The original container was taken sometime between August 17th and August 23rd 2003. I replaced it on August 25th.
The foundation stone of The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury was laid in 1220, and the cathedral was dedicated in 1258. Originally the cathedral had no tower or spire, but there was a free-standing belltower nearby. The tower and the world-famous spire, which is the tallest medieval spire in Europe at 404 feet (128 metres), were added around 1300 to 1320.
The original city and cathedral of Salisbury were at Old Sarum, just north of the present city. There was friction between the military in the city and the clergy, however, and this led eventually to the building of the new cathedral on the present site. There is a story, probably apocryphal, that the site for the new cathedral was chosen by having an archer fire an arrow from Old Sarum, and the cathedral was built where the arrow landed. The distance by GPSr is 1.95 miles (3.14 kilometres)!
You can find more information about the Cathedral here and about the city here.
Please note that most on-street parking in the city is now either residents only or pay parking. The pay meters are not always very conspicuous, and the wardens are zealous. The best option is probably a paying car park, of which there are quite a few within easy walking distance.
The approach to this cache from all the nearest car parks is level, and suitable for pushchairs, buggies and wheelchairs. There is plenty of open space in the close for children and dogs, but dogs must be kept on the lead. Refreshments are available in the cathedral.
The container is a 35mm film canister. Please take your own pen or pencil. As I've said, the location is very heavily visited, and the main difficulty in finding the cache could be searching without attracting attention. You may well need the clue in order to avoid collecting an audience!
Please take care when removing and replacing this cache, as the hiding place is becoming damaged.
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If you would like to have a say in the future of caching in the UK,
please visit the Geocaching Association of Great Britain
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