- Type
- Ruin
- Built
- c. 1070 · 11th century
- Location
- England, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 51.0933°, -1.8047°
History
An Iron Age hillfort ringed by a rampart crowned the hill, later used by the Romans and the Saxons. Around 1070 William the Conqueror built a motte castle in its centre, and in 1086 he gathered the great landholders here to swear their loyalty to him. Bishop Osmund built a cathedral beside the castle, consecrated in 1092, and Bishop Roger of Salisbury enlarged it and added a palace. Quarrels between the clergy and the garrison, and a lack of water, led Bishop Richard Poore in 1220 to begin a new cathedral down in the valley, in today's Salisbury. Deserted Old Sarum went on electing two MPs until 1832, though almost no one lived there.
What to see
Deep ditches and high ramparts encircle the hill, with the foundations of the castle and bishop's palace on the mound at its centre. Next to it the outline of the old cathedral is marked out in the grass. The ramparts look across the valley to the soaring spire of Salisbury Cathedral, and paths lead all the way round the ring of earthworks.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q782719
Popularity: articles about this site in 18 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).