A place for quiet reflection, to listen to internal voices in the absence of those without; A place where silence outweighs sound and profound understanding is gained through internal focus on one's heart, mind and soul...Or just a big old building.

The image you see in this post was taken inside the Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. It's an impressive structure which began construction in the year 1220. It's an Anglican cathedral however also houses various artefacts dating back hundreds of years including the most intact copy (of the four original copies) of the Magna Carta dating back to 1215. The Magna Carta is a charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. Also there is one of the worlds oldest working clocks dating back to around 1386. It's an impressive building and despite being a magnet for tourists is remarkably quiet and peaceful. You can see my wife standing beside a pool which itself stands in the centre of the cathedral. You can see her reflection in the water which runs off the pool at four points. The pool was pretty awesome and relaxing in itself.

You'll also note a display of thousands of origami paper birds flying away above her head into the distance which was part of an exhibition located in the cathedral signifying peace and harmony which added a nice touch to the entire scene.

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Walking around in the near silence, surrounded by old things and hundreds of years of history made me feel small however at the same time I found it very relaxing and peaceful. We sat together for a while chatting about the Magna Carta and other historical features we found and then just lapsed into silence to soak it all in.

Looking back now I feel it was an idyllic place to think, to reflect and to seek understanding. It seemed...Separate from the rest of the world, buffered somehow and I recall it being an easy place to be. Comfortable, welcoming almost. I liked it. Of course religious people would value it for other reasons I suppose.

My wife and I are not religious and don't attend church for that reason however on our travels through the UK we went to many; Some magnificent like Salisbury and Wells Cathedrals and some simply ruins like Glastonbury Abbey however it was in Salisbury Cathedral I felt the most comfortable. We only went there to satisfy my desire to see the Magna Carta however we were pleased to spend time there and soak up the atmosphere in general and I'd recommend it to any who love history or value a reflective atmosphere. There's no entry fee but they suggest a donation of some 10 pounds per person which we were happy to pay.

[Above] A couple of internal shots showing the inside of the cathedral and one of the stone sculptures.

[Above] The information board at the entrance to the chamber where the Magna Carta is housed. The chamber is pictured to the right with the actual document being kept within a small light-protected chamber at the centre. No photography allowed inside the little chamber of course.

[Above] A shot of one of the tombs within the cathedral and the origami display above it and the right image showing my wife standing in the aisle between the impressive arches. Obviously my photos could never do it justice like being there in real life does.

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Translation of the Magna Carta is above but you will do better by going here here to read it.

The medieval cathedral city of Salisbury lies in the southern-eastern country of Wiltshire only 14 kilometres from the prehistoric stone circle of Stonehenge. IT's a bustling little place with several interesting things to see including the 13th century cathedral with its 123m tall spire. We stayed for the day enjoying lunch at one of the bakeries after visiting the cathedral and Mompesson House as well. I think one could easily spend a couple of days there to explore a little further and maybe take a tour out to Stonehenge as well.

So thanks for reading and I hope you found something of interest to research more or maybe even this post may put Salisbury on your hit list of places to go.