Old Sarum Cathedral facts for kids
The Old Sarum Cathedral was an important Catholic church built in the Norman style. It stood at a place called Old Salisbury, which we now know as Old Sarum. This cathedral was active from 1092 to 1220. Today, only its stone foundations are left. You can find them in the north-west part of the old fortress, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of modern Salisbury, Wiltshire, in the United Kingdom.
This cathedral was the main church for the bishops of Salisbury during the early Norman period. It was also where the special church rules called the Sarum Rite first came from.
What the Cathedral Looked Like
When it was at its biggest, the Norman cathedral was about 185 feet (56 m) long. This was actually smaller than many other cathedrals being built at that time.
The building had a typical cross shape. It featured a long main hall called a nave with seven sections. There was also a round end part called an apse and a tall tower in the middle where the cross shape met. Several smaller chapels were located around the edges of the main building.
Inside, the cathedral had six altars. The most important one, the high altar, was in the main worship area. Three other altars were in round chapels at the eastern end of the church. These were dedicated to St Martin, St Nicholas, and All Saints. Two more altars were in the nave, dedicated to the Holy Cross and St Stephen.
History of the Cathedral
After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, King William I used Old Sarum as a base. It was a strong fortress on a high hill, surrounded by thick walls.
In 1075, a church meeting decided that Herman would become the bishop of Old Sarum. This new church area brought together older church districts. Herman started building the cathedral soon after, but he died in 1078 before it was finished.
His replacement was Saint Osmund, who was a cousin of King William. Osmund was very important in educating Henry I, who later became king. The cathedral was officially opened on April 5, 1092. However, a big storm hit just five days later, causing a lot of damage.
After Osmund, Roger le Poer became bishop. He spent five years rebuilding and making the cathedral larger, finishing around 1120. He used green and white stones for the floors, which was unusual. Roger was also a powerful helper to King Henry I. He even built a royal palace at Old Sarum between 1130 and 1139.
Later, King Stephen had a disagreement with Roger. Stephen demanded that Roger give up his castles, including Old Sarum Castle. Roger was arrested and his lands were taken away. He died soon after.
The church leadership was empty for three years until Josceline de Bohon became bishop. Around 1150, he got permission to move a special church holiday to September 17. This allowed pilgrims to receive a special blessing if they visited. Josceline was later removed from the church by Thomas Becket, another important church leader, in 1170. He was pardoned in 1172 and stayed bishop until 1184.
The next bishop was Hubert Walter, chosen by King Richard I. Walter went with King Richard on a journey to the Holy Land. He later became the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The next bishop, Herbert Poore, was chosen in 1194. He and his brother, Richard, wanted to move the cathedral from Old Sarum. The old site was windy, dry, and didn't have enough water. A writer from the 1100s had even called the old church "a captive on the hill." Bishop Herbert had some difficulties with other powerful people and even had to leave England for a while.
A disagreement between Bishop Richard Poore and the soldiers at Old Sarum finally led to the move. Richard received permission from the king to move his church to a new spot on the Salisbury Plain. The Old Sarum Cathedral was slowly taken apart. Its stones were carried to the new site and used to build the new Salisbury Cathedral. The new cathedral was started in 1220 and finished by 1258.
In 1327, permission was given to use stones from the ruins of Old Sarum Cathedral to build a wall around the new cathedral. This wall was finished in 1331. The remains of the old cathedral were left alone for a long time. It wasn't until 1457 that the bones of Saint Osmund were moved to the new Salisbury Cathedral.
Today, the remains of the cathedral and the old fortress are protected as important historical sites.
Excavation
The floor of the cathedral was dug up and studied in 1913.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Old Sarum para niños
