96-662: The River Chalke is a small river within the English county of Wiltshire . It is the most significant tributary of the River Ebble . The river rises at Mead End near Bowerchalke and flows 1.2 miles north through the Chalke Valley to join the Ebble at Mount Sorrel, just upstream of Broad Chalke . It provides a steady, year-round flow of water; above the junction the Ebble is a winterbourne . A typical chalk stream ,
192-477: A safari park , and the National Trust 's Stourhead . The county, in the 9th century written as Wiltunscir , is named after the former county town of Wilton . Wiltshire is notable for its pre- Roman archaeology . The Mesolithic , Neolithic and Bronze Age people that occupied southern Britain built settlements on the hills and downland that cover Wiltshire. Stonehenge and Avebury are perhaps
288-676: A centre at Corsham Court in Corsham , and Oxford Brookes University maintains a minor campus in Swindon (almost 50 km from Oxford). Swindon is the UK's second largest centre of population (after Milton Keynes ) without its own university. Service Children's Education has its headquarters in Trenchard Lines in Upavon , Wiltshire. The county registered a population of 680,137 in
384-466: A golden great bustard , which had been extinct in England since 1832 but is now the subject of a breeding programme on Salisbury Plain . It is surrounded by a green and white circle, representing the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury and also the six surrounding counties. The field consists of alternating green and white stripes, which reference the banner of arms of the council but also represent
480-760: A league record points tally of 103. After Salisbury City went into liquidation in 2014, a new club, Salisbury , was formed in 2015 and will play in the National League South for the 24/25 season. Wiltshire County Cricket Club play in the Minor Counties league. Swindon Robins Speedway team, who competed in the top national division, the SGB Premiership , had been at their track at the Blunsdon Abbey Stadium near Swindon since 1949. In 2020 they stopped racing due to
576-428: A pair of hands) straddling a path in the grounds. It was moved shortly thereafter, due to pedestrians colliding with it while texting. In 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
672-671: A preservation society dedicated to its protection. The close is entered via the High Street through the North Gate, listed at Grade I. The High Street ends at Choristers Square which has seven buildings listed at Grade I: Mompesson House , now owned by the National Trust and operated as a museum, and its fronting wall and gates; the College of Matrons ; the walls, gates and piers to No.s 39 to 46; Hemingsby House ; Wren Hall ; and Braybrooke House. Grade II* listed buildings on
768-433: A proportion is caused orographically (uplift over hills). Autumn and winter are rainiest, caused by Atlantic depressions, which are then most active. Even so, any month can be the wettest or driest in a given year but the wettest is much more likely to be Oct-Mar, and the driest Apr-Sept. In summer, a greater proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. It
864-521: A result of elections held in 2021, Wiltshire Council comprises 61 Conservatives , 27 Liberal Democrats , seven Independents and three Labour members. Swindon Borough Council has 34 Conservative councillors and 23 Labour members. Until the 2009 structural changes to local government , Wiltshire (apart from Swindon) was a two-level county, divided into four local government districts – Kennet , North Wiltshire , Salisbury and West Wiltshire – which existed alongside Wiltshire County Council , covering
960-406: A strictly faithful restoration of the famous Father Willis organ, completed in 1934, 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, 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,
1056-437: A village pond. When confronted by the excise men they raked the surface to conceal the submerged contraband with ripples, and claimed that they were trying to rake in a large round cheese visible in the pond, really a reflection of the full moon. The officials took them for simple yokels or mad and left them alone, allowing them to continue with their illegal activities. Many villages claim the tale for their own village pond, but
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#17327979173781152-412: Is Britain's largest, and has many buildings of architectural and/or historical significance. Pevsner described it as "the most beautiful of England's closes". The cathedral contains a clock which is among the oldest working examples in the world. It also holds one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta . In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration. In 2023,
1248-569: Is also home to a University Technical College , UTC Swindon , specialising in engineering. A second UTC, South Wiltshire UTC , was based in Salisbury but closed in August 2020. Wiltshire is one of the few remaining English counties without a university or university college; the closest university to the county town of Trowbridge is the University of Bath . However, Bath Spa University has
