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Instead, he returned home with Lot 15 - 30 acres of Wiltshire farmland which included an 'ancient, mysterious including how to see Stonehenge for free) In 2018 a letter written by Chubb was found in a book in Wiltshire Stonehenge was handed to the nation via a deed of gift - Sir Cecil thanks the former president of the Wiltshire He wrote: "The numerous letters I have received, among them being some from great Wiltshiremen show me

festival, not just with re-enactors, this is a fun way to spend a vintage weekend in the beautiful Wiltshire

Like most British towns, Salisbury is filled with the same chain stores which you can find in every town across the UK or the rest of the world. Fast food places, coffee shops, clothing brands, giant supermarkets that feel the need to take over even the smallest of corner shops, Salisbury has them all. However, scratch the surface and you will find some locally owned shops where you can buy food, goods and souvenirs, and ensure that your tourist pounds benefit the local community, not the tax dodging multi-nationals. Food and Drink Food is the one area where it is hard to buy local with ease - the town is just crying out for a traditional grocers shop. There are ways around it, but they do involve some planning. Salisbury's Charter Market, which has been twice a week in the market square for early 800 years, is every Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Here you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese, meat, fish, cakes, condiments and a lot more. On the third Wednesday of every month is the Farmers and Artisans Market, by the Poultry Cross from 9am - 2pm. Here you will find a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, organic meats and more. The Happy Fruiters are a greengrocers who trade at the market, but who also run a delivery service. You can order online for next day delivery - there is a huge variety of choice and their prices are excellent. They also donate much of their produce to a local charity which feeds the homeless of the area - this a local business which is well worth supporting. Pritchetts are a locally owned butchers, who have been trading in Salisbury since 1868. Originally one of many, it is now the only butchers left in town. You can find them at the markets, but they also have their original shop, which is in Fish Row in the centre of town. Salisbury has some farmshops, although they are not central and you will need transport to get to them. Britford Farm Shop is the closest - set in a pretty spot to the south of town, there is a farm shop and restaurant. Bird & Carter are to the north of the town - they do vegetable boxes, meats, delicatessen, store cupboard items and pre-prepared meals. There is only one Pick Your Own farm in the area which is in the village of Ansty, 13 miles outside Salisbury. Ansty PYO has a farm shop, but you can also pick your own from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, depending on what is in season. Well Natural in Catherine Street is a good place to buy healthy and organic staples such as flour, cereals, condiments and chilled foods, as well as finding vegan/gluten free alternatives. You can order online for click and collect or for delivery. Zero Waste is a new phenomenon in Salisbury, and a very welcome addition. Blueberry Den offer staples such as household cleaning products, food and more. You can order online and receive deliveries to your front door where they will refill existing containers, or you can go to their shop in Winchester Street and refill your bottles yourself. For beer lovers, try Dark Revolution who brew beer in Salisbury. You can collect direct from the brewery, you can get same day shipping or if you want delivery on a Friday, they deliver within the local area on an Eco bike. Souvenirs Many visitors to a place want to take home little souvenirs to remind them of their travels. If you are looking for traditional souvenirs, such as Salisbury themed tea towels/bookmarks/pictures etc, then Hardings at 56 Salisbury High Street is the place to go. They have a wide range of goods on offer, as well as a Post Office at the back of the shop, and they also have some great stuff for kids. If you are looking for something more esoteric, then try somewhere like the Phoenix Emporium on Tollgate Road. Just a ten minute walk from the centre of town, this is a large warehouse filled with many different small retail outlets, most of which sell vintage products as well as hand made goods such as candles and cards. It is easy to spend a long time here as there is just so much to look at, and there is also a café on site for coffees and light bites. Other Independent Shops in Salisbury For all other purchases, you are likely to be able to find an independent shop which can supply it. Most of these shops are either in Fisherton Street or on Winchester Street, but there are others dotted around the town. Salisbury Indies has a full directory of what is on offer and where you can find them. Visiting Salisbury? Our Salisbury City Guide is packed with information on places to visit, day trips to take, where to eat and stay locally, kids activities, walks, sporting activities and more.

exploring the places that no one else goes, today I went on a free Round the Bend tour in Tisbury, Wiltshire Wessex Water are the suppliers of water for much of the south-west of the UK covering parts of Wiltshire

in storage across three sites in the UK while they wait for a new site to be built near Larkhill in Wiltshire

‘Salisbury, which receives . . . all the waters of Wiltshire' has suffered five times its usual mortality

Traveller, artist, antiquarian and owner of the magnificent Stourhead estate in west Wiltshire, he is primarily remembered for his work as a Wiltshire archaeologist. tours of Europe were followed by explorations across England and Wales, ending with his own county of Wiltshire His seminal work was The Ancient History of Wiltshire, written between 1810 - 1821, which played a critical

