In the afternoon we return to Salisbury, to visit the Museum, in the King’s House a Grade 1 listed building, in the glorious setting of the Cathedral Close, the history of which stretches back to the 13th Century. It formerly housed a teacher training college and was the inspiration for an episode in Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude the Obscure. The main strength of the Museum rests in its archaeological collections: these include prehistoric material from South Wiltshire, including Stonehenge; the Pitt Rivers' Wessex collection; and a fine medieval collection including finds from Old Sarum, Clarendon Palace and the city itself. We then cross to the adjacent Cathedral, one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Britain. Started in 1220, it was completed by 1258, with its spire, the tallest in England (123m/404ft) added a generation later. Built to reflect the glory of God in stone and glass this majestic and awe-inspiring church has been a setting for great occasions and huge colourful processions for over 775 years. Dinner is served back at our hotel in the evening.

After a brief visit to the chalk mound of Silbury Hill, the tallest man-made prehistoric mound in Europe, we will continue to West Kennet Long Barrow, one of the largest, most impressive and most accessible Neolithic chambered tombs in Britain. Built in around 3650 BC, used for a short time as a burial chamber, nearly 50 people being buried here before the chambers were blocked. It is thought that this tomb was in use for as long as 1,000 years and at the end of this period the passage and chamber were filled to the roof by people who used Beaker pottery with earth and stones, among which were found pieces of Grooved ware and Peterborough ware, charcoal, bone tools and beads. It has been suggested that this secondary material had been collected from a nearby 'mortuary enclosure' showing that the site had been used for ritual activity long after it was used for burial. We return to the hotel where dinner is served in the evening.

This led to nine seasons of excavations that showed the site had developed from a military base at the time of the Roman invasion in 43 AD to a sumptuous Palace by the end of the first century. Between 1995 and 2002, new excavations revealed new insights into this site, and especially the area in front of the Palace. The Fishbourne Roman Museum has undergone a £3.5 million pounds Heritage Lottery funding development, including new lighting over the spectacular Roman mosaics. A brand new audio-visual with stunning computer graphics reconstructing the Palace as it was and you can handle actual Roman objects in the brand new Collections Discovery Centre. We return to the hotel where dinner is served in the evening.