Salisbury Cathedral

Last year, the Salisbury Cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration in 1258. It it unique in that the main body of the cathedral was built all in one period lasting 38 years - which for its time was remarkably fast for a structure so complex. Most Cathedrals in Britain were built in stages and have been added on to over the years, creating a mix of architectural styles.


The only major element added later on were the tower and spire. The spire is the highest in the UK, measuring 404 ft and weighing over 6,000 tons. Inside you can see the supporting pillars underneath it bending inward because of the weight. Over the centuries, extra supports in the form of buttresses, iron ties, and bracing arches have been added to prevent the spire from collapsing - the fate of many other spires. Because these steps were taken, it is now the tallest remaining pre-1400 spire in the world.


Although commonly referred to as Salisbury Cathedral, its official name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary. Several changes were made to the building in 1790, including the demolition of its bell tower - making it one of only three cathedrals in England without one.


The Cathedral houses one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta. Photographs were not allowed in that area, but it was pretty exciting to see an original copy of such a famous document. The Magna Carta itself wasn't one of the most effective documents, but its importance had more to do with the legal precident it set forward in putting limits on the power of the monarch.


This baptismal fountian is absolutely beautiful. It is a wide shallow basin with water pumped in from the bottom. The surface of the water remains nearly flat as the excess pours out of notched channels at the corners. From there, the water spouts continue into drains in the floor that have been muted so there is almost no sound at all. It is very impressive in person.


This clock, also housed in the Cathedral, is the oldest working medieval clock in the world. Built around 1386, it was originally the clock for the Cathedral's bell tower (which is why is has no face or hands - it wasn't meant to be seen, it just engaged the bells at the proper time). When the bell tower was torn down, it was put in storage until it was discovered in 1929. It was restored to working order in 1956 and again refurbished in 2007.