Salisbury Cathedral: Pride of Britain | Arthur Frederick Smethurst

Salisbury Cathedral

Canon A.F. Smethurst, Ph.D., M.A., B.Sc.

The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Salisbury is famous rather for its beauty and artistic merit than for its historical associations. It cannot compare with some other English cathedrals, such as Winchester or St. Paul's, in historical significance, nor is it rich in tombs of kings or national heroes-though King Henry III was present at its consecration and many other royalty have worshipped here. But it is a splendid and graceful work of architecture, in the loveliest setting of any cathedral in this country; and its superb spire is renowned throughout the world, thanks in part to the paintings of John Constable.

It symbolises the peaceful loveliness of the English countryside amidst which it stands, the eternal truths of the Christian Faith expressed in stone, and the continuing worship of Almighty God.

For more than 3,500 years Wiltshire and the district around Salisbury has been a centre of religious worship. At Stonehenge, ten miles north of the city, a temple has stood since about 1800 в.с.; and this, with its later great Stone Circle, is probably the best-known of all British archaeological remains. At Avebury, some 35 miles north of Salisbury, is a slightly earlier and much larger ancient sanctuary. Thus in the dawn of our history primitive men worshipped their gods in this area and we can still visit the impressive remains of their temples and burial places.

With the Romans the Christian religion was first brought to England; and at Old Sarum, on the summit of a chalk hill about two miles north of the present cathedral of Salisbury, they found an Early Iron Age fortified town, enclosed by a large earth wall...

Respective Featured Photos:

• The nave, looking east. This view shows the purity and austerity of the design, which reflects the influence of the Cistercian buildings of the same period.
• One of the four Bending columns upon which rest the tower and the spire. The columns were not originally designed to support a weight in excess of an estimated 6,400 tons. As a consequence, they are slightly bent.

Salisbury Cathedral | Canon A.F. Smethurst, Ph.D., M.A., B.Sc.