SALISBURY CATHEDRAL (GREAT BRITAIN)

SALISBURY CATHEDRAL

The cathedral in Salisbury is the most famous monument of English Gothic. Among other Gothic temples of England it stands out by its wholeness of purpose and fulfillment. It is one of the most harmonious and perfect English cathedrals.

The location of the temple is unusual: it stands not on the city’s main square, but three kilometers away from the center, in a garden, surrounded by greenery. Big unoccupied space around the cathedral makes it very well seen from all the sides. On this site called “old Sarum” as early as in the Iron Age there used to be an earthen fortification; at the time of the Roman dominion it was replaced by a stone fortress. In the period of the Saxon kings this fortress bore the name Witenagemot. In 1070, William the Conqueror turned it into one of strongholds of Norse dominion by building a castle and a bishop’s cathedral here.

The first building of the cathedral was almost completely destroyed by a very strong storm. A decision was made to build a new temple outside the castle on swampy lowland. There are several legends related to this unusual decision. They say that the cathedral was built on the place where an arrow dropped after it was shot from a bow by one of the archers from the earthwork of the old Sarum Castle. According to another version, Virgin Mary herself pointed out the place of construction to Richard Poore by coming to him in his dream, and the place where the cathedral stands is still called Mary’s Field. However, in reality it was more prosaic: according to written authorities, the army commanders had doubts concerning practical sense of constructing a big cathedral on the territory of the castle, while the clergymen stood their ground emphasizing special significance of the temple designated to become the Cathedral of the Salisbury Bishops. As a result, the temple still had to be built outside the walls of the castle, of which today only ruins are left. But the cathedral is rising up until now and throughout more than 775 years daily worship services have been held in it. It rightfully deserved the fame of one of the most beautiful medieval cathedrals in England. Its high spire can be seen from any place in the vicinity of the city.

The Salisbury Cathedral was constructed in a comparatively short time during XIII century — in 1220-1284. The construction was headed up by bishop Richard Poore and architect Elias of Dereham. Although the cathedral was dedicated in 1258, construction works continued in it for almost another thirty years. With three naves, two transepts and a very big choir, the temple is 140 meters long.

The Salisbury Cathedral does not have towers over its western façade; it is not typical for a Gothic temple; instead of towers there are not very high tents. The silhouette of the cathedral is determined by a tower crowned with a tent above the central crossing. It was built in 1313-1320, and its height is 123 meters. This tower has long ago become the world’s celebrity and is, probably, the main sight of interest of the Salisbury Cathedral. It is the highest tower in England and the highest construction of Europe of medieval time. The weight of its structure is six thousand tons, and the builders had to wreck their brains over the question how to provide for the buildings steadiness. They eventually solved this problem successfully: the tower stands to this day. It is amazing that the foundation of the tower is lowered into the ground only four feet down, which is a little over one meter! The nature here took side with the builders: a natural bed of gravel underneath the cathedral’s foundation successfully withstands the weight of the construction.

The western façade of the cathedral is low, extended sideways, and richly decorated with geometrical ornament and sculptures. In its center there is a big stained glass window. The entire surface of the façade is covered with ogee niches with statues standing in them. The originals of many of them are not preserved: a lot of sculptural monuments in England perished at the time of Reformation; they were destroyed by protestant iconoclasts. In those years especially many sculptures were broken in the Salisbury and Lincoln cathedrals and in Westminster Abbey. Today instead of the perished ancient statues their modern copies stand in the niches.

The cathedral has been many times remodeled, and not each time was successful. In 1790s, James Wyatt replaced medieval stained glass windows, demolished the bell tower and several chapels. In 1860s, new paintings of the choir were done.

The inner space of the temple is very well lit. In the rays of light rows of marble columns are shining; the stained glass windows are gleaming with bright colors. The columns and many items of the inner decoration are made of local stone — dark Purbeck marble, which is dense crystallized limestone, slightly translucent in the light of the sun. A huge cloister (an inner court surrounded by a gallery) is the biggest in England and the splendid chamber of the Chapter House, decorated with carved frieze on subjects of the Old Testament, were built next to the cathedral in 1280-1284. The Big House of the Bishop was built a little earlier; now Sunday school holds its classes in it.

In the Salisbury Cathedral many unique relics and treasures are kept, among which is a copy of the great Charter of liberties (Magna Carta) as well as an ancient works of the tower clocks that dates back to 1386. Today it is in a working condition and it is the oldest clockworks in England, if not in the whole world.

You can get detailed information about the Salisbury Cathedral on a site at the following address: http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/index.php