Salisbury - Geography

Geography

Salisbury is located in a valley. The geology of the area, like much of South Wiltshire and Hampshire, is largely chalk. The rivers which flow through the city have been redirected, and along with landscaping, have been used to feed into public gardens. They are popular in the summer, particularly the Queen Elizabeth Gardens, as the water there is shallow and slow-flowing enough to enter safely. Close to Queen Elizabeth Gardens are water-meadows, where the water is controlled by weirs. Because of the low-lying land, the rivers are prone to flooding particularly during the winter months. The Town Path, a walkway that links Harnham with the rest of the city, is at times impassable.

A cause of concern to the people of Salisbury is the lack of adequate roads. There is no motorway that links the ports of Southampton and Bristol meaning that all traffic must pass through the city.

Settlements and geographic features near Salisbury
Warminster 30 km Stonehenge18 km
Amesbury 15 km
Andover 25 km
Basingstoke 45 km
Wilton 5 km Winchester 30 km
Salisbury
Shaftesbury 25 km Ringwood 20 km
Bournemouth 35 km
Romsey 25 km
Southampton 30 km

There are civil airfields at Old Sarum (where the experimental aircraft the Edgley Optica was developed and tested) and at Thruxton near Andover.

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