Old Sarum Cathedral

Old Sarum Cathedral stands on a high hill two kilometres north of Salisbury. It was built between 1092 and 1220 as the first seat of the bishops of Salisbury. The cathedral followed the Norman style with a nave of seven bays, a crossing tower and several chapels. Six altars were arranged inside: the high altar in the presbytery, three in apsidal chapels, and two more in the nave. The site also included a royal palace built between 1130 and 1139 for King Stephen. The cathedral played a key role in early Norman England. King William I used Old Sarum as a military base after 1066. Bishops such as Saint Osmund and Roger of Salisbury enlarged and rebuilt parts of the cathedral. Conflicts with kings and archbishops often disrupted its leadership. Bishop Herbert Poore finally moved the cathedral to Salisbury in 1220 after decades of disputes. Today visitors see only the cathedral’s foundations in the north-west corner of the hilltop ruins. The remains lie within the circular outer bailey of the old fortress. The site also includes remnants of 12th- and 13th-century walls. Excavations by the Society of Antiquaries uncovered many artefacts now held by Salisbury Museum. The ruins remain a protected Grade I listed monument.