Did You Know?

It is a medieval cathedral city in the southern England county of Wiltshire. It’s 9 miles south of the prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge, which stands on the grassland of Salisbury Plain.

Salisbury is probably the most famous for its Cathedral, also known as Cathedral Church of the Virgin Mary. This is the site of England’s tallest spire, as well as the world's oldest working clock.

To this day, we’re still not certain what Stonehenge actually is, what it was for, and who built it. Perhaps the huge mystery surrounding these apparently strategically placed rocks is why it receives around 800,000 tourists every year.

Salisbury Meaning. habitational name from the city in Wiltshire, the Roman name of which was Sorviodunum.

Rap star Jay Z has been known to turn up unannounced in Salisbury! He launched his album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” at the cathedral itself, alongside a picture of the original Magna Carta too.

The two names for the city, Salisbury and Sarum, are humorously alluded to in a 1928.

The turret clock on Salisbury Cathedral is the oldest working mechanical clock in the world, dating back to 1386. In that time, it has ticked more than 4.4. billion times! The cathedral is one of the most visited spots in Salisbury and it has the tallest spire in Britain, at 40 feet high.

The manuscript at Salisbury Cathedral is the best preserved of four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, which were written up shortly after King John met and agreed terms with 25 rebellious barons at Runnymede Surrey on 15 June 1215.

Did you know that at 404 feet the spire at the Cathedral is the tallest spire in England and its tallest masonry structure, It was at one time the tallest spire in all Europe. The spire was built in 1320, a century after the foundation stone of the main building was laid.

Did you know that William Golding was a teacher at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury when he wrote Lord of the Flies? His career there began in 1940 and ended in 1962.

Another historical fact comes from Paulie Beenz Ward: "It's home to one of the only four remaining Magna Carta documents." The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by King John, and guarantees English political liberties.

Alongside all the other claims to fame that it has, it’s also home to The Red Lion Hotel, the oldest purpose-built hotel in the whole of Europe (the building has always been a hotel rather than being converted). Built in 1220, the hotel was actually used to house the workers who were building the Cathedral at the time.

A cushty fact from Ian Webber is that: "Only Fools & Horses filmed here." Locations here are especially prominent in the episode "A Losing Streak" which readers might remember is the episode where Del Boy faces off against Boycie in a game of poker. Lovely Jubbly!