Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral | ||
---|---|---|
Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Salisbury | ||
Canon Treasurer Kenneth Padley | | |
Laity | ||
Organist(s) | David Halls, John Challenger | |
Chapter clerk | Jackie Molnar | |
Lay member(s) of chapter | Nigel Salisbury Tim Daykin Sue Groom Jonathan Leigh Lucinda Herklots |
Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury.
The building is regarded as one of the leading examples of
History
Salisbury became the seat of a bishop in 1075. At the time, the city was at the now-abandoned site of Old Sarum, on a hill about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the present-day cathedral. Old Sarum Cathedral was built in the years after and was consecrated in 1092.
In 1197, bishop Herbert Poore sought permission to re-site the cathedral, possibly due to deteriorating relations between the clergy and the military at Old Sarum.[7][8] Permission was granted but the move was delayed repeatedly until the tenure of his successor and brother Richard Poore.[9] A legend tells that Bishop Poore shot an arrow in the direction he would build the cathedral; the arrow hit a deer, which died in the place where Salisbury Cathedral is now.[A]
Construction was paid for by donations, principally from the canons and vicars of southeast England, who were asked to contribute a fixed annual sum until the building was completed.
The only major sections begun later were the
In the 17th century, Christopher Wren designed restoration measures to strengthen the central pillars, which by then had visibly deformed under the weight of the tower and spire.[21] Significant changes to the cathedral were made by the architect James Wyatt in 1790, including the replacement of the original rood screen and demolition of a bell tower which stood about 320 feet (98 m) northwest of the main building.
21st century
In February 2016, the cathedral chapter placed Sophie Ryder's sculpture The Kiss (of a pair of hands) straddling a path on the grounds where it was to remain until July. After only a few days, the work had to be moved, as pedestrians kept bumping into it while texting.[22]
On 25 October 2018, there was an attempted theft of the cathedral's copy of Magna Carta; the alarms were triggered and a 45-year-old man was later detained on suspicion of attempted theft, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon. The outer layer of a double-layered glass case containing the document was broken, but the document suffered no damage.[23] In January 2020 Mark Royden, from Kent, was found guilty of the attempted theft, which caused £14,466 of damage, and of criminal damage.[24]
From 16 January 2021, while closed to services during the
Building and architecture
West front
The west front is of the screen-type, clearly deriving from that at
The west front was almost certainly constructed at the same time as the cathedral.[28] This is apparent from the way in which the windows coincide with the interior spaces. The entire facade is about 108 feet (33 m) high and wide. It lacks full-scale towers and/or spires as can be seen, for example at Wells, Lincoln, Lichfield, etc.[29] The facade was disparaged by Alec Clifton-Taylor, who considered it the least successful of the English screen facades and a travesty of its prototype (Wells). He found the composition to be uncoordinated, and the Victorian statuary "poor and insipid".[30]
The front accommodates over 130 shallow niches of varying sizes, 73 of which contain a statue. The line of niches extends round the turrets to the north, south and east faces. There are five levels of niches (not including the mandorla) which show, from the top, angels and archangels, Old Testament patriarchs, apostles and evangelists, martyrs, doctors and philosophers and, on the lower level, royalty, priests and worthy people connected with the cathedral. The majority of the statues were placed during the middle of the 19th century, however seven are from the 14th century and several have been installed within the last decade.
