Old Sarum

Visited with my wife back in September 2014 Old Sarum dates back to 400 BC when an ironage  hillfort was built to control the intersection of two native trade paths. The Romans then occupied it and in the 6th century the Saxons took control to defend against the Marauding Vikings. The Normans then occupied the place building a Motte & Bailey castle and curtain wall  with a great Cathedral and Royal Palace which the Plantagenet's used. It lasted 300 years till the Salisbury Bishop fell out with the Wiltshire sheriff causing the removal of the church to where the present Salisbury is now. The castle was abandoned by Edward II in 1322 and Henry VIII sold it off in 1514. The Place is now owned by English Heritage.

 This is a reconstruction of Old Sarum in it's heyday which is housed in Salisbury Cathedral the picture is from Wickipedia , it gives an Idea what you will be looking at.

This is the entrance to the central Motte which you can see in the first picture, we are entering from the opposite side on the East

This the information board you see in the above photo and tells you about this part

This is the inner bailey a wide deep ditch, I did not think to get one of the outer one which I might add is imminence and not something I would want to try and cross.

The bridge crosses the bailey and through the East gate

One of the views you get what you get into the Motte. The grated hole in front would have been the well for the Castle On the right is the palace.

I never thought to do a panoramic as I came in the gate but this is from the South wall. The building over to the right is by the East Gate and the palace was directly in front. The Keep can be seen over to the left.

This part was the place the lay out can be seen to walk round.

and you can read more and see what it looked like in this artists impression

The place all it's mod cons like Loo's or Privy as they called them

and this is a privy or at least one of them. Some poor soul was lowered down in here to clean it out from time to time. Now that is  a sh*t job cor you

 These are the privy's or what is left of them

Not far away is the Kinks Great Tower

Or what is left of it

This view looks across from the palace, the privy's are on the left and the keep & Kings tower to the right.

Here we look to the East gate, the kitchen & bakehouse were to the right, you can see some walls in the photo.

If you were stood on by the Kings tower one of the things you would have seen was this, the Cathedral

This is a panoramic of that part of the castle, beyond that is the outer bailey

 You can just see this in the above photo's

it's part of the outer wall of the castle beyond that was the outer bailey

Looking through one of the arrow slits

Looking back you can see this view of the Kings tower & keep

The outer wall extended round the castle and you can walk all the way round

 You can also see the Bridge to the East gate crossing the bailey

you drive through the outer walls to park your car. Beyond you can see Old Sarum Airfield which was built in WWI and still in use today.

I'll leave you with this view from the walls on Old Sarum to the City which took it's place

Buscot Park

Buscot Park is near Faringdon in Oxfordshire and was built between 1780 & 1783 in a neoclassic stile for Edward Loveden Townsend and went through a few owners till it was bought by Alexander Henderson who became Baron Faringdon.  The house was bequeathed to the National Trust though the present Lord Farindon  lives and manages the place now. The house and gardens are open to the public during the summer. My wife & I went along for a look one Saturday

The old stable block is the entrance

and you go through this walled garden area

with blossom showing

 and statues in the corner

Through arched walkways

past ornamental ponds 

that lead you eye up water gardens

climb steps between hedges

which seem to go on forever when you look back















you even walk past the  Terracotta Soldiers

these are life sized figures 

This is the first view you get of the house as you come up from the carpark

over to the left you can see this  Geddes Hyslop Pavilion  you can see a second over to the right in the first photo

The view you get from the front of the house

 and one of the statues there

looking up at the architecture and work on the front of the house

You see this fellow and his mate at the steps leading to the entrance which is  as near as I got to taking photos inside. Unfortunately they do not allow photography in the building something the Oaf behind me could not comprehend when his wife told him, mind you he probably could not read either. What made me smile was he said he had been here before so obviously had a short memory Needless to say my wife & I distanced ourselves from him so we could enjoy our visit

There were some wonderful tree  lined avenues to see and walk along which were paved

 or grassed

This is one of the pavilions which were added

what you don't see is the swimming pool on the other side of the arch

 This avenue leads to an Obelisk

This one takes you down to the water gardens

where you walk alongside the water flowing down to the lake

 The start is this small fountain

you pass mos covered statues

who watch you go by

moss covered seats you can rest in

and the odd avenue

the water flows out here.

 Thi sis what it looks like th eother way

 Another urn and avenue

Obelisks 

gates with Sphinx 

a large obelisk 

 A guardian

who faces his mate

 Trees in flower

 Wishing wells

Back up these steps 

along the back of the house

passing this fountain

Hope you enjoyed the tour
For more information see the National Trust Website