Site of Old Sarum
from English Heritage
(Site of the original cathedral)
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight I fear
Could not follow it to... the heart of the deer.
And where the deer we saw 'twas kilt,
We knew the cathedral must be built. *
Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
In case you missed them, Salisbury Cathedral, Part A contains photos of the exterior of Salisbury Cathedral. Salisbury Cathedral, Part B is of the beautiful interior.
One of the treasures of Salisbury Cathedral is this medieval clock, above. It is thought that the same builders that made this clock may also have built the clock at Wells Cathedral.
From the Plaque Behind the Clock:
This clock was made in or before 1386 and was originally located in a separate Bell Tower (demolished 1792) just to the north of the Cathedral. It is probably the oldest working clock in existence - and like all clocks of that date had no face but struck the hour on a bell (now located in the Cathedral roof space.)
In 1956 it was repaired and restored to its original condition by The Friends of Salisbury Cathedral and set up here.
In 1956 it was repaired and restored to its original condition by The Friends of Salisbury Cathedral and set up here.
Tomb of Giles De Bridport
This is a sampling of tombs found in Salisbury Cathedral.
Tomb of Walter De La Wyle
Tomb of Edward Seymour
Tomb of Simon of Ghent
Tomb of William Longespee, Earl of Salisbury
d. 1226
William Longespee, a half brother of King John, was the first person to be buried in this cathedral. He was present when the foundations for the cathedral were laid and was an adviser when the Magna Carta was being drawn up.
Unidentified Tomb, possibly of Bishop Roger, North Wall
There's another tomb, supposedly also of Bishop Roger, AKA Roger le Poer,
in the South Aisle. Seems there's some uncertainty here.
A model of the building of the cathedral stands
against the north wall.
So where does Old Sarum fit into all this?
Old Sarum, meaning 'fortress by a gentle river' was situated on a hilltop a couple miles from present day Salisbury. As you can see from the first picture in this post, the iron age fort was shared by a cathedral and the military. There seemed to be frequent disagreements between the clergy and the military, and it was decided to move the cathedral to another location. The Dean of Old Sarum, Richard Poore, chose to build on 80 acres that were owned by him and his brother, Herbert, Bishop of Salisbury 1194-1217, after the Pope granted permission to build in a more favorable location.
*So, contrary to legend that Richard 'shot an arrow into the air' to determine where to build the new cathedral, it just ain't so. Legend also says that when they found the arrow, two miles away as the crow (or arrow) flies, it was in the side of a deer. They must have had GPS on that arrow. Who comes up with this stuff anyway?
The Refectory
A nice place for a bite to eat
when you're finished touring the cathedral
A Room With A View
And just because I think it's interesting: Westminster Abbey is neither a cathedral nor a parish church. It is a 'Royal Peculiar,' under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Queen and not to an archbishop or bishop.
Linking to:
InSPIREd Sunday
Mosaic Monday
***
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Morning Judy!! That clock is so cool! I learn something every day. I though Westminster Abbey was a cathedral. Pics are great. Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures!! Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeletethat is a far piece back in history for sure. in the first shot from the air, i see what looks like a mote around it. is that what it is?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you ahve read a book called Sarum, most interesting on the history of this area.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post; the clock is most intriguing!
ReplyDeleteMy darling Judy every post of yours about the Salisbury Cathedral is more stunning than the previous one, I'm feeling in awe, speechless and breathless, especially after having watched the photographs of the ancient tombs and of the clock mechanism, it's truly gorgeous !
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing all this, sending blessings on the end of your week
hugs and love to you
Daniela
An interesting and educational post, and your photos are amazing.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! Thanks for the history and lovely pictures.
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ReplyDeleteVery interesting
when I was in Dubrovnik Croatia last October I went in an old cathedral built 295 AD and it had one burial tomb in it. This was in a mid evil built village. It was built just for this man's tomb however the village killed him because he was an evil ruler and used it for the town's catholic cathedral
It's amazing how they built such large mid evil building back then
Judy, I wondered how long a tour of the cathedral would take. Such beauty. It's amazing to me. I often wonder about how many years a building like that would take to complete .Blessings for a great weekend, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteOh, Judy, what an amazing post with fabulous photos! I am amazed at the model of how it was built and even at the "legend" of arrow. Yes, where do they come up with them!? Your posts are so amazing, and I know my husband will love it as well (being a history buff and loving architecture). Thanks for stopping by my blog today and leaving a nice comment. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteJudy, I've enjoyed the tour. We have seen those types of tombs in Europe, and I find it so interesting to see the sculpture on the top. Curious.
ReplyDeleteJudy, thank you for showing the interesting model of the building of the cathedral. I am awe struck by such accomplishments with simple tools! The clock is a masterpiece, that is quite amazing! I get goosebumps thinking about how old this magnificent architecture is and that it still survives! ♥
ReplyDeletesome great old stone. the tombs are always a bit weird for me. :)
ReplyDeleteAlways amazing to think how things were constructed during such simple times.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for posting all these wonderful pictures. My husband and I especially enjoyed reading the descriptions at each tomb. We really appreciate seeing these as I doubt we would ever be able to travel over the pond.
ReplyDeleteJudy, I always love Anglophile Fridays. I still recall the feeling I got from standing in ancient buildings or on ancient cobblestones. Living in a town that's been here perhaps 150 years, I'm dazzled by "ancient."
ReplyDeleteMy hubby sure wants to visit England. sigh.
ReplyDelete(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
So much interesting stuff here. I did not know that about Westminster Abbey. Fascinating picture of the building of cathedral. What a lot of manpower, today replaced by machinery. Makes me want to go back and read English history.
ReplyDeleteI love all the history that one finds in these places..Your pictures are wonderful..Love the building of the Cathedral..Took a long time and a lot of men in those days..Probably built a lot better as well..Have a nice weekend, Judy.
ReplyDeleteWow , what an AMAZING place , thanks for sharing . Have a great weekend ~ Angela
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing post and I loved reading all this history and seeing your amazing photos. Thanks for sharing. Also thank you for stopping by and visiting my tour to the Magnolia Market.
ReplyDeleteHave a great rest of the weekend. xo
Another great post, I enjoyed all your photo's.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read about Old Sarum too, thank you.
All the best Jan
This was a great series with wonderful pictures and interestig information!
ReplyDeletei love the gears & that see through roof ... that is too awesome! ( :
ReplyDeleteSuperb post on the Cathedral, it certainly has some tomb effigies though some look like they have been damaged. Very good view of Old Sarum, did you visit the place as well. I wrote a blog on it http://graveplace.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/old-sarum-cathederal.html
ReplyDeleteIt was good that you managed to capture some of the people influential with its construction. Pleased you enjoyed your trip there.
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