Salisbury Cathedral, Part C, Anglophile Friday

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.

 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

'Salisbury is a real peach' (quoting one who would know), but all of the cathedrals we visited are amazing works of art and architecture. It was such a privilege to see them in person.

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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