1344-403: Is distinctive in having a significantly higher number of people in various forms of manufacturing (especially electrical equipment and apparatus, food products, and beverages, furniture, rubber, pharmaceuticals , and plastic goods) than the national average. In addition, there is higher-than-average employment in public administration and defence , due to the military establishments around
1440-497: Is frequent. In the summer the Azores high pressure affects south-west England; however, convective cloud sometimes forms inland, reducing the number of hours of sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. In December 1998, there were 20 days without sun recorded at Yeovilton (Somerset). Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection , though
1536-424: Is known as Early English Gothic or Lancet Gothic, the latter referring to the use of lancet windows which are not divided by tracery . The only major sections begun later were the cloisters , added in 1240, the chapter house in 1263, the tower and spire , which at 404 feet (123 m) dominated the skyline from 1330. In total, 70,000 tons of stone, 3,000 tons of timber and 450 tons of lead were used in
1632-535: Is often the northern half of the county that sees most of the showers with south-westerly winds in summer, whereas in the south of the county, the proximity of a relatively cold English Channel often inhibits showers. In autumn and winter, however, the sea is often relatively warm, compared with the air passing over it and can often lead to a higher rainfall in the south of the county (e.g. Salisbury recorded over 200mm of rain in Nov 2009 and January 2014). Average rainfall for
1728-759: Is represented in the Football League by Swindon Town , who play at the County Ground stadium near Swindon town centre. They joined the Football League on the creation of the Third Division in 1920, and have remained in the league ever since. Their most notable achievements include winning the Football League Cup in 1969 and the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1970, two successive promotions in 1986 and 1987 (taking them from
1824-403: Is the tallest church spire in England. The original cathedral in the district was located at Old Sarum , about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the present city. In 1197 bishop Herbert Poore determined on a relocation but this was not taken forward until the episcopate of his brother, Richard Poore in the early 13th century. Foundation stones for the new building were laid on 28 April 1220 by
1920-460: Is topped by a gable which contains four lancet windows topped by two round quatrefoil windows surmounted by a mandorla containing Christ in Majesty . At ground level there is a principal door flanked by two smaller doors. The whole is highly decorated with quatrefoil motifs, columns, trefoil motifs and bands of diapering . The west front was almost certainly constructed at the same time as
2016-408: The 2011 Census . Wiltshire (outside Swindon) has a low population density of 1.4 persons per hectare, when compared against 4.1 for England as a whole. Historical population of Wiltshire county: At the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Wiltshire voted in favour of Brexit . Wiltshire is represented by eight Parliamentary constituencies . Seven are entirely within the county, while
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#17327979173782112-558: The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary , is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury , England. The cathedral is considered the beau idéal of Early English Gothic design . Built over a relatively short period, some 38 years between 1220 and 1258, it has a unity and coherence that is unusual in medieval English cathedrals. The tower and spire were completed by 1330 and at 404 feet (123 m)
2208-732: The Dorset Downs in the west to Dover in the east. The largest area of chalk in Wiltshire is Salisbury Plain , which is used mainly for arable agriculture and by the British Army as training ranges. The highest point in the county is the Tan Hill – Milk Hill ridge in the Pewsey Vale , just to the north of Salisbury Plain, at 295 m (968 ft) above sea level. The chalk uplands run north-east into West Berkshire in
2304-513: The Earl and Countess of Salisbury . By 1258 the nave , transepts and choir were complete. The only major additions were the cloisters , added 1240, the chapter house in 1263, and the tower and spire , which was constructed by 1330. At its completion it was the third highest in England, but the collapse of those at Lincoln Cathedral and Old St Paul's Cathedral in the 16th century saw Salisbury become England's tallest. The cathedral close
