Shaftesbury, what to see in the most beautiful rural corner of England

When planning my most recent trip through the south of england, one of the corners that most impacted me on a trip I took through that region a few years ago had a special interest.

So it was the first time I rented a house for Internet (and it worked!) to spend a family vacation with some friends in an enclave from where you could take interesting excursions and visits in the surrounding area.

The selected point turned out to be Shaftesbury, in whose vicinity we spent a week on a farm that had a rural house set up in an old shed next to the horse stable.

All very bucolic.

But what does it have Shaftesbury?

Where is Shaftesbury in the south of England

When on said trip we arrived at this very small English countryside village I didn't know anything about it.

But there we discovered one of the corners with the greatest beauty and charm. what you can see in the south of England, known as Golden Hill (Golden Hill).

Shaftesbury is located on the limit of dorset county, not far from important enclaves of tourist interest, such as Stonehenge o Salisbury.

It is the only town in the county located on top of a hill where vestiges of human settlements have been found dating back to the time of the Celts and, later, the Romans.

However Shaftesbury reached a certain importance in the time of the Saxons, during the 9th century, when the king alfred He built for his daughter what was the richest convent in all of England.

Then Shaftesbury became an important enclave as medieval market, a period from which you can still see the old market building.

What is the Golden Hill of Shaftesbury

The aforementioned Golden Hill is a charming cobblestone street which descends a steep slope from the center of the town.

The result is a beautiful print in which, with the foreground of a succession of beautiful houses originating from the 16th to 18th centuriesIn the distance you can see the Blackmore Valley.

Looking at the image that opens this post, don't tell me it's not a charming place?

I will tell you that the stone wall that extends on the right side of the street dates back to the 13th century and since then it has served as a containment for the mountain.

The best things to see when visiting Shaftesbury

Just to see this corner it is totally worth including Shaftesbury on a route through this area of ​​England.

In addition, you can enter the aforementioned old market building, better if it coincides with a market, just as happened on my recent visit.

And in front of it you have the St Peter's Church, the oldest in the town, from 1623.

And very close you can walk through the park that is located next to the remains of the old Abbey from Shaftesbury who built the king alfred, but it was closed by Henry VIII.

From viewpoints you will have excellent panoramic views of this area of ​​the dorset county.

Map: How to get to Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury It is located just under three hours southwest of London, and just over half an hour from Salisbury,