Salisbury Cathedral

I stayed in Salisbury only because it was close to Stonehenge, so the cathedral was a wonderful surprise. Not part of my plan.  Of the cathedrals that I visited in England this, I thought, was the most beautiful.  It is the only one I saw that stands out by itself in a lovely green.  The others have buildings crowding around them.  When the inhabitants of Old Sarum decided to move down into the valley near the river to create Salisbury, they were able to set aside this large space for their cathedral.
It is all of a piece.  It was built in 38 years where the other cathedrals usually took more than 100 years.  Everything fits together. 
The place I stayed was, I suspect, a seminary in its day.  It was within the Cathedral Close.  There were about thirty other houses in this area.  Two large gates were locked every evening at 10:30, closing the area off from the rest of Salisbury.  I could walk over to the cathedral in a few minutes.  I especially enjoyed going over in the evening and spending some time in prayer.