2400-597: The Florentine and Flemish markets in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 17th century, English Civil War Wiltshire was largely Parliamentarian . The Battle of Roundway Down , a Royalist victory, was fought near Devizes . In 1794, it was decided at a meeting at the Bear Inn in Devizes to raise a body of ten independent troops of Yeomanry for the county of Wiltshire, which formed the basis for what would become
2496-887: The Fourth Division to the Second ), promotion to the Premier League as Division One play-off winners in 1993 (as inaugural members), the Division Two title in 1996, and their promotion to League One in 2007 after finishing third in League Two . Chippenham Town is the area's highest-ranked non-league football club; they currently play in the National League South after winning the Southern Premier League in 2016/17, with
2592-707: The Gazette and Herald and Wiltshire Times . Places of interest in Wiltshire include: Areas of countryside in Wiltshire include: Roads running through Wiltshire include The Ridgeway , an ancient route, and Roman roads the Fosse Way , London to Bath road and Ermin Way . National Cycle Route 4 and the Thames Path , a modern long distance footpath , run through the county. Routes through Wiltshire include: Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral , formally
2688-616: The Marlborough Downs ridge, and south-west into Dorset as Cranborne Chase . Cranborne Chase, which straddles the border, has, like Salisbury Plain, yielded much Stone Age and Bronze Age archaeology . The Marlborough Downs are part of the North Wessex Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), a 1,730 km (670-square-mile) conservation area. In the north-west of the county, on the border with South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset ,
2784-542: The Old Deanery ; No.s 68A and 73; and De Vaux House. There are 19 Grade II listed buildings in the close. These include: the gates and stables to Arundells; the gates and garden house at The North Canonry, No. 60; the College of Sarum St Michael, and its gates; urns in the garden of No. 68; the gates and walling to No. 69; the lodges, gates and walls to No. 70; No.s 71, 71A and 71B and their boundary walls;
2880-745: The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry , who served with distinction both at home and abroad, during the Boer War , World War I and World War II. The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry lives on as Y (RWY) Squadron, based in Swindon, and B (RWY) Squadron, based in Salisbury, of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry . Around 1800, the Kennet and Avon Canal was built through Wiltshire, providing a route for transporting cargoes from Bristol to London until
2976-731: The South Cotswolds constituency extends into southern parts of Gloucestershire. At the 2024 general election , the Conservatives won three seats ( East Wiltshire , Salisbury , and South West Wiltshire ); Labour two ( Swindon North and Swindon South ); and the Liberal Democrats three ( Chippenham , Melksham and Devizes , and South Cotswolds). The ceremonial county of Wiltshire consists of two unitary authority areas, Wiltshire and Swindon, governed respectively by Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council . As
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3072-404: The beau idéal of Early English Gothic design with a unity and coherence unique among English cathedrals. The west front is of the screen-type, clearly deriving from that at Wells . It is composed of a stair turret at each extremity, with two niched buttresses nearer the centre line supporting the large central triple window. The stair turrets are topped with spirelets, and the central section
3168-495: The freestone for the cathedral came from the Teffont Evias Quarry . As a result of the high water table on the new site, the cathedral was built on foundations only 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. By 1258, the nave , transepts , and choir were complete. As a result of being mostly built in only 38 years, Salisbury has by far the most consistent architectural style of any medieval English cathedral. The style used
3264-412: 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. The beams were hidden by a false ceiling installed below the lantern stage of
3360-500: The " M4 corridor effect", which attracts business, and the attractiveness of its countryside, towns and villages. The northern part of the county is richer than the southern part, particularly since Swindon is home to national and international corporations such as Intel , Motorola , Patheon , Catalent (formerly known as Cardinal Health ), Becton-Dickinson , WHSmith , Early Learning Centre and Nationwide , with Dyson located in nearby Malmesbury . Wiltshire's employment structure
3456-466: The BBC presenter Simon Lole . 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
3552-578: The Canon Chancellor is Ed Probert, installed in 2004 and the Canon Treasurer is Kenneth Padley, installed in 2022. Notable burials include: 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
