Salisbury Cathedral (Cathedral Church Of The Blessed Virgin Mary). (Part Two).

Salisbury Cathedral.

Artist: John Constable.

Date: Circa 1825.

This File: 9 December 2014.

User: Tohma

(Wikimedia Commons)

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

Although the Spire is the Cathedral’s most impressive feature, it has proved troublesome. Together with the Tower, it added 6,397 tons (6,500 tonnes) to the weight of the building. 

Without the addition of Buttresses, Bracing Arches and Anchor Irons, over the succeeding centuries, it would have suffered the fate of Spires on other great ecclesiastical buildings, and fallen down, such as: 

Malmesbury Abbey, 1180 to 1500; 

Lincoln Cathedral, 1311 to 1548; 

Old St Paul’s Cathedral, London, 1314 to 1561; 

Chichester Cathedral, 1402 to 1861. 

Instead, Salisbury Cathedral became the tallest Church Spire in the Country on the collapse at Saint Paul’s (as the result of a fire) in 1561. 

The Trinity Chapel (The Lady Chapel), Salisbury Cathedral

The artwork below the Window is a Nicholas Pope installation “The Apostles Speaking in Tongues Lit By Their Own Lamps”, exhibited in the Summer of 2014.

Photo: 8 July 2014.

Source: Own work.

Attribution: “Photo by DAVID ILIFF.

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0”.

Author: Diliff

(Wikimedia Commons)

The large supporting Pillars at the corners of the Spire are seen to bend inwards under the stress. The addition of reinforcing Tie-Beams above the Crossing, designed by Christopher Wren in 1668, halted further deformation.[14] The Beams were hidden by a false Ceiling installed below the Lantern Stage of the Tower.

Significant changes to the Cathedral were made by the architect James Wyatt in 1790, including the replacement of the original Rood Screen and demolition of a Bell Tower, which stood about 320 feet (98 metres) North-West of the main building.

Salisbury is one of only three English Cathedrals to lack a Ring of Bells, the others being Norwich Cathedral and Ely Cathedral. However, its Mediæval Clock does strike the time with Bells every fifteen minutes.

Salisbury Cathedral.

Photo: 3 May 2023.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tomaszp

(Wikimedia Commons)

In February 2016, the Cathedral Chapter placed Sophie Ryder’s sculpture “The Kiss” straddling a path on the grounds, where it was to remain until July 2016. After only a few days, the work had to be moved, as pedestrians kept bumping into it while texting.[15]

On 25 October 2018, there was an attempted theft of the Cathedral”s copy of Magna Carta; the alarms were triggered and a forty-five-year-old man was later detained on suspicion of attempted theft, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon. 

The outer layer of a double-layered glass case containing the document was broken, but the document suffered no damage.[16] 

West façade of Salisbury Cathedral.

Photo: 27 August 2017.

Source: Own work.

Author: Chauhan.shweta14

(Wikimedia Commons)

In January 2020, the perpetrator, Mark Royden, aged forty-seven, from Kent, was found guilty of the attempted theft, which caused £14,466 of damage, and guilty of criminal damage.[17]

From 16 January 2021, while closed to Services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cathedral was used to accommodate the vaccination programme in The United Kingdom, a day after Lichfield Cathedral became the first place of Worship to become part of the immunisation plan against the pandemic in England.[18][19] 

A selection of music was played on the Organ as people received their vaccinations.[18]

PART THREE FOLLOWS.