17 July 2023
Warning! Long post ahead!
Salisbury cathedral was beautiful (built in 1220 and took a mere 38 years to complete) set in its own Close, surrounded by lush grass and lovely historic buildings.
On Sunday morning we attended a church service. This was very special and I was so glad we were here on a Sunday and were able to do this. The choir sounded amazing!
We did a guided tour of the tower (steeple). This was extremely good value at $36 for a comprehensive 90 minute experience (300 steps to the top!)
We were lucky (?!) to be near the bells when they struck 12.
The ceiling is made of limestone and is 800 years old.
The roof is oak (not original).
Incredible views from the top! Note the lush countryside.
When we got back to earth we did a free tour of the cathedral with one of the volunteers.
The foundation’s of the cathedral are only 4 feet deep! It is built on a base of water and pebbles – a water meadow. The below photo shows where the water level below the cathedral can be measured (and no it’s not floating!). If the water level drops too far the Cathedral would become unstable.
This model was made by two opticians and donated to the cathedral
The bell from the HMS Salisbury was also used as a font while at sea. The names of all who were baptised are inscribed inside the bell.
The font inside the cathedral is unique. Also doubles as a water feature.
Lovely reflection from the stained glass in the font.
A couple of interesting little stories
The Magna Carta (one of them) is housed at the cathedral in the Chapter Room. Unfortunately it was not permitted to take photos of this.
This extremely old table (1200’s) was at the entrance to the Chapter House
If you visit the cathedral we highly recommend doing the tower tour. For $36pp you get the 90 minute tour plus entrance to the cathedral. Also very worthwhile to catch a free tour of the cathedral with one of the volunteers. We were there for about 5 hours (including leaving for a lunch break)
Traveling Further 