3648-586: The Chalke is noted for its brown trout and fish farms . 51°01′33″N 1°57′25″W / 51.02591°N 1.95708°W / 51.02591; -1.95708 This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wiltshire Wiltshire ( / ˈ w ɪ l t . ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪr / ; abbreviated to Wilts ) is a ceremonial county in South West England . It borders Gloucestershire to
3744-491: 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
3840-561: The Covid-19 Pandemic and subsequently announced in 2022 that they would not be returning. Swindon Wildcats compete in the English Premier Ice Hockey League , the second tier of British ice hockey, and play their home games at Swindon's Link Centre . A flag to represent Wiltshire, the "Bustard Flag", was approved by a full meeting of Wiltshire Council on 1 December 2009. It depicts in the centre
3936-744: The Diocesan Registry, and The Deanery, both listed at Grade II*. The eastern boundary of the close follows Exeter Street, and contains four listed structures, all at Grade I. These are: the boundary wall itself; Bishops Gate and St Anne's Gate; and Malmesbury House . The northern end of the close terminates with the North Walk. This has one Grade I listed building, Sarum College , at No. 19, The Close. There are 23 Grade II* buildings: Nos. 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 14A, 16 to 18 inclusive, 20 and 21, 23 to 27 inclusive, 29, 30, 31, 33 to 36 inclusive, and 38. Buildings listed Grade II include: No. 10;
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4032-543: The High Street and in Choristers Square include: No.s 48, 48A, 50 and 50A, which flank the North Gate; 51, 52 and 53A; No.s 55 and 55A; a former stable block; and the Hungerford Chantry. Grade II listed buildings on the square include: the walls and gates to No. 54; No. 55; No.s 56A, B, and C; No.s 57, 57A and 57B; and No. 58; and a K6 telephone kiosk . The close proper is bounded by
4128-520: The New Forest is a national park . Salisbury Plain is noted for the Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles , which together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and other ancient landmarks. Much of the plain is a training area for the British Army . The city of Salisbury is notable for its medieval cathedral . Large country houses open to the public include Longleat , where there is also
4224-642: The South Canonry; No. 72 The Close; and No.s 1-7 De Vaux Place. Between De Vaux Place and the cathedral stands Salisbury Cathedral School , the main building of which, originally the Bishop's Palace, is listed at Grade I. The school lodge, and its adjoining wall, as well as a wall opposite surrounding the cathedral lawn, are all listed at Grade II. Continuing north along Bishop's Walk are five more listed structures; No. 5, The Close, listed II*, and its garden wall and bollards, both listed at Grade II; and
4320-879: The UK average in 1998, and was only marginally above the rate for South West England. Wiltshire has 30 county secondary schools, publicly funded, of which the largest is Warminster Kingdown , and eleven private secondaries, including Marlborough College , St Mary's Calne , Dauntsey's near Devizes , and Warminster School . The county schools are nearly all comprehensives , with the older pattern of education surviving only in Salisbury , which has two grammar schools ( South Wilts Grammar School and Bishop Wordsworth's School ) and three non-selective schools. There are four further education colleges, which also provide some higher education: New College (Swindon); Wiltshire College (Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury); Salisbury Sixth Form College ; and Swindon College . Wiltshire
4416-787: The West Walk and the Broad Walk. It contains six Grade I listed buildings; The King's House , which is now home of Salisbury Museum ; Myles Place , No. 68, and its fronting walls; the Walton Canonry; the Leaden Hall and the South Gate . There are also six buildings listed Grade II*: The Wardrobe , which houses a military museum; Arundells , the former home of Edward Heath ; the North Canonry and Gatehouse;
4512-428: The arrow hit a deer, which died in the place where Salisbury Cathedral is now. 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 foundation stones were laid on 28 April 1220 by William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury , and by Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury . Much of
4608-486: The cathedral, as a liberty, to maintain a separate police force was conclusively terminated by the Local Government Act 1888 . 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. In 2016, the cathedral chapter placed Sophie Ryder 's sculpture The Kiss (of
4704-600: The cathedral, with the largest area to its western side. The close itself is bounded by Broad Walk and the West Walk, with the larger boundaries comprising North Walk, Bishops Walk, with Exeter Street to its east, and De Vaux Place to the south. The close contains a large number of listed buildings . The size of the close, it is Britain's largest, and the range of historic buildings within it, make it "unrivalled in Britain in terms of scale and beauty". Pevsner described it as "the most beautiful of England's closes". The close has
