England Guide
Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire
The Close
Surrounding the cathedral is the Close, a peaceful precinct of lawns and mellow old buildings. Most of the houses have seemly Georgian facades, though some, like the Bishop's Palace and the deanery, date from the thirteenth century. Mompesson House (Easter– Oct Mon– Wed, Sat & Sun 11am–5pm; £4.70, garden only £1), built by a wealthy merchant in 1701, contains some beautifully furnished eighteenth-century rooms and a superbly carved staircase. Also in the Close is the King's House, home to the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum (Mon– Sat 10am–5pm; £5) – an absorbing account of local history. It includes a good section on Stonehenge and also focuses on the life and times of General Pitt-Rivers, the father of modern archeology, who excavated many of Wiltshire's prehistoric sites, including Avebury.