well - both being in sort of southwest England. They are closer than say - Manchester. But even driving and not having to schlepp the trains/local buses Salisbury/Stonehenge/Glastonbury would be a long day from London.

But in any case - there is more to see/do in Salisbury than in Glastonbury. (Wells has lots more than Glastonbury - but you don't have time for it either)

A bus from central Bristol to Glastonbury would take approx 90 minutes.

What all is must-see in Salisbury? I am desperate for ideas because hubby is not very interested and wants to get back to London instead!

We are now considering dropping one of the other trips we had planned and going to both Salisbury and Glastonbury on different days. Do you think it would be feasible to travel to Glastonbury from London and back in a day? If feasible, would it make sense to do the bus transfer from Bristol or Bath?

Glastonbury really isn't an easy day trip from London.

Since you want to see so much in the SW - why not rent a car and do an overnighter??

It would be really easy to visit Salisbury, Stonehenge, Glastonbury, and Wells in 2 days by car. And throw in Avebury and Old Sarum too.

Pick up a car at LHR in the AM, drive to Avebury, then on to Stonehenge. Spend a few hours in Salisbury and then cross country to Wells or Glastonbury for the night. Visit Glastonbury in the morning, Wells after lunch and head back to LHR to drop the car in the early evening.

Well that actually does sound like a good idea, probably the best idea for sure. Sadly we've already invested in the railpass and the hotel in London We could use the extra day on the flexipass for our return to Heathrow but the hotel room would be a loss, sadly. To be honest it wouldn't be that bad of a loss because accomodations in Glastonbury appear cheap-ish and we could at least leave our stuff in London and not have to drag it all out with us....hrm... maybe I can convince the hubs that it is indeed worth the extra money to see the supposed burial site of the once and future king himself...!

<i>What all is must-see in Salisbury?</i>

Definitely the Cathedral. walk around the town, visit Mompesson House, head just outside town to visit Wilton House (home of the Earl of Pembroke since Henry VIII's time), Old Sarum (since you are literary buffs, I suppose you've read Sarum by Edward Rutherford?).

Can you get a refund of the rail passes? Many passes do allow one to get their money back. Few, if any, rail passes pencil out for just a couple of out-of-London trips.

Ugh yk do not do my poor heart more hurt and mention Wilton House to me! Just found out about it tonight and looked it up in a tizzy wanting to go and BAM-- closed until April. Serves me to travel to UK in December.

You must know I am a lame Austen fan so you mentioned it (used in 2005 movie) and also the other house, Mompesson, which was used in Sense and Sensibility (not my favorite Austen-- if I want preachy Austen I tend to stick to Mansfield Park, my most favorite) which I did not know until now so thanks for that gem of info! Is Mompesson close to Salisbury town center? I ask because as I've mentioned we're fairly limited to what we can see on foot due to the fact that we're using a railpass. It seems that it is from the National Heritage site, but the directions are somewhat vague to me...

Never read Sarum before, but I have a list of novels to take along with me and that one will be on it, I assure you, along with Once and Future King and Pillars of the Earth (hey, I have 16 hours of plane time and lots of train time....ambitious much? At least I can flip through and pass back and forth to hubs and maybe between both of us we can get one read) I haven't read many contemporary historical novels but plane reading should be somewhat light so no Hardy for me this trip....

Just a warning about Sarum (the book). Just one person's opinion, but I find Rutherfurd's (note spelling) books excessively long, probably because of his plodding, leaden writing style. He is described as a successor to Michener, but he is not half the writer Michener was.

Long - undeniable. Plodding - not IMO.

All three (London, Forest, and Sarum) are looooong -- but I could barely put any of them down.

You can get to the Tor from "in town"...it's not a long walk to the entrance of the path up the Tor. It's close to the "Chalice Well" if you want to google it. Here it is on a map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...08234&t=h&z=18

As you probably know, it's a relatively steep, longish walk up there. Invigorating I would say, but definitely tiring.

You may also want to visit the grounds of the Glastonbury abbey (I couldn't tell if that was the abbey you were referring to; I assume it is). It's right in town: http://www.glastonburyabbey.com/

I'm biased as a lived there for almost a year; but I would say that a visit to the Tor could rival a visit to Stonehenge. It certainly bested it for me. Whether or not it's worth the trouble for you getting there in the first place is hard to say. Unfortunately, I never made it to Salisbury.

Glastonbury's High Street isn't long but there are a few cute shops and hopefully still the several cafe's that I frequented (it's been about 6 years). I particularly remember liking Cafe Galatea, The Rainbow End, The Blue Note, and the Who'd a Thought It (great name, great pub). Glastonbury is a good place to tuck in for a night.