4800-429: The cathedral. The organ was later taken out and moved to St Thomas's Church. 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. The present-day instrument was built in 1877 by Henry Willis & Sons . Walter Alcock , who was organist of the cathedral from 1916, oversaw
4896-443: The cathedral. 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. 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
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#17327979173784992-768: The chalk and grass of the county's downlands. The white can also represent peace, and the green joy, hope or safety. The flag has been registered in the flag registry of the vexillological charity the Flag Institute . Wiltshire has twenty-one towns and one city : A list of settlements is at List of places in Wiltshire . Local TV coverage is covered by BBC West and ITV West Country ; however, Swindon and Salisbury receive BBC South and ITV Meridian . The county's local radio stations are BBC Radio Wiltshire , Heart West , Greatest Hits Radio South West and Greatest Hits Radio South (covering Salisbury and surrounding areas). County-wide local newspapers are
5088-524: The chalk into Greensand and Oxford Clay in the centre of the county. In the south west of the county is the Vale of Wardour . The south-east of the county lies on the sandy soils of the northernmost area of the New Forest . Chalk is a porous rock, so the chalk hills have little surface water. The main settlements in the county are therefore situated at wet points. Notably, Salisbury is situated between
5184-489: The chalk of Salisbury Plain and marshy flood plains. The county has a green belt mainly along its western fringes as a part of the extensive Avon Green Belt . It reaches as far as the outskirts of Rudloe/ Corsham and Trowbridge, preventing urban sprawl particularly from the latter in the direction of Bradford-on-Avon , and affording further protection to surrounding villages and towns from Bath in Somerset. Along with
5280-479: The columns. It has three levels: a tall pointed arcade, an open gallery and a small clerestory . Lined up between the pillars are notable tombs such as that of William Longespée , half brother of King John and the illegitimate son of Henry II , who was the first person to be buried in the cathedral. Another unusual feature of the nave is an unconventional modern font, installed in September 2008. Designed by
5376-399: The completion of a programme of external restoration begun in 1985, saw the removal of scaffolding that had stood around the building for some 37 years. 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
5472-525: The composition to be uncoordinated, and the Victorian statuary "poor and insipid". 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
5568-411: The construction of the cathedral. Upon completion, it had the highest masonry spire in England and the third highest overall, after Lincoln and St Paul's . The collapse of the latter two spires in the mid-16th century left Salisbury's as the highest overall. In the 17th century, Christopher Wren designed restoration measures to strengthen the central pillars, which by then had visibly deformed under
5664-506: The county is around 800 mm (31 in), drier parts averaging 700mm (28ins)and the wettest 900mm (around 35ins). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added (GVA) of Wiltshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. The Wiltshire economy benefits from
5760-747: The county, particularly around Amesbury and Corsham . There are sizeable British Army barracks at Tidworth , Bulford and Warminster , and the Royal School of Artillery is at Larkhill. Further north, RAF Lyneham was home to the RAF's Hercules C130 fleet until 2011; the MoD Lyneham site is now a centre for Army technical training. Wiltshire is also distinctive for the high proportion of its working-age population who are economically active (86.6% in 1999–2000) and its low unemployment rates . The gross domestic product (GDP) level in Wiltshire did not reach
5856-603: The county. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, large areas of the country came into the possession of the crown and the church. At the time of the Domesday Survey , the industry of Wiltshire was largely agricultural; 390 mills are mentioned, and vineyards at Tollard and Lacock. In the succeeding centuries sheep-farming was vigorously pursued, and the Cistercian monastery of Stanley exported wool to
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#17327979173785952-479: The development of the Great Western Railway . Information on the 261 civil parishes of Wiltshire is available at Wiltshire Council's Wiltshire Community History website which has maps, demographic data, historic and modern pictures and short histories. The local nickname for Wiltshire natives is " Moonrakers ". This originated from a story of smugglers who managed to foil the local Excise men by hiding their alcohol, possibly French brandy in barrels or kegs, in