Salisbury Cathedral is unusual for its tall and narrow nave, which has visual accentuation from the use of light grey Chilmark stone for the walls and dark polished
Another unusual feature of the nave is an unconventional modern font, installed in September 2008.[33] Designed by the water sculptor William Pye, it is the largest working font in any British cathedral, and replaced an earlier portable neo-Gothic Victorian font. The font is cruciform in shape, and has a 10-foot-wide vessel filled to its brim with water, designed so that the water overflows in filaments through each corner into bronze gratings embedded in the cathedral's stone floor. The project cost £180,000 and was funded entirely by donations. Some parishioners reportedly objected to the new font, considering it 'change for change's sake', although Pye argued that the majority opinion was in favour: "I would say 90 per cent are in happy anticipation, five per cent are nervously expectant and five per cent are probably apoplectic".[34]
Tower and spire
Although the spire is the cathedral's most impressive feature, it has proved troublesome. Together with the tower, it added 6,397 tons (6,500 tonnes) to the weight of the building. Without the addition of buttresses, bracing arches and anchor irons over the succeeding centuries, it would have suffered the fate of spires on other great ecclesiastical buildings (such as Malmesbury Abbey, 1180 to 1500; Lincoln Cathedral, 1311 to 1548; Old St Paul's Cathedral, London, 1314 to 1561; and Chichester Cathedral, 1402 to 1861) and fallen down; instead, Salisbury became the tallest church spire in the country on the collapse at St Paul's (as the result of a fire) in 1561. The large supporting pillars at the corners of the spire are seen to bend inwards under the stress. The addition of reinforcing tie-beams above the crossing, designed by Christopher Wren in 1668, halted further deformation.[21] The beams were hidden by a false ceiling installed below the lantern stage of the tower.
The bell chamber is in the middle level of the tower. The bells strike the hour and quarters and are now operated by a Victorian clock, which is not to be confused with the better-known medieval clock that is on display downstairs. Salisbury is one of only three English cathedrals to lack a ring of bells, the others being Norwich Cathedral and Ely Cathedral.
Visitors can access the tower by taking the "Tower Tour", allowing them to climb as high as the base of the spire. From this level, there is a view of the interior of the hollow spire and the ancient wooden scaffolding inside it. There are 332 steps from ground level to the base of the spire,[35] ascending a height of 225 feet (69 m).
Maintenance workers have sometimes climbed the spire, including to service the aircraft warning light and weather station at the pinnacle. The first 144 feet (44 m) of the spire can be climbed by internal ladders. The remaining 39 feet (12 m) requires climbing out of a small door and up the exterior. In 2010, Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton climbed the spire to assist the changing of the lights.[35]
Chapter house and Magna Carta
The chapter house is notable for its octagonal shape, slender central pillar and decorative medieval frieze. It was redecorated in 1855–9 by William Burges. The frieze, which circles the interior above the stalls, depicts scenes and stories from the books of Genesis and Exodus, including Adam and Eve, Noah, the Tower of Babel, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The chapter house displays the best-preserved of the four surviving original copies of
Clock
The Salisbury Cathedral clock, which dates from about AD 1386, is supposedly the oldest working modern clock in the world.[37] The clock has no face; all clocks of that date rang out the hours on a bell. It was originally in a bell tower that was demolished in 1792. Following this demolition, the clock was moved to the Cathedral Tower, where it was in operation until 1884. The clock was then placed in storage and forgotten until it was discovered in an attic of the cathedral in 1928. It was repaired and restored to working order in 1956, and is now displayed in the nave. In 2007, remedial work and repairs were carried out.[38]
Depictions in art, literature and television
The cathedral is the subject of a famous painting by
The cathedral is apparently the inspiration for
Dean and chapter
As of 1 January 2021:[41]
- Nicholas Papadopulos (since 9 September 2018 installation)[42]
- Canon Precentor – Anna Macham (since 5 May 2019 installation)[43]
- Canon Chancellor – Ed Probert (since 4 April 2004 installation)[44]
