Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire
Arguably England’s most beautiful cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral is one of the finest buildings to be found anywhere in England. The story of how it came to be built is as fascinating as the cathedral itself.
Salisbury Cathedral
Great cathedrals usually take several centuries to reach completion, with new additions being made as circumstances dictate, sometimes involving the demolition of earlier walls or sections. Their appearance today is, therefore a mish-mash of various periods and styles. However, this is not the case at Salisbury, which is unique amongst English medieval cathedrals for being constructed in the same architectural style throughout, namely that of Early English Gothic. The main building work took a mere 38 years to complete.
The Old Cathedral
There is little to be seen today of the original Salisbury Cathedral, built around 1075–92 within the earthwork now known as Old Sarum, about two miles north of the present cathedral. The first cathedral was burnt down only five days after its consecration in 1092 and the rebuilt cathedral was only completed a century later, around 1190. However, it, too, had a very short lifespan.