6048-411: The document was broken, but the document suffered no damage. In January 2020 Mark Royden, from Kent, was found guilty of the attempted theft, which caused £14,466 of damage, and of criminal damage. From 16 January 2021, while closed to services during the COVID-19 pandemic , the cathedral was used to accommodate the vaccination programme in the United Kingdom , a day after Lichfield Cathedral became
6144-406: The downs from Salisbury Plain in the centre of the county. The south-west is also downland, and contains the West Wiltshire Downs , the Vale of Wardour to their south, and part of Cranborne Chase in the far south of the county. The north-west of Wiltshire is part of the Cotswolds , a limestone area. The county's two major rivers are both called the Avon; the northern Avon enters the county in
6240-479: The fictional Kingsbridge Cathedral in his historical novel The Pillars of the Earth . It was also used for some external shots in the 2010 miniseries based on Follett's book and was shown as it is today in the final scene. Another mention of this cathedral was made by Jonathan Swift in The Travels of Gulliver, part II, chapter IV, making a comparison between its spire and the tower of the main temple of Lorbrulgrud, Brobdingnag's capital. In 1990, Channel 4 marked
6336-419: The first place of worship to become part of the immunisation plan against the pandemic in England . A selection of music was played on the organ as people received their vaccinations. In February 2024, the full exterior of the cathedral could be seen for the first time in 38 years after the removal of scaffolding that had been erected for extensive renovation works. The cathedral is described in Pevsner as
6432-463: The grandson of Father Willis. The instrument was extensively restored between 2019 and 2020. 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
6528-418: The inspiration for William Golding 's novel The Spire , in which the fictional Dean Jocelin makes the building of a cathedral spire his life's work. The construction of the cathedral is an important plot point in Edward Rutherfurd 's historical novel Sarum , which explores the historical settlement of the Salisbury area. The cathedral has been mentioned by the author Ken Follett as one of two models for
6624-478: The introduction of municipal police forces in 1835 with the Municipal Corporations Act . 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). The right of
6720-424: The largest settlements are the city of Salisbury (41,820) and the towns of Chippenham (37,548) and Trowbridge (37,169). For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas, Swindon and Wiltshire . Undulating chalk downlands characterize much of the county. In the east are Marlborough Downs , which contain Savernake Forest . To the south is the Vale of Pewsey , which separates
6816-444: 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 Purbeck marble for
6912-515: The most famous Neolithic sites in the UK. In the 6th and 7th centuries Wiltshire was at the western edge of Saxon Britain, as Cranborne Chase and the Somerset Levels prevented the advance to the west. The Battle of Bedwyn was fought in 675 between Escuin , a West Saxon nobleman who had seized the throne of Queen Saxburga , and King Wulfhere of Mercia . In 878 the Danes invaded
7008-426: The north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to the west. The largest settlement is Swindon , and Trowbridge is the county town . The county has an area of 3,485 km (1,346 square miles) and a population of 720,060. The county is mostly rural, and the centre and south-west are sparsely populated. After Swindon (183,638),
7104-564: The north-west and flows in a south-westerly direction before leaving it near Bradford-on-Avon , and the southern Avon rises on Salisbury Plain and flows through Salisbury, then into Hampshire. The far south-east contains part of the New Forest . Much of the county is protected: the Marlborough Downs; West Wiltshire Downs, Vale of Wardour, and Cranbourne Chase; and the Cotswolds are all part of designated national landscapes , and
7200-491: The official launch of its NICAM stereo service with a live broadcast of Mahler's 9th Symphony from the cathedral. The cathedral was the setting for the 2005 BBC television drama Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle , written by Rhidian Brook and directed by Susanna White. Kevin McCloud climbed the cathedral in his programme called Don't Look Down! in which he climbed high structures to conquer his fear of heights. The cathedral
7296-403: The railings to Nos. 36A and 36B and 37. The cathedral is the subject of a famous painting by John Constable . As a gesture of appreciation for John Fisher , Bishop of Salisbury , who commissioned this painting, Constable included the bishop and his wife in the canvas (bottom left). The view depicted in the paintings has changed very little in almost two centuries. The cathedral is apparently
