Britain's Mighty Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral.

 Some people remark that they are all Cathedraled out after a trip to Britain or Europe.   Personally I love the peaceful ambiance and the architecture of ancient cathedrals.  I'm always in awe of the fact that these intricate, soaring and highly decorative buildings were constructed without the benefit of modern methods and machinery.  However, if you are in the "all cathedraled out" camp there are still some worthy of a visit and one of them is Salisbury Cathedral in the beautiful county of Wiltshire, England.

Built between the years of 1310 and 1330 this cathedral has many claims to fame.  Firstly it has the tallest spire in Britain at 123 metres and weighing 6500 tons.  It also has the largest cloisters and close of any cathedral in Britain. (A close is the area surrounding the cathedral which is the property of the cathedral) In Salisbury the close covers 80 acres and contains museums, colleges and stately homes together with vast lawns and gardens ideal for relaxing in, strolling and picnicking.

The mechanical clock

     (Apologies for poor quality of the above photo taken into the sun)

Interestingly the cathedral is home to the worlds oldest mechanical clock.  Built in 1386 in Delft, Netherlands, by order of the then bishop to ensure the priests knew when to pray and when church services would start, it is a large contraption with no clock face. This fascinating 650 year old clock  is operated by a system of weights and pullies and needs daily winding to ensure it strikes the time on the hour. 

The cathedral itself is light and airy with  glorious stained glass windows and stone work. As a lover of cloisters I really enjoyed strolling them and visiting the exquisite chapter house with its ornate carvings but the absolute drawcard and 'must see' is the original copy of the Magna Carta (Great Charter). At Salisbury it is one of only four remaining originals and is the best preserved.   Visitors file past this precious document housed in an enclosed, dark, curtained area, just long enough to have a reasonable look but can spend longer viewing a facsimile of it near by. 

The Magna Carta

Although it is now 800 years old the Magna Carta is still one of the world's most important documents as a powerful symbol of justice.

Drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury in an effort to make peace between the tyrannical King John and a group of rebel barons, the Magna Carta limited the powers of the monarchy and gave individual citizens defined personal and property rights. King John agreed to the charter and signed it in 1215 at Runnymede. Most of the clauses in the Magna Carta have been superseded by new laws but two very important and fundamental clauses remain part of English law.  These clauses affirm the rights and freedoms of citizens and is the foundation of democratic society.

Clause 40 of the Magna Carta states: "To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice"

The cathedral houses a large, light cafe and, of course, the ubiquitous gift shop.  Salisbury itself is a pretty town with a medieval centre and an ancient market square. The cathedral is approached along traditional streets housing cafes and gift shops making it worthy of a stroll. The town is only 12 kilometres from Stonehenge which I have written about in a previous post. It can be found in the search box.