10 things to do and places to visit this February half term in Salisbury

1. Free sports roadshows

Salisbury City Council’s community activity leaders will be running multi-sport sessions from 1pm to 4pm for children aged seven to 14.

Activities include football, hockey, basketball, cricket, tchoukball and more. There is no need to book.

The sports roadshows take place on Monday February 21 at Bemerton Heath, Pinewood Way, Tuesday 22 at Harnham Recreation and Thursday 24 at Churchill Gardens.

For further information about the sessions, contact the community activity leaders at the Bemerton Heath Centre on 01722 417100, or email bhc@salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk

The FREE multisport sessions start today, providing a great way for children to be active and play a range of sports this half term. Due to logistical reasons, today's session is running at the shorter time of 1pm - 3pm, with the remaining classes running from 1pm - 4pm. https://t.co/F5AsnJN7pn

— SalisburyCityCouncil (@SalisburyCC) February 21, 2022

2. Stonehenge 

Enjoy storytelling and archaeological activities at Stonehenge.

Red-hatted story tellers will be captivating visitors every weekend with tales of Stonehenge childhood, Victorian picnickers, narrow-misses and how sleepy Salisbury Plain became home to the Airmen’s Cross.

The storytelling takes place at the monument every hour, on the hour each weekend this month.

Half term will see a new explorer quest launched, which will lead kids on an adventure around the prehistoric site, as well as the return of the forensic archaeology activity as families come face to face with the people of Stonehenge.

Facial reconstruction experts will be demonstrating how archaeological evidence and modelling clay are used to reconstruct what people looked like 4500 years ago.

Visitors can also take a trip to Old Sarum. 

Visit: english-heritage.org.uk

Picture by Andre Pattenden 

3. Wiltshire Creative 

From craft sessions to singing workshops with Wiltshire Youth Choir and Make Music sessions with Salisbury Area Young Musicians Alice Poppleton and David Garcia, there is something for all ages.

Wiltshire Youth Choir presents Come and Sing Workshop on February 21, 10am to 12pm. Get Creative – Make Music! 2022 is on February 23, 10.15am or 1.30pm.

Salisbury Art Centre presents Craft with Wiltshire Scrapstore on February 24, 10.15am to 11.00am, 11.30am to 12.15pm, and 12.45pm to 1.30pm.

Enjoy Saturday Storytime on February 26, 10.30am to 11.15am and 11.45am to 12.30pm.

On February 26, there is a new SHIFT Social at Salisbury Arts Centre.

Visit: wiltshirecreative.co.uk

4. Salisbury Group of Artists

Salisbury Group of Artists’ member, Loraine Sherlock, is exhibiting her paintings and textile work this month in the Wood Bar at Parkwood Health and Fitness Centre on London Road, Salisbury.

Each month throughout the coming year a selection of artists from the group will also have the opportunity to display their artwork, with kind permission from the Parkwood management.

For more information about the group visit: salisburygroupofartists.co.uk

5. River Bourne Community Farm 

Spend time meeting all the different birds and animals at River Bourne Community Farm in Cow Lane, Laverstock. 

The farmyard is free to visit and open to between 10am to 1pm daily, and there is no need to book. 

Read more: How River Bourne Community Farm is inspiring the next generation

Visit: riverbournecommunityfarm.org.uk

6. Boscombe Down Aviation Collection (BDAC) ​

The museum, which is located at Hangar One South on Old Sarum Airfield, has added to its collection with the arrival of an Avro 707A WZ736 and English Electric P1A WG763, which came from Manchester.

Visit: boscombedownaviationcollection.co.uk

Picture by Herbie Fatherly 

7. The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died last year, was Colonel-in-Chief of the infantry regiments of Wiltshire and then Berkshire for almost seven decades.

A new exhibition at The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum in Salisbury celebrates his commitment to the regiments through a series of amalgamations from 1953 until 2020.

It will open on Saturday February 19 and run until the end of November.

The display will include his ceremonial uniform, photographs, documents and historic artefacts showing his service to the infantrymen of Wiltshire and Berkshire from the middle of the 20th century to just a year before his death at the age of 99.

Visit: thewardrobe.org.uk

8. Munro Wright exhibition

The Glamour of Abstracts, an exhibition by Saatchi Art abstract artist Munro Wright, is at Fisherton Mill in Salisbury. 

A collection of his abstract paintings will be on display until Saturday March 12.

Munro’s abstracts are painted in French acrylics on English Winsor and Newton professional grade canvases stretched on wood frames.

Admission is free. For more visit: fishertonmill.co.uk

9. Salisbury Museum 

Discover more about the areas history at Salisbury Museum where you meet the Salisbury Giant and Hob-Nob and the Amesbury Archer. 

The museum's collection range from the archaeology of Stonehenge to fine art and fashion. 

Every Tuesday of every school holiday the museum holds a ‘Discovery Day’.

This half artist/illustrator Emily Harper will be there. Inspired by the drone photographs of ancient landmarks by photographer David Abrams, which are currently on display, Emily will be showing visitors how to create their own maps of fantastical lands with imagined features and stories of myth and legend.

Emily’s workshop will be in the museum hall. Normal museum entrance applies. Drop into Emily’s workshop anytime between 10am and 4pm on Tuesday February 22.

Picture by Emily Harper

David Abrams, a Somerset-based photographer and writer, has spent the past five years capturing images of Britain’s prehistoric monuments from the air, using flying cameras and telescopic poles.

Also read: David R Abram: Ancient Sites from the Air is one of the exhibitions currently running. 

His work captures Neolithic monuments on the Wessex chalklands to Iron Age crannogs in Hebridean lochs.

Visit: salisburymuseum.org.uk

10. Escape rooms

Salisbury has a selection of escape room challenges that teams can try out. 

Salisbury Escape Rooms has a murder mystery at the "Starboard Upton Research Laboratory" for teams to solve. 

Visit: salisburyescape.com

Live Escape Salisbury has Spectre at its venue on Castle Street and Piece of Eight puzzle chest game at its site in Cross Keys. 

Visit: live-escape.co.uk

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