- Canon Treasurer – Kenneth Padley (since June 2022 installation)[45]
Burials
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2019) |
Notable burials include:
- William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, (c. 1165–1226)
- Countess of Hertford(1540–1568)
- Saint Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury (1078–1099)
- Roger of Salisbury, Bishop of Salisbury (1102–1139)
- Josceline de Bohon, Bishop of Salisbury (1142–1184)
- Robert de Bingham, Bishop of Salisbury (1229–1246)
- Giles of Bridport, Bishop of Salisbury (1256–1262)
- Walter de la Wyle, Bishop of Salisbury (1263–1271)
- Nicholas Longespee, Bishop of Salisbury (1291–1297)
- Simon of Ghent, Bishop of Salisbury (1297–1315)
- Roger Martival, Bishop of Salisbury (1315–1330)
- Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford (1378–1449)
- Richard Mitford, Bishop of Salisbury (1395–1407)
- Robert Hungerford, 2nd Baron Hungerford (1409-1459)
- Robert Hungerford, Lord Moleyns and 3rd Baron Hungerford (1431–1464)
- John Cheyne, Baron Cheyne (c. 1442–1499)
- Richard Beauchamp, Bishop of Salisbury (1450–1482)
- John Blyth, Bishop of Salisbury (1493–1499)
- John Doget, Renaissance humanist (died 1501)
- Edmund Audley, Bishop of Salisbury (1501–1524)
- Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (1539–1621), nephew of queen-consort Jane Seymour
- Helena, Marchioness of Northampton, (1548/1549–1635)
- John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury (1559–1571)
- Edmund Gheast, Bishop of Salisbury (1571–1577)
- Mary Sidney (1561–1621), writer and patron
- William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1580–1630), politician and courtier, buried in a family vault in front of the altar.
- Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
- Philip Herbert, 7th Earl of Pembroke
- Michael Wise (1648–1687), organist and composer
- Alexander Hyde, Bishop of Salisbury (1665–1667)
- Seth Ward, Bishop of Salisbury (1667–1689)
- John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset (before 1646–1675)
- Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset in the Seymour Chapel (1662–1748)
- John Thomas, Bishop of Salisbury (1761–1766)
- Edward Heath, former British Prime Minister (1970-1974)
Music
Organ
Throughout its history, there have been several organs in the cathedral. Of particular interest are the two fine four-manual instruments, the first by Renatus Harris (c. 1652–1724), which was replaced at the end of the 18th century, and the current organ, whose present fame has eclipsed the reputation of the former.[46]
The four-manual instrument by Harris had been installed in 1710. The abundance of reed stops was typical of Harris' instruments and bears witness to the influence of the classical French organ. The instrument, not only spectacular in style but also of good quality, had remained practically unaltered (beyond occasional repairs) for nearly 80 years, until it was replaced at the same time as the cathedral was "restored" by James Wyatt between 1789 and 1792: the Bishop had convinced George III to furnish the cathedral with a new instrument once the work was complete.[46]
This organ, by Samuel Green, was presented by the king in 1792[47] and was installed on top of the stone screen, which, unusually, did not divide the choir from the nave, but rather came from an unknown location in the cathedral.[48] The organ was later taken out and moved to St Thomas's Church.[49] When the new Willis organ was installed, its distinct sound from 55 powerfully-voiced stops, directly in the choir with little casework, was quite a contrast to Green's more gentle 23-stop instrument.[46]
The present-day instrument was built in 1877 by Henry Willis & Sons.[50] Walter Alcock, who was organist of the cathedral from 1916, oversaw a strictly faithful restoration of the famous Father Willis organ, completed in 1934,[51] even going to such lengths as to refuse to allow parts of the instrument to leave the cathedral in case any unauthorised tonal alterations were made without his knowledge,[52] while allowing some discrete additions in the original style of the organ (as well as modernisation of the organ's actions) by Henry Willis III, the grandson of Father Willis.[53] The instrument was extensively restored between 2019 and 2020.[46]
Organists
It is recorded that in 1463 John Kegewyn was organist of Salisbury Cathedral. Among the notable organists of more recent times have been a number of composers and well-known performers including Bertram Luard-Selby, Charles Frederick South, Walter Alcock, David Valentine Willcocks, Douglas Albert Guest, Christopher Dearnley, Richard Godfrey Seal and the BBC presenter Simon Lole.
