Facilities at Old Sarum

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  Parking

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  Parking charges apply to non-members. Parking free for members. The car park is situated on a slight slope on the outer bailey, approximately 200 metres from the shop and admission point. There are 30 spaces on tarmac and 30 in the grass overflow car park. Additional parking can be organised on the site if necessary (this should be arranged prior to visit). During the winter season one coach bay is available on site, or it is possible for the coach to drop off in the car park and then park in the lay-by next to the main road. During the summer season the site can accommodate four coaches, as long as the weather is dry. Unfortunately spaces cannot be booked. 

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  Food And Drink

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  There’s no café at Old Sarum, but a vending machine offers tea, coffee and hot chocolate as well as sweet and savoury snacks like crisps, flapjacks and ice creams.

  Directly opposite the site is a Harvester pub, and The Wheatsheaf (a staff favourite) can be found in the picturesque Woodford Valley, five minutes' drive from Old Sarum.

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  Picnic Area

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  Visitors are welcome to picnic anywhere on site; both the inner and outer baileys are covered in grass. A particularly lovely spot for a picnic is under the ash tree by the bottom of the bridge, where you can enjoy a bit of shade on hot days whilst admiring the view of Salisbury and the tallest spire in England.
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  Shop

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  The shop sells a wide range of gifts and souvenirs, including locally produced wines, jams and chutneys. A wide range of knight and princess dressing up items, as well as replica swords and armour, are also available. The shop is located at the top of the bridge, and can be accessed via a ramp or steps.
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  Toilets

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  There are two female toilets with a baby changing table, one disabled toilet and two male toilets. These are situated next to the car park, within Second World War bunkers set into the bank.
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  Dogs

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  Dogs are allowed in the castle on a lead and off the lead on the outer bailey, as long as they are kept under control. There are four dog bins on the outer bailey and one in the car park itself. Water bowls are available outside the shop.

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  Gardens

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  Old Sarum covers an area of approximately 29 acres of beautiful rare grass chalk-land.  There are many footpaths which criss-cross the site, with a favourite being around the outer ramparts of the site which offers walkers views of the Wiltshire countryside.  Following some scrub clearance, Old Sarum is now a great place to spot butterflies and kestrels, which are often seen hovering over the outer bailey.
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  Family Friendly

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  Baby Changing Facilities

  There are two female toilets with a baby changing table.

  Play Areas / Adventure Playground

  The outer bailey of the site is a great place to fly a kite or play ball games (although please watch out for rabbit holes). The inner bailey has more pits and steep banks meaning only games provided by English Heritage can be played in this area. Old Sarum offers lots of wide open space for children to run around and explore. In the summer there is croquet on the lawn and giant jenga, which families are welcome to play with.

  Push Chairs Allowed

  There are no restrictions on pushchairs (as long as you have the leg power!)
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  Education

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  Education

  INTERPRETATION FOR CHILDREN
  Children's quiz sheets are available on the site.

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  Commercial Photograph And Filming

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  English Heritage welcomes all photographers to our sites and we hope you will share your pictures with us on Flickr and Facebook. We do have some restrictions at certain locations, so if photography is your main reason for visiting, please call the site ahead of your visit to check if any parts of the site are restricted. We are keen to promote the use of our sites to location managers. If you are interested please go to (Filming Locations) for more information and contacts. English Heritage does not permit drone flying from or over sites in our care, except by contractors or partners undertaking flights for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent CAA criteria, have the correct insurances and permissions, and are operating under controlled conditions.