 alisbury. At the Council of London held in 1075 Archbishop Lanfranc proposed the movement of several English Bishoprics to other sites. One of these was the Bishopric of Sherborne and Wilton whose bishop was Herbert of Lothringia. Herbert began the construction of a new cathedral in the confines of the Castle of Sarum. In 1078 Herbert was succeeded by Osmond a Norman who came to England with William the Conqueror. Osmond completed and dedicated the cathedral in 1092. In 1220 it was decided to move the cathedral to a new site. The chosen site was only 2 miles away from Sarum, on meadowland next to the river. The new cathedral was built in a relatively short period of time and was constructed in a consistent style of Early English architecture. The construction was orchestrated by various Bishops starting with Bishop Roger Poore. Six years after the start of construction, when the choir was complete, the bodies of St. Osmond and other important Bishops were moved to the new cathedral. The cloisters were added between 1263 and 1284 and are the earliest that have remained unchanged in England. They form a perfect square and are the same length as the nave. The chapter house is octagonal in shape and has a central pillar with a vaulted ceiling. The spire and its tower were built between 1320 and 1380 and the spire is the highest of its period in the world reaching to a height of 404 feet. Edward III granted Bishop Richard de Wyvile the right to use the stone from the old cathedral and the houses that belonged to it in the construction of the new cathedral and the tower at Salisbury may contain some of this stone. |
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