The Haunch of Venison is something of a Salisbury institution, dating back to at least the 15th century. It has a striking medieval half-timbered exterior and inside you will find fascinating features such as marble floor tiles from the cathedral, a rare horsebox bar known as the Ladies Snug, a pewter bar counter which is one of only six in the country and a wooden arch with spirit taps dating from 1909. Visitors arrive from across the globe to drink in its old world atmosphere: the uneven floors, wood panelled walls, low beams and huge stone fireplaces feel like taking a step back in time. Local author, Ruby Vitorino, has written a book about the pub which was published in August 2022. She kindly agreed to write an article for Slow Travel about its fascinating history. My book, ‘The Haunch of Venison, Salisbury. An A-Z History’, came about because I fell in love with the place on my very first visit to Salisbury, and realised that not very much had been written about its history. I wanted to find out, and started to research it - that was ten years ago now. The Haunch of Venison is one of the places which tourists love to visit after Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. It really is like going back in time, and it’s a very friendly place where the locals will happily chat to visitors. It seems that one of attractions of the Haunch of Venison is the story of the mummified hand found bricked up in the fireplace. A landlord of the pub before World War I wrote that it had been severed by a butcher’s cleaver, from a cheating card player. I discovered that the mummified hand was more likely to have been a ‘hand of glory’, cut from a hanged felon at the nearby execution site and walled up in the fire place to ward off witches who might try to come down the chimney. The hands of hanged men were said to have magical properties. I visited the pub with a friend who is a trained medium because I wanted to see if she could pick up anything in the Haunch, and she sensed a young fellow with red hair and acne, near the place where the hand was found - amongst other things. There were a lot of other ‘magical’ objects found hidden in the Haunch of Venison. The proper term is apotropaic. The old innkeepers seem to have been very superstitious, and very worried about witches! Over the years spent researching the book, I spoke to many former members of staff, including those who had slept in the building, and I always asked them if they had seen any ghosts. I ended up with quite a collection of ghost stories! I found it very convincing, as I could see that the people were very genuine and truly believed that they had experienced something. They were clearly not making it up. Some of the stories were curious - for example a former customer, who claimed to be psychic, was almost apologetic when he told me that the bar was haunted by a small dog. I had found out that in the 1920s, the landlords had several small dogs as ratters (the rats were attracted by the meat in Butchers Row), but I don’t know how that man would know that; it’s not common knowledge. But it’s not just the macabre and the spooky which interest visitors. American tourists, especially, are fascinated by the story of General Eisenhower meeting with Churchill in the Haunch of Venison, to discuss D Day. I found out that Churchill knew Salisbury well, and had most probably already enjoyed a drink or two in the Haunch before the war. He planned the D Day landings with Eisenhower at nearby Wilton House, and it is inconceivable that he wouldn’t have shown him Salisbury, with its famous cathedral, and offered him a drink at Salisbury’s quaintest pub -The Haunch of Venison. The pub has some small private bars, including a strange secret bar, which is rarely open to the public, as it is very small. It means that the Haunch would have been perfect, security wise. There was an issue with security when two of JFK’s sisters visited the Haunch of Venison for lunch, in the 1970s. They had some burly ‘protection’ with them who were wearing guns and scaring the other customers. The then landlady, Kate Jakeman, insisted that they take the guns off, and put them in the safe. She was such a strong personality that the security guards obeyed! The Kennedy sisters weren’t the only celebrities who have visited pub over the years, previous staff have had lots of anecdotes to tell…but you’ll have to read the book to find out more. The book is available online from the Haunch of Venison website, as well as from the Rocketship bookshop and Fisherton Mill, Salisbury. (Photo of Ruby © Salisbury Journal)

out, there is still time to get tickets for what promises to be a fantastic week of history in the Wiltshire The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival takes place at Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire

surprise as the majority of Stonehenge finds are in the British Museum, the Salisbury Museum and the Wiltshire

