Old Sarum occupies a cornerstone position in the foundation of the English system of government and the liturgy of the Anglican Church. Its historical importance fades back into the mists of time, and reverberates to this day. If only its walls could talk.
(edited from Wikipedia)
Old Sarum is site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury in England. Located on a hill about 2 miles (3 km) north of modern Salisbury near the A345 road, the settlement appears in some of the earliest records in the country.
The great monoliths of Stonehenge and Avenbury were erected nearby, and indications of prehistoric settlement have been discovered from as early as 3000 BC. An Iron Age hillfort was erected around 400 BC, controlling the intersection of two native trade paths and the Hampshire Avon.
The site continued to be occupied during the Roman Period when the paths became roads. The Saxons took the British fort in the 6th century and later used it as a stronghold against marauding Vikings.
The Normans constructed a motley and bailey castle, a stone curtain wall, and a great cathedral upon their occupation of Old Sarum. A royal palace was built within the castle for King Henry I and was subsequently used by Plantagenet monarchs. The settlement lasted for around 300 years until disputes between the Sheriff of Wiltshire and the Bishop of Salisbury finally led to the removal of the church into the nearby plain.
In 1075, the Council of London established Herman as the first bishop of Salisbury. He and Saint Osmund began the construction of the first Salisbury Cathedral, but neither lived to see its completion in 1092.
Osmund was a cousin of William the Conqueror and the Lord Chancellor of England; he was responsible for the codification of the Sarum Rite, and the compilation of the Doomsday Book. After centuries of advocacy from Salisbury's bishops — Osmund was finally canonized by Pope Callixtus III in 1457.
The Doomsday book, which determined what taxes were owed after the redistribution of land following the Norman Conquest (its judgments were without appeal, thus "The Book of Judgment"), was most likely presented to William I at Old Sarum in 1086. That was the same year King William convened the prelates, nobles, sheriffs, and knights of his dominions there to pay him homage by the Oath of Salisbury. Two other national councils were held there: one by William Rufus in 1096 and another by Henry I in 1116, which has sometimes been described as the first English Parliament.
The Sarum Rite greatly influenced the Book of Common Prayer.
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