Choir
Salisbury Cathedral Choir holds annual auditions for boys and girls aged 7–9 years old for scholarships to Salisbury Cathedral School, which housed in the former Bishop's Palace. The boys' choir and the girls' choir (each 16 strong) sing alternate daily Evensong and Sunday Matins and Eucharist services throughout the school year. There are also many additional services during the Christian year particularly during Advent, Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter. The Advent From Darkness to Light services are the best known. Choristers come from across the country and some board. Six lay vicars (adult men) comprise the rest of the choir, singing tenor, alto and bass parts. In 1993, the cathedral was the venue for the first broadcast of Choral Evensong (the long-running BBC Radio 3 programme) to be sung by a girls' cathedral choir.[54]
Cathedral constables
The cathedral previously employed five cathedral constables (known as "Close Constables"), whose duties mainly concerned the maintenance of law and order in the cathedral close. They were made redundant in 2010 as part of cost-cutting measures and replaced with "traffic managers".[55]
The constables were first appointed when the cathedral became a liberty in 1611 and survived until the introduction of municipal police forces in 1835 with the Municipal Corporations Act.[56] In 1800 they were given the power, along with the city constables, to execute any justices' or court orders requiring the conveyance of prisoners to or from the county jail (at Fisherton Anger, then outside the city of Salisbury) as if it were the city jail (and, in so doing, they were made immune from any legal action for acting outside their respective jurisdictions).[57] The right of the cathedral, as a liberty, to maintain a separate police force was conclusively terminated by the Local Government Act 1888.[58][59]
Peregrine falcons
Between 1864 and 1953, there were records of peregrine falcons being present at the cathedral. More arrived in 2013, and have been hatching every year since, with their nests on the cathedral's tower.[60]
Gallery
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Aerial view
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From the southwest
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North front
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Trenchard Memorial
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From the northeast
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Sculptural detail
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Detail from west front
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The cloisters
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Cloister walk, east side
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Tomb of Giles of Bridport
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Choir
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View of the spire from the cloisters
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Rib vault ceiling above clerestory windows
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Lateral view of the west façade
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Spire and west façade
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Interior of the tower
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Interior of the spire
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Reredos by Charles Edgar Buckeridge
See also
- Salisbury Cathedral School
- Bishop Wordsworth's School
- Gothic cathedrals and churches
- List of Gothic cathedrals in Europe
- Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England
- English Gothic architecture
- List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- List of tallest churches
- List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
References
Notes
- ^ The cathedral crossing, Old Sarum, and Stonehenge are reputed to be aligned on a ley line, although Clive L. N. Ruggles asserts that the site, on marshland, was chosen because a preferred site several miles to the west could not be obtained.[10]
Citations
- ^ Blagdon-Gamlen, P. E. (1973). The Church Travellers Directory. London: Church Literature Association. p. 69.
- ^ a b Ben Sloper (14 August 2010). "Salisbury - a Divined Cathedral". Salisbury Cathedral (unofficial). Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ "Visitor Information, Salisbury Cathedral". Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
- ^ "What to See".
- ^ a b "Adding the Spire". Salisbury Cathedral Website. 13 September 2018. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral's 750th Anniversary Open Day An Overwhelming Success". Salisbury Cathedral. 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ Frost (2009), p. 34.
- ^ Robinson, J. Armitage. "Peter of Blois" in Somerset Historical Essays, pp. 128 f. Oxford University Press (London), 1921.
- ^ Evans, p. 10-11
- ISBN 9781851094776.
A notorious example...a ley line joining Stonehenge (third millennium B.C.E.), Old Sarum (first millennium B.C.E.), and Salisbury cathedral (C.E. 1220).
- ^ Evans, p. 13
- ^ "The life of Ela, Countess of Salisbury". Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ Evans, p. 15
- ^ Sylvanus Urban, wd., The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle (1830), p. 105 Archived 7 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine online at books.google.com
- ^ "Engineering Timelines - Salisbury Cathedral spire". www.engineering-timelines.com. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ Fletcher, Banister; Fletcher, Banister (1905). A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method for the Student, Craftsman, and Amateur. London: Batsford.
