Salisbury - Old Sarum

Must-see attractions nearby: Salisbury Cathedral Stourton - Stourhead Malmesbury House Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Old Sarum Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm Park Wardrobe

The castle and the cathedral, which was consecrated in 1092, were intended to make Norman claims to overlordship indisputable. It was probably as a result of disputes between clergy and military, coupled with a shortage of water, that the church authorities decided to have a cathedral built on a new site. In 1220 the inhabitants of Old Sarum moved to New Salisbury, where a new town with a cathedral was laid out, following a definite plan, but using building materials from Old Sarum, so that today at Old Sarum only a few remains of the castle within the inner circumference wall can be seen, and the ruined cathedral within the outer wall.