After a two year hiatus, the annual festival of flowers has returned to Salisbury Cathedral in a glorious celebration of both 800 years since the foundation of the cathedral and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, with floral arrangements filling the aisles in a profusion of colour, sound and scent. On for only one week, it really is a spectacular way to see this already incredible building. The Flower Festival has always been a much anticipated event in the cathedral calendar, and after a long wait it has finally returned. 2020 was the 800 year anniversary of the cathedral's foundation and although the events of that year were unable to go ahead, they have been incorporated into this year's festival, which also commemorates the Queen's Jubilee. The overall theme is one of celebration, as well as recognition of what people have been through over the past two years. Over 450 flower arrangers have been hard at work setting up their displays in the cathedral, under the supervision of professional florists. Arrangers have come from across the region - churches within the diocese, flower clubs across the south west, colleges and individuals, who have used over 30,000 blooms between them. The local community has also been involved, with 400 hearts hanging from the ceiling, made under the direction of the cathedral's Education Department. Visitors to the cathedral over the Easter holidays were able to decorate the hearts, with others created by community groups in care homes, day care centres and art groups. The result is an impressive feast for the eyes. Entry to the cathedral is on the western end of the nave, and the first thing you see as you enter is the hundreds of pastel hearts hanging down from the vaulted ceiling, complemented by three broken arches of pale pink roses, eucalyptus leaves and luscious, fresh greenery. Interspersed with the arches are more traditional arrangements on single pedestals; pink, purple and orange peonies, roses and ferns. The hearts and colours reflect in the still water of the central font, creating a multi layered depth to the whole scene. The effect is of a subtle, soft-hued opulence of springtime. In front of the huge doors at the West end is a section called 'The Royal Nursery'. Here we see a pale yellow muslin hanging down from the ceiling over a child sized bed, with a pillow and blanket of yellow and white flowers: tight little yellow rose buds and furry white grasses which look soft enough to sleep under, ornamented with an old teddy bear, dolls and a rocking horse. This is in homage to the Queen, whose London nursery in 1926 was decorated in yellows instead of the traditional pinks and blues. The royal theme is continued up the quire, with the pièce de résistance at the high altar - a magnificent display of the Queen's Coronation robe flowing down the steps. This richly coloured purple robe is made entirely of plants; Pampas and Laguras grass, gilded ruscus for the gold trimmings and ferns. It is a stunning display and hard to believe that it is made from flowers. It is surrounded by white flower arrangements of lilies and large cardoon leaves to represent the work of Constance Spry, who arranged the flowers in Westminster Abbey and along the processional route for the Coronation in 1953. The entrances to either side of the quire is through a rainbow arch of flowers - one in recognition of the work of the NHS over the past two years, the other as a symbol of inclusivity. Once through the arches there are further arrangements down the sides. Some displays reflect the Commonwealth, with a huge, vibrant display of flowers from across the globe, with striking orange Bird of Paradise flowers intermingled amongst vivid purples, reds and yellows. Not all displays are large, as on the other quire aisle are some petite arrangements, representing the construction of the cathedral. Old window frames found in the Works Yard have been repurposed with panels of flowers, and a piece of medieval stone from the Hungerford Chantry which was demolished in the 18th century has been decorated with small, tightly packed flowers to represent floral embroidery. Carnations fill lead shapes which were specially made for the festival and which represent the lead roof of the cathedral, and there are panels of bright glass interspersed amongst other displays to represent the stained glass which fills the windows. In the Trinity Chapel, behind the High Altar, is a large turquoise frame filled with hanging glass vases, each containing a different posy. Suspended with garden twine over moss and mirrors, this installation is intended to encourage people to pause, to appreciate the importance of spending time in thought and mindfulness, a lesson we all learnt during Lockdown and not one that should be abandoned now that the world is returning to normality. Next to it, Bishop Osmund's tomb is covered with a display which recreates the bejewelled golden canopy which once covered his tomb until it was destroyed during the Reformation. Both of the transepts have been put to good use for the festival. The floor of the south transept is covered with hundreds of jam jars, each filled with colourful wildflowers and grasses chosen for their popularity with pollinators; poppies, foxgloves, marigolds and grasses. These represent the Coronation Meadows which are currently growing outside the Tower of London and also reflect the environmental theme of the festival. Amongst the jam jars, which flow in curvy drifts, are little wooden butterflies and straw beehives, which hide discreet speakers. The air is filled with the sound of chirping birds and buzzing insects, bringing the outside in and showing the cathedral's commitment to NoMowMay, an initiative to encourage people to let their lawns run wild to encourage insect life. In the North Transept there are twice daily demonstrations of flower arranging, where you can sit and watch the experts at work while listening to live music. It is a very soothing way to spend some time; listening to two excellent musicians on piano and violin while watching people who can transform an empty jar into a coordinated and impressive arrangement. They made it look so easy, which I'm sure it is not. Down the aisles of the nave are further arrangements, including some wonderfully quirky ones for the theme of Celebrating British Culture. A punk with a flowery mohican is next to a maypole, a recreation of a Beatles album cover competes with a Banksy and a traditional afternoon tea. Outside in the Cloisters are further displays. Brightly coloured flowers hang from the arches to represent the four seasons, while nearby is an arrangement of yellow sunflowers and blue delphiniums to remind us of the people in Ukraine. Other installations focus on recycling, with flowers growing out of cheerfully repurposed containers, while on the west cloister we see the liturgical year represented, with Christmas, Easter and other significant events in the church's calendar portrayed through flowers. In the middle of the Cloisters on the grass under the magnificent cedar trees, are two metal sculptures of deer, nibbling at flowers. They look completely at home and I do hope the cathedral keeps them there long after the festival has finished. The whole festival is a wonderful, life-affirming display of beauty, creativity and whimsy. It must be incredibly hard to organise so many different people who all have to work against time to create something so spectacular before it fades and withers. Even the programmes were printed the day before the event so that the photographs were accurate. It is an impressive achievement and one which cannot fail to put a smile on visitors' faces. See the cathedral website for details of the next flower festival

