Day 6: Salisbury and Avebury
England's tallest Spire and Stone Circles 🪨
Post by Peter Hintermaier, Neal Clinard, Tula Dababnah
Schedule: We had a grab-and-go breakfast at 7:55 am, followed by a 100-minute ride to Salisbury Cathedral. We split into two groups, each getting the chance to walk around the cathedral as well as take a private tower tour of the spire. After the tours and lunch, we set off for a hike around Avebury Stone Circle and West Kennet Long Barrow, a chambered long barrow. We finished our long day with a group dinner at a Thai restaurant in Oxford before calling it a night.
Weather: Hot (86 degrees) and sunny with an occasional breeze
Meals
Breakfast: Bananas, clementines, croissants, juice, and coffee
Lunch: Various restaurants around Salisbury (Pret, Pizza, Chicken Sandwiches)
Dinner: Thaikhun Oxford (Thai Street Food)
The Crown Jewel: The highlight of the day came with our visit to Salisbury Cathedral. We began the day earlier than usual with a long bus ride to Salisbury. Upon our arrival, Mr. Keating rushed in to collect our tickets, and we headed into the cathedral. Everyone looked on with amazement at the high, rib-vaulted ceilings and the beauty of the cathedral. We then split into two groups for our tour of the tower. The first group headed up stone spiral stairs and later wooden stairs to reach the top of the tower. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and explained much of how and why the cathedral was built, as well as its nearly 800-year history. The Salisbury Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1258, and with its spire being added in 133,0, it stands at an impressive 404 feet tall. Surprisingly, much of the building remains in its original form, with additions and modifications made over the centuries to support the structure. After climbing countless stairs, we finally reached the top of the tower and were able to go out on a small observation deck for a fantastic view of the city. We then headed back down and wrapped up our tour. While the second group finished up, we explored more of the Cathedral and saw one of the most important documents in the world. Salisbury Cathedral houses one of the four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta. It was really cool to see something that old and significant to English history and the world. We then reunited with the other group and headed to see prehistoric stone structures at Avebury Henge on our way back.
Comic Relief: Today’s funny moment happened late in the day. As a group, we all went to get Thai food. Parker decided to take on the spiciest dish on the menu, Spicy Southern Style Chicken (four peppers). Maybe it was the lack of air conditioning, or maybe it was nerves, but the spice was too much to handle. Parker was literally dripping sweat and had to get up several times to dry off. The table burst out laughing as a bead of sweat dripped on Mr. Adams as Parker returned to the table from one of his many trips to cool off. We laughed, we cried, but Parker swears he will order the dish again.
Face of the day:
Bonus Section: View from our stairwell
You can also follow along on our Instagram
What a fun day! It looks hot. 🥵 Not the best weather for crazy hot food, as poor Parker and Mr Keating learned!!