Salisbury
Salisbury, built at the meeting-point of four river valleys and sheltered by downland, is one of the most beautiful cathedral cities in Britain. Lying peacefully on the fringes of Salisbury Plain, with many of its medieval structures still intact, this ancient city has witnessed centuries of English history unfold. Situated a little to the north of Salisbury is a huge circular mound of multiple earth works now known as Old Sarum; covering some 56 acres it was originally the site of an Iron Age settlement. The obvious defensive qualities of the hilltop were appreciated centuries later by the Romans, who built a fortress there calling it Sarviodunum . During the 7 th century another wave of conquerors, the Saxons, occupied the stronghold naming it Saerobyrg , meaning ‘dry town'; a 10 th century brooch, coins and domestic artefacts found on the site are displayed in Salisbury Museum. A mint was established here about 1004 during the reign of Ethelred. After the Norman Conquest in 1066 a small town grew up on the site of Old Sarum, as the new Norman occupants developed the huge defensive complex.
A royal castle was built there about 1068 and a cathedral in 1078 under the watchful instruction of Bishop Osmund, a nephew of William the Conqueror. In the Domesday Book of 1088 the town is referred to as Sarisberie, while later Normans wrote of Sarum. Early in the 13 th century it was clear that the water supply at Old Sarum was inadequate for the growing population and so it was decided to move the township south about 2 miles, to where flat extensive water meadows lay. Thus, around 1220 Salisbury or New Sarum was founded when Bishop Herbert Poore dismantled the old cathedral and established a new See at Salisbury; gradually the population followed and Old Sarum was slowly deserted. The lines of the original cathedral foundations are still visible on the hilltop, amid the grassy mounds and excavations; as a result, the vastness of Old Sarum is still evident centuries after its desertion and the sense of former glory lingers in every stone unturned.
Old Sarum was one of the so-called ‘Rotten Boroughs', abolished by the Reform Act of 1832, in which a mere 10 voters returned two MPs to Parliament. One of the MPs was the constituency's most famous representative, William Pitt the Elder (1708-78) who became Prime Minister and is commemorated by a plaque on the site, erected in 1931.
As Salisbury Cathedral was built before the town, the Church authorities had to construct houses for the clergy; these were contained within a walled square, the largest and finest cathedral close in Britain. The cathedral Close is entered through medieval gateways and many of the buildings contained within are from a similar period. Perhaps the first completed structure in Salisbury was the church of St Thomas, built in 1238, for the workmen constructing the new cathedral. The original wooden church was soon replaced with a stone built one, which was itself rebuilt in the 15 th century. Its tower and capspire is far enough away from the cathedral not to be dominated by it.
The cathedral Close contains a number of notable buildings from the 13 th century, most especially the Bishops Palace. The view of the cathedral from the palace gardens was portrayed by John Constable in a famous painting now hanging in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. In the 17 th century the palace was considered sufficiently isolated by Charles II to use for his court during the Great Plague of 1665. Today, choristers from the cathedral choir school have use of the palace. Also in the Close is the old Deanery, built between 1258-77; it still retains its original timber roof. Some private residences in the Close date from later periods, the most notable being Mompesson House, a perfect example of an early 18 th century town house. Built in 1701 by Thomas Mompesson, a wealthy Wiltshire merchant, it retains its original panelling and plasterwork, a fine example of graceful craftsmanship. The house is furnished mostly with 18 th century furniture and has a sparkling collection of 18 th century drinking glasses with over 320 pieces. Just along from the Close, near St Ann's Gate, is Malmesbury House, a town house built in 1327 and given a new interior and façade between 1640 and 1749, including some fine rococo plasterwork. In its lifetime visitors to the house have included Charles II and the composer Handel. Both the last two houses are open to the public.
Various museums are grouped around the cathedral Close. The Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, housed in the 14 th century King's House, contains part of the collection of the famous archaeologist Pitt-Rivers - Early Man, the Stonehenge Gallery, pottery from Old Sarum, a Roman mosaic pavement and a fine collection of Wedgewood and other ceramics. The nearby Wardrobe Museum is the military museum of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment; the regiment's history is told with the aid of relics, trophies and medals representing their 250 years of service to queen and country. The 13 th century house is called the Wardrobe as a result of a 14 th century bishop using it to store his clothes.