7392-432: The removal of scaffolding that had stood around the building for some 37 years. 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. The constables were first appointed when the cathedral became a liberty in 1611 and survived until
7488-407: The reputation of the former. 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
7584-590: The rest of South West England , Wiltshire has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than counties further east. The annual mean temperature is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F). Although there is a marked maritime influence, this is generally rather less pronounced than it is for other south-western counties, which are closer to the sea. July and August are the warmest months with mean daily maxima of approximately 22 °C (71.6 °F). In winter mean minimum temperatures of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are usual and air frost
7680-464: The same area and carrying out more strategic tasks, such as education and county roads. However, on 1 April 2009 these five local authorities were merged into a single unitary authority called Wiltshire Council. With the abolition of the District of Salisbury, a new Salisbury City Council was created at the same time to carry out several citywide functions and to hold the city's charter. The county
7776-413: 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. This organ, by Samuel Green , was presented by the king in 1792 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
7872-425: The stableyard surface and gates to No. 11; No. 13; the forecourt walls to Malmesbury House; the garden walls and gateway to No. 16, two sets of walls at No. 17, the walls at No.s 18 and 19, railings and gates at; the stables to No.s 21 and 21A, its gate piers, its garden wall, and a commemorative arch set into the wall; No. 22; the railings to No.s 25 and 26; No. 28; the railings to No. 31 and the wall to No.s 32 and 33;
7968-514: The story is most commonly linked with The Crammer in Devizes . Two-thirds of Wiltshire, a mostly rural county, lies on chalk , a kind of soft, white, porous limestone that is resistant to erosion, giving it a high chalk downland landscape. This chalk is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and stretching from
8064-409: The summit. 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. The chapter house is notable for its octagonal shape, slender central pillar and decorative medieval frieze . It
8160-449: 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, 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
8256-473: 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
8352-401: 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
8448-637: The underlying rock is the resistant oolite limestone of the Cotswolds . Part of the Cotswolds AONB is also in Wiltshire, in the county's north-western corner. Between the areas of chalk and limestone downland are clay valleys and vales . The largest of these vales is the Avon Vale . The Avon cuts diagonally through the north of the county, flowing through Bradford-on-Avon and into Bath and Bristol . The Vale of Pewsey has been cut through
8544-405: 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
8640-443: The weight of the tower and spire. 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. In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration. In 2023, the completion of a programme of external restoration begun in 1985 saw
8736-411: 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. Permission was granted but the move was delayed repeatedly until the tenure of his successor and brother Richard Poore . A legend tells that Bishop Poore shot an arrow in the direction he would build the cathedral;
8832-433: 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". Although the spire is the cathedral's most impressive feature, it has proved troublesome. Together with
8928-523: 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. The cathedral close surrounds
9024-399: Was present at Runnymede in 1215, was given the task of distributing some of the original copies. Elias later became a canon of Salisbury and supervised the construction of the cathedral. The Salisbury Cathedral clock , which dates from about AD 1386, is supposedly the oldest working modern clock in the world. The clock has no face; all clocks of that date rang out the hours on a bell. It
9120-480: 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 Magna Carta . This copy came to Salisbury because Elias of Dereham , who
9216-504: Was the subject of a Channel 4 Time Team programme which was first broadcast on 8 February 2009. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury . The Right Reverend Stephen Lake was installed as bishop in 2022. The Dean is Nicholas Papadopulos , installed in 2018. The Canon Precentor is Anna Macham, installed in 2019,
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