Have a great trip!

I'm not sure that Mompesson House, located in The Close, is open during December. However, I believe that the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum is open and considerably more intereting than it sounds. If visiting the Cathedral, you'll be inside The Close where the museum is located. The Close makes for a pleasant walk. A tour of the tower at Salisbury Cathedral is also a wonderful experience. The Cathedral is about a ten minute walk from the train station.

I won't comment on the post referrring to <I> Sarum </I> as being plodding since it would likely progress into a rant of some proportions. I'll just add that I've read all of Rutherfurd's books with the exception of <I> The Rebels of Ireland </I>.

I don't share Katie's enthusiam for Glastonbury, but differences of opinion aside, the abbey is lovely and certainly of historic interest, and there is also a small museum of some note. I'm just not convinced that it'll fit into your time frame.

historytraveler,

I think I've entirely ruled out trying to do Salisbury and Glastonbury in one day for sure. But if we devoted a whole day to Glasto and tried to get there early (say leave for Bristol around 5:30 AM-- first train from Paddington), had 6 hrs. in Glastonbury, and limited our sightseeing to the Abbey, Tor and (time permitting) Gardens, does that sound do-able? Trying to catch a 18:30 train to London from Bristol (but they run hourly until 23:00 something so if we miss it, no big deal) would have us getting on the bus in Glastonbury back to Bristol somewhere around 16:00 (which is good, roughly coincides with sundown), perhaps a little earlier if we finish up earlier. Cumbersomeness of train travel is not a deal breaker; I like being on the trains (well, in other countries I will admit) and have done it quite a bit in the past. My only concern is that we'll have enough time to see everything in Glastonbury. I think my husband is really gun-ho about the Arthurian stuff and as an amateur photographer, the setting seems hard to beat! Perhaps I am talking myself into this grueling day a little too much....?

Have you thought of taking early morning dawn or late dusk tour of Stonehenge? English Heritage can arrange one, where you go in among the stones, you have an hour to hang out. It's more expensive, but really cool.

I did a long day trip from London via train that involved a private driver (Vic of Vic's Taxi), who took us to West Kennet Longbarrow, Woodhenge, Avebury Stone Circle, Salisbury (yes, we did go in the cathedral), and then the Stonehenge dusk tour. It was very long, but very enjoyable, especially as there were a group of Viking re-enactors at Old Sarum, and we enjoyed several hours there.

I have also read the Rutherford books, and while I certainly agree they are long, and don't move quite as quickly as, say, books by Sharon Kay Penman, they are still very interesting and worth a read if you are visiting the area.

cpilgram,

While I prefer Salisbury to Glastonbury ( I spent a month in a flat just outside the Close), I understand when one has a different but still earnest interest in another place. You should have plenty of time to visit everything you wish to see in Glastonbury.

Trains, IMO, are an excellent mode of travel. I find it relaxing to leave the driving to someone else. Take along a good book and enjoy.

Isn't Castle Carey the nearest train station for Glastonbury? It was when I used to go to the festival - but my memories are a little hazy (just say no kids, just say no).

Rutherford's books make me want to stab cats. The London one is truly awful.

You should be able to cover Glastonbury Abbey, Chalice Well, climb the Tor and stroll the weirdo shops on the High Street in 3 hours. If the bus schedules work, you should also have time to stop in Wells and see the cathedral and Bishop's Palace.

historytraveler---I think actually we will still go to Salisbury but will drop another trip. We had planned on going to Tintern Abbey, due to its literary significance and overall beauty, but this trip to Glastonbury seems to have the same "feel" with a fraction of the trouble-- yeah, as annoying as it is to transfer from Bristol to bus, etc., the trip to Tintern would have been more annoying, with a longer (not by much, though) train ride and hoping to catch a bus that has a much less consistent route schedule than the one to Glastonbury. So we'll get to see both! I am assuming from everyone's enthusiasm that the cathedral is a must and also that getting the extra ticket to Old Sarum is worth it as well?

While visiting Salisbury Cathedral try to do the Tower tour and make sure you get a guided tour from one of the cathedral's guides. While I love Tinturn Abbey, Glastonbury will, as you said, have much the same feel and will be easier to do via public transportation.

Be aware that it is a bit of a walk from Salisbury to Old Sarum ( a little under two miles, I think) but you can easily hire a taxi for the short trip. If you have time in Salisbury, St. Thomas's Church ( named after St. Thomas Becket) is worth a visit and is well known for its doom painting. There's also a pleasant tea room across from St. Thomas.