Quick Facts
Tallest spire in Britain at 404 ft (123m)
30 years to build between 1220 and 1258
Has one of only four surviving copies of the Magna Carta
Has the World’s oldest working clock dating from 1386
Largest Cloister in Britain
Largest Cathedral Close in Britain
The spire weighs 6500 tonnes
Multi-Cache
This Multi-cache is only available from 7am to 11pm
A quick simple multi-cache, where the final is only a few minutes walk away
The listed coordinates should take you to the west front of the Cathedral. Stand at there and find the following answers:
A = The total number of smaller arched windows on the third row (left and right)
B = The number of marble pillars to the left of the central double doors.
C = The numbers of statues on the fourth row up, right hand side
D = The number of glazed quatrefoil windows
E = The number of statues on the fourth row, left hand side
F = The number of large arched windows in the centre
Geocache can be found at N51 03.ABC W001 47.DEF
A Brief History
Although the foundation stone for the new Cathedral was laid on 28th April 1220, the story of the Cathedral starts long before that.
Old Sarum (two miles north of the Cathedral) had been occupied since Neolithic times. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the Norman Conquest William the Conqueror used Old Sarum as a base, he appointed his nephew Osmund as Bishop of Salisbury. Osmund had a Cathedral built at Old Sarum, which was completed in 1092.
Disputes between the clergy and the Military, and scarce water supplies meant that a new site was needed for a new Cathedral. Local legend has it that the Bishop of Old Sarum shot an arrow in the direction the new Cathedral would be built, but it hit a deer which ran and died at the location of the Cathedral you see today. Bishop Richard Poore owned the land where the Cathedral is, and donated the land for the new building.
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in only 38 years. The building was paid for by donations from canons and vicars in the southeast of England.
Most of the Chilmark stone for the Cathedral came from nearby Teffont quarries.
As the area has a high water table, the foundations of the big building are only four feet deep.
The main body of the cathedral was finished by 1258 and consecrationed on 29th September 1258. By then the nave, transepts and choir were completed But the whole project also included the West Front, the Cloisters, the Chapter House, and the (now demolished) detached Bell Tower, which stood between the High Street Gate and the Cathedral. All of these were probably completed by 1266. In total, 70,000 tons of stone, 3,000 tons of timber and 450 tons of lead were used in the construction of the cathedral.
The famous spire is 404 feet (123m) high, the tallest in Britain. It weighs 6500 tonnes and is hollow. The spire has towered over the city since 1320. Although the spire is the cathedral's most impressive feature, it has proved to be troublesome. Together with the tower, it added 6,397 tons (6,500 tonnes) to the weight of the building. The large supporting pillars at the corners of the spire are seen to bend inwards by about 10 inches (25 cm) under the stress.
Salisbury is one of only three English cathedrals to lack a ring of bells, However it does strike the time every 15 minutes with bells.
The World’s oldest clock is housed in the Cathedral, it dates from 1386AD.
The best surviving copy of the Magna Carta is kept in the Chapter House. The Magna Carta, or Great Charter was signed by King John of England on 19th June 1215 at Runnymede, Surrey. Briefly, it was a document that safe guarded basic rights and placed limits on the power of the crown. Of the 63 clauses within the Magna Carta only 3 are still in force today , but it was an important document at the time, and the basis of our laws today.
Visiting the Cathedral
The Cathedral is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12pm to 4pm on Sundays. Sometimes the Cathedral is closed for special events, so please check the website if you are making a special visit.
The Chapter House containing the Magna Carta is open from 10am to 4:30pm Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays, again please check the website
http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk for more information
Wheelchair Users
As there is very limited (and costly) parking nearby I’ve put the terrain at 2.5 because of the distance you may have to travel to get to the Cathedral. Once inside the Cathedral Close the terrain is flat with no steps. The geocache is low down, so you might need help reaching it.
Parking
There is very limited parking nearby, and it can be costly, so you are better using one of the many car parks around the city. Unfortunately most of these do charge.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro@gmail.co.uk.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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