A heritage trail with plaques is needed (From Salisbury Journal)
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A heritage trail with plaques is needed
12:44pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in Letters
I WAS very interested in the comments from Don Cross about heritage trails in Salisbury.
I have looked at the current guides and walks in Salisbury for visitors. There is a great deal there and much of it is great, but it tends to either exist on the website or in the Tourist Information Centre.
What we don’t have in the city is an engaging, physical, heritage trail which visitors will encounter as they walk around the city.
We need informative plaques and information that helps draw them from one part of the city to another, to grab their attention with the great stories our city can tell.
That will draw them into the different attractions our city offers and will encourage them to stay for a weekend and not just a couple of hours as far too many visitors currently do.
For example the story of the beheading of the Duke of Buckingham and the carrying of his head to King Richard III in what is now the museum, where it left stains that cannot be removed, will bring visitors from the Market Place to the Cathedral Close and encourage them to visit the museum as well.
Too many of our current plaques have more information about who put them up than the events themselves. We need a Horrible Histories-style trail, not a dry and dusty one.
I agree that a broader review of tourism in the city is needed, but this cannot be carried out without resources to support it and all our councils working together. At the moment I have secured funding through the Market Place redevelopment for the start of the Heritage Trail so that is what I am pushing.
Once this is underway, if we can use it as a focal point for a broader discussion on tourism and more funding that would be great and I will push every opportunity I can.
I think the future of Salisbury will rely on a better tourist offer and we all need to work towards improving that.
RICHARD CLEWER
Wiltshire councillor St Paul'sWard, Salisbury, and chairman of Salisbury Area Board
Comments(3)
rantone
says...
2:25pm Thu 4 Oct 12
karlmarx
says...
1:06pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Why not ask them why they only stay for a couple of hours? Then act upon what you have learned rather than keep making assumptions.
IanMcL says...
1:49pm Thu 4 Oct 12
This is directly as a result of Salisbury being treated like Melksham or Chippenham or even Trollbridge, when it most certainly is not.
Another Conservative policy where the one size fits all has left Salisbury under nourished by those entrusted to polish the jewel.
I wish I had left the Salisbury District Council flag flying on the Guildhall now!