Salisbury Cathedral is widely regarded as the country’s finest medieval cathedral, with its tallest spire at 404 ft. It also boasts Europe’s oldest working clock, dating from about 1386. But of course it's another of its proud posessions – the best of only four surviving copies of the Magna Carta, signed by King John 800 years ago this month – for which the cathedral is most famous.

The cathedral is set in one of the most beautiful and, at 80 acres, certainly the largest close in the UK. Its buildings offer a wide variety of architectural styles, from medieval and Elizabethan to Georgian and Victorian.

One of the most attractive aspects of living in the Close is that you get the best of both worlds – a bit of town and a bit of country. The Close sits within immediate proximity of Salisbury’s shops and restaurants and, if you’re on the west side, you also have wonderful views over Constable’s water-meadows.

Houses within striking distance of the Close start at around £850,000. There is also one building that has been divided into flats fronting onto the green that provides a smaller more affordable option.