Salisbury was once one of the major trading centres of England for wool produced from the resident Wiltshire

At the Chalke Valley History Festival today, former World War II SAS veteran talked about his experiences in World War II and his horror at the current war in Ukraine. Jack Mann is the only remaining member of the LRDG, the Long Range Desert Group which was formed in 1940, a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army and disbanded in 1945. He later joined both the SAS and the SBS and gave lectures to the SOE in a varied military career which he started to ‘do his bit’. With such a distinguished career under his belt he is now an honoured member of the Special Forces Club, ‘the only club you can’t buy your way into’, and the only living person to have a bust sculpted of him for display in the club. Although he has previously been reluctant to discuss his wartime experiences, this is his fifth such talk this year: at the age of 96 perhaps thinking that the time is right, although he has previously collaborated with historical authors such as Saul David and Damien Lewis on their books about the Special Forces. His talk at the Chalke Valley History Festival was a conversation with historian Paul Beaver, who encouraged the memories to flow. Jack was born in Cairo in 1925, just two days after his father died. His father was a dentist of 34 years old, who was treated for a spot on his nose but within 24 hours had died of blood poisoning leaving behind his pregnant wife and two small children of 4 and 2, “all dead now”, he said, “I’m the only one left”. After about a year in Cairo the family moved to France, returning to Cairo when his aunt died and his mother married her widower. His step-father had a farm with ducks, chickens, geese and turkeys and Jack described it as a good life. When he was nearly 17 he signed up with the British Army, not liking what he saw going on in Germany and Italy, and was initially assigned to the Royal Signal Corps. He was trained as a radio operator, learning Morse code which he could soon do at 16 words a minute. The Intelligence Corps heard he spoke Italian and assigned him to go into an Italian prisoner of war camp to gather intelligence. Jack refused, saying his Italian was not good enough and that he didn’t join up to end up in a POW camp - he joined to attack the enemy. An hour later they found him another job, as a radio operator with LRDG. Based in North Africa, the LRDG were experts in desert navigation, covert reconnaissance and missions behind enemy lines. They worked alongside the SAS, who nicknamed them the ‘taxi service’, using them to help transport them across the desert. In 1943, Jack transferred to the SAS, undergoing further training courses, including a parachute course in Palestine. Usually a lengthy course, during the war it was just 9 days because that was the only time they could spare. The training included jumping out of a truck at 20 miles an hour and jumping off the top of a ladder, about 5 metres high, without a harness. “That’s quite high actually”, said the astonished interviewer. “Yes “,” Jack replied dryly, “that’s what we thought.” Jack later transferred to the SBS when they needed a radio operator for George Jellicoe, son of the famous Admiral Jellicoe who commanded the British Navy at the Battle of Jutland. He spent a lot of time in the occupied Greek islands, acquiring more language skills along the way. He described how hungry the inhabitants always were, having to sacrifice most of their food to the occupying Germans. He said they would rub their tummies to show hunger, but Jack said it was easy to see it in their faces. Sometimes he would help them, using dynamite to fish, shooting animals or even sometimes using grenades to kill the prey, which was rarely successful. Jack said he is very upset because of the terrible war in Ukraine. When he came out of the army he thought he would never see another war but there’s wars everywhere and Ukraine is the very worst of them. He finds it very upsetting - Russians attacking a neighbour and fighting fellow Russians. Paul asked, “Did you enjoy the war, was it exciting?” “No”, he replied, he joined to do his bit, nothing more. There was nothing exciting about it, but he was happy with the lads who were with him. They made an association after the war and met up, when they were together they were always happy, getting up to mischief. "They’re all gone now." It’s always a privilege to hear veterans and the Chalke Valley History Festival is one of the best places to hear them speak, a far better experience than just reading articles about them. It reminds you that history is more than a series of disconnected events that happened in the past, but that it had a real impact on the lives of those still living. Read more about the Chalke Valley History Festival 2022 >>

As one of England’s medieval cities, Salisbury in Wiltshire is an ideal destination for culture enthusiasts The ram, a traditional breed of Wiltshire Horn, fell into a state of disrepair over the years and the

Located in the midst of all the railway heritage of Swindon in northern Wiltshire, it is thought to be