Category: Events, stories from past/history
Many visitors to the Guildhall already know that Admiral Nelson dined in our grand building when he received the freedom of the City in 1800, but did you also know that he came here 215 years later?
In 2015 the Guildhall received the Admiral as part of an event by The Nelson Society in homage to his original visit.
Event organiser Ray Aldis said: “Of the 22 towns and cities that made Nelson a Freeman, Salisbury was one of the very few places that he visited in person to collect the award.”
Nelson (played by Alex Naylor) and his mistress Lady Hamilton arrived in their resplendent outfits to be greeted by the mayor before some fine dining. The two stayed in character all evening, with Nelson only eating with one hand (as the other had been shot off) and Lady Hamilton being the life of the party while drinking like a fish!
Fortunately, the building is available to all citizens nowadays not just Napoleonic War heroes (they are welcome though) and you can spend an evening dining in the very same room, The Banqueting Hall, that Nelson did for as little as £535!
