Old Sarum, the very first incarnation of Salisbury, and the very first location in our series. It’s the first as it’s where this idea was conceived, in the summer of 2019, on a ridiculously hot day with the kids in tow. 

Revisited a year later, the feelings were still there. The texture, the huge timespans, the importance, and overarching everything, the impermanence of civilisations. Abandoned by the clergy and the monarchy in the 13th century, what remains is in bits. But you can touch it, put your hand on the stones laid by a Norman a thousand years ago and with a burst of imagination, feel the flow of that craftsman through your fingertips.

The idea behind Ambient Heritage is that you have to create at least a sketch of the music on-site. Which means sitting in the car, with a laptop, keyboard and whatever else one needs feeling faintly ridiculous as the family in the car behind argue about what to do with the dog.

It means suspending disbelief and channeling the feelings one has while walking around into creating something that does some justice to what this place used to be.

And there are, to use the awful word, learnings. Park in a remote part of the car park if you can. Ignore everyone else. Take notes, take photos and surround yourself with those. Do your homework on the history. On a hot day, you need AC in the car. Above all, try to hold on to the vibe you felt wandering around this incredible place.

2022 Update: Here’s the track: