Salisbury

From the stones, follow the bridleway south along the Stonehenge Avenue — roughly 10 km of empty footpath cutting through chalk farmland, Bronze Age barrow fields, and the broad Avon valley. Old Sarum is the original Salisbury: Iron Age hillfort, Norman castle, and the first cathedral — abandoned in 1219 when the bishops walked downhill and founded the new one. Climb the outer rampart and look south: the new cathedral's spire pierces the horizon exactly 3 km away, in a clean line drawn by an 800-year-old grudge.

Tip: The outer earthworks and ramparts are free; entrance to the inner Norman motte costs £7.20 (English Heritage). Skip the motte — the photographic shot is from the southeast corner of the outer bailey, where Stonehenge Plain to the north and Salisbury spire to the south sit in the same panorama. Refill water at the small kiosk by the car park — there's nowhere else until the cathedral close.

Descend Old Sarum's outer bailey and walk Castle Road south for ~45 minutes — the spire grows from a needle to Britain's tallest (123 m) as you enter the medieval city. Approach the Close through the 14th-century High Street Gate, where the spire appears to rise from the arch itself as you pass beneath. Circle the cathedral exterior clockwise on the largest cathedral close in Britain (32 hectares) — the lawn on the north side gives the classic vertical-spire photograph the building was designed for.

Tip: Enter the Close via the High Street North Gate, not the South Gate — it's the only approach where the spire frames inside the arch. The cathedral interior is free (suggested £10 donation), and the Chapter House holds one of four surviving 1215 Magna Carta originals — if you must dip inside, the Magna Carta queue is shortest 12:00-12:30 when tour groups break for lunch. Cloister yew tree is the photographer's spot; tripods need a £5 permit but handheld is free.

Exit the Close through the High Street Gate and turn right into Butcher Row — 3 minutes on foot, past the medieval Poultry Cross. Reeve has been raising Wiltshire pasties on this row since 1929 — the steak-and-Stilton (£4.80) is the order, paired with a slice of their lardy cake (£2.20) for the climb back into the meadows. Eat it standing in Market Square by the Poultry Cross on a stone bench — that's the local move and the bench dates from 1335.

Tip: Reeve closes at 16:30 sharp and the steak pasties sell out by 14:00 on weekends — go before 13:30 if it's Saturday. Skip the Stonehenge-shaped shortbread (a tourist gimmick) for the lardy cake — it's a 200-year-old Wiltshire recipe you can't get anywhere outside the county. They prefer cash for under £5 — bring coins.

Walk west across the Close lawn, exit through Bishop's Walk Gate, cross Crane Bridge and pick up the Town Path on the south side — a raised causeway running across the water meadows toward Harnham. About 250 m west of the bridge is the exact spot John Constable painted the cathedral from in 1831 — the Avon in the foreground, dairy cattle in the meadow, the spire framed by elms. Linger here at 16:00 in summer: the sun is southwest, golden hour hits the west face of the spire, and the cows are still exactly where Constable put them.

Tip: The exact Constable viewpoint is marked by a small stone plaque on the south edge of the path, 250 m west of Crane Bridge — most tourists miss it entirely and shoot from the wrong angle. Wear waterproof shoes; even in summer the path floods after rain and the meadow grass stays sodden. The cattle are dairy and friendly but never get between a cow and her calf — they will charge.

The Mill stands at the very end of Town Path, straddling the Nadder where it joins the Avon — a 12th-century fulling mill turned riverside restaurant, with the millrace still rushing audibly under the dining-room floor. Order the wild Wiltshire trout (£24, line-caught from the same river running below your table) or the slow-cooked Wiltshire lamb shoulder (£28); both are sourced within 20 km of your plate. Average £40-50 per person with a glass of wine — and the spire view from the riverside window table at dusk is the picture you'll send home.

Tip: Reserve the riverside window table two weeks ahead — they fill nightly in summer and the inland tables don't see the spire. Order the trout (caught that morning by the kitchen) rather than the beef (sourced from further afield). Pitfall: avoid the chain restaurants clustered on High Street directly outside the North Gate — they coast on tourist traffic and serve microwaved food at premium prices. Locals walk the extra 10 minutes to Old Mill, or in town to Anokaa (Indian, Catherine Street) and Allium (modern British, Sarum College). Last train back to London Waterloo is 21:48 from Salisbury station — a 12-minute uphill walk; budget 20.