- Harvey, John (1961). English Cathedrals. Batsford.
- ISBN 978-0-500-20062-9.
- ISBN 978-1-84330-120-2.
- ^ "The Cathedrals of Britain". BBC History. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ a b Ross, David. "Salisbury, Wiltshire". Britain Express. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ Burke, Dave (20 February 2016). "This 20ft statue had to be moved because people walked into it while texting". Metro. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ "Man arrested for Magna Carta theft attempt at Salisbury Cathedral". BBC News. 26 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- ^ "Man found guilty of trying to steal Magna Carta". BBC News: Wiltshire. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ a b Morris, Steven (16 January 2021). "Covid vaccine jabs accompanied by organ music at Salisbury Cathedral". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Covid-19: Lichfield Cathedral turned into vaccination centre". BBC News. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral finally sheds exterior scaffolding". BBC News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ISBN 978-1-85759-550-5.
- ISBN 978-0540010783.
- ISBN 9780809617685.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral". Sacred Destinations. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral". Britain Express. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral's new 'Funky Font'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ Wright, Michael (15 August 2008). "Salisbury Cathedral: funky font makes a big splash". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Blue Peter star scales cathedral to change light bulbs". BBC. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- Independent.co.uk. 26 January 2015. Archivedfrom the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ "Oldest Working Clock, Frequently Asked Questions, Salisbury Cathedral". Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
- ^ "Clock repaired, Salisbury Cathedral". Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
- ^ Follett, Ken. "Is Kingsbridge Real?". www.ken-follett.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ Mahler's 8th Symphony (programme). Southampton: Television South ITV. 28 July 1990.
- ^ "Cathedral Chapter". Salisbury Cathedral. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "Installation of Canon Nicholas Papadopulos as Dean". Salisbury Cathedral. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- ^ "Precentor". Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral – New Chancellor". Salisburycathedral.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "New Canon Treasurer appointed | Salisbury Cathedral". Salisbury Cathedral. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- ^ Choir & Organ(May/June): 23–26.
- ^ "Wiltshire Salisbury, Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary [N10306]". The National Pipe Organ Register. The British Institute of Organ Studies. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ^ Armfield, A.H. (1890). Cathedrals, abbeys, and churches of England and Wales. London: Cassell & Company. p. 130.
- ^ Cathedrals; 2nd ed. London: Great Western Railway, 1925; p. 33.
- National Pipe Organ Register. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ Webb, Stanley & Hale, Paul. "Alcock, Sir Walter", Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, accessed 1 March 2012 (subscription required)
- ^ Alcock, W. G. "Salisbury Cathedral Organ", The Musical Times, Vol. 75, No. 1098 (August 1934), pp. 730–732 (subscription required) Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ National Pipe Organ Register N10312
- ^ "Timeline of the History of Choral Evensong". BBC Radio 3. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ Hough, Andrew (6 August 2010). "Anger after Salisbury Cathedral Constables 'scrapped to save money'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ^ "Salisbury Cathedral Close Constables". Cathedral Constables' Association. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- ^ "Statute Law Revision: Gaols: Repeal Proposals" (PDF). Law Commission. April 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ section 48(3) Archived 8 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Local Government Act 1888
- ^ section 119(4) Archived 8 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Local Government Act 1888
- ^ "Peregrine Falcons | Salisbury Cathedral". www.salisburycathedral.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
Bibliography
- Evans, Sydney. Salisbury Cathedral: A reflective Guide, Michael Russell Publishing, Salisbury. 1985.
- Martín-Gil, J; Martín-Gil, FJ; Ramos-Sánchez, MC; Martín-Ramos, P. The Orange-Brown Patina of Salisbury Cathedral (West Porch) Surfaces: Evidence of its Man-Made Origin. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 12(5):285–289. 2005.
External links
- Official website
- Salisbury Cathedral Stained Glass website Archived 2014-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
- Adrian Fletcher's Paradoxplace — Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta