Wherever you’re thinking of taking a day trip to from Salisbury, a good place to begin is Old Sarum because that, as not too many people know, happens to be Salisbury’s original name.

In fact, before you go off looking for interesting places to visit, you really ought to start with the iron age fort that took shape around 400 BC on a hill about two miles north of today’s Salisbury.

That same site then saw Romans, Saxons, a Norman castle and the royal palace of King Henry 1^st, so if you were a time traveller, you could have witnessed quite a bit of history being made.  

Of course, before any of that happened, the first version of Stonehenge was already approximately 3000 years old…

Stonehenge

With Old Sarum as your starting point, the enigmatic, pre-historic stone circle of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain has to be top of your list of places to visit.

Enigmatic, simply because nobody knows why anyone would want to transport huge stones weighing 25 tons or more 150 miles from the Preseli Hills in Wales to this draughty site close to the A303. 

Was this a religious site? An astronomical observatory? A ‘computer’ for predicting lunar and solar eclipses? No one knows for sure.

Bath

The Romans were fond of their bath times, and it’s easy to see why with a trip to this Somerset spa town, which became hugely popular in Georgian times and still is, with more than 6 million visitors annually.

After the Romans built a temple on the site around 900 years ago, they followed it with a bathing complex that gradually took shape over the original baths’ main spring.

The Roman baths are still amazingly well preserved, holding 1,170,000 litres of steaming spring water reaching 46°C. Explore to discover historic Roman changing rooms and tepid plunge pools. Also worth a visit is the interactive museum.

New Forest

Hampshire’s New Forest is like stepping into another kind of world. A national park and area of outstanding natural beauty, its ancient woodlands, wetlands, bogs and open heathlands inspire a genuine sense of unspoilt wildness and peace.

And what’s this? A wild pig? Running freely with ponies, cattle and deer? Yes, but this is hardly a ‘new’ forest. William the Conqueror hunted here in the old days. You can almost imagine him appearing from a leafy glade. It’s that kind of place. 

Bournemouth

Feel like a day at the beach? (There are 7 long miles of it here.) A stroll on the pier? An amazing chance to see sharks, stingrays, eels, and a turtle swim over your head in the Oceanarium. Or you could climb into the cockpit of a jet and play with the controls at the Aviation Museum.  

This is a proper seaside town with the kind of attractions you’d expect, and just a short trip from Salisbury. By far the best and easiest way to get there is on the bus!

Portsmouth

For anyone who loves naval history and maritime heritage, Portsmouth awaits. Nelson’s magnificent 104-gun wooden warship, HMS Victory, is a truly breathtaking sight up close, and a short stroll from the interactive National Museum of the Royal Navy.

There’s also Henry Vlll’s favourite ship, The Mary Rose; a time capsule of Tudor life with over 19,000 genuine Tudor artefacts on display. Visit the D-Day Museum, a Sea Life Centre, or dive into the submarine museum (it’s inside a real submarine). Salisbury to Portsmouth direct by train takes just an hour and a quarter.

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There’s plenty to see in and around Salisbury and you’re perfectly placed at Finch House for stunning days out. Finch House is conveniently located close to the centre of Salisbury, just an 8 minute drive or 19 minute walk from the town centre.