Treasures of Salisbury Cathedral in England — Magna Carta and a Spire Reaching towards the Sky

Salisbury is one of the cities that cannot be left out of the medieval history of England. I had gone to southern England to see Stonehenge, and after hearing that Salisbury Cathedral was famous, I decided on impulse to come here as well.

The first sight of Salisbury Cathedral was far more majestic than I had expected. I was overwhelmed at once by the tall spire rising towards the sky and by the powerful beauty of its medieval Gothic architecture.

Although I had set out to see Stonehenge, in Salisbury I found myself standing before another doorway into time. Inside the old cathedral, a single document was preserving the memory of English history and law.

That document was Magna Carta.

Salisbury Cathedral, Called a Flower of Medieval English Architecture

Salisbury Cathedral, England

The official name of Salisbury Cathedral is the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Salisbury.

This is not a Catholic cathedral, but an Anglican cathedral. In Korean, it is therefore natural to call it either Salisbury Cathedral or Salisbury Anglican Cathedral.

What has made Salisbury Cathedral especially famous is, above all, Magna Carta. Magna Carta is a document that contains the principle that even royal power must stand under the law. It holds great significance not only in English constitutional history, but also in the broader history of the rule of law and democracy.

Yet the appeal of Salisbury Cathedral does not end with Magna Carta. The spire rising high towards the sky, the balanced beauty of medieval Gothic architecture, the ancient mechanical clock, the wide green Close, and the atmosphere surrounding the cathedral all make this place deeply memorable.

Salisbury Cathedral

A Flower of Medieval English Architecture

Construction of Salisbury Cathedral began in 1220. Because its main structure was completed within a relatively short period, the overall architectural style has remained remarkably unified.

What catches the eye most of all is the spire soaring above the cathedral. The spire of Salisbury Cathedral is about 123 metres high and is known as the tallest church spire in Britain. The cathedral’s own guide also introduces it as “Britain’s tallest spire.”

Those who join the spire tour can climb upwards along a narrow spiral staircase. There are 332 steps in total. The tour, however, does not go all the way to the very top of the spire, but to the lower part of the spire, about 68 metres above ground. From there, visitors can see the cathedral’s roof structure and the inner workings of medieval architecture at close range.

The cool wind that seemed to open the chest, and the view over the plains of southern England spreading out below, were magnificent.

© Salisbury, Cathedral Church of St Mary, Chapterhouse, Wiltshire

Magna Carta in the Chapter House

Before visiting Salisbury Cathedral, Magna Carta had been only a name I remembered from world history books. But standing in the place where the actual document was kept, I felt a strange sense of emotion rise within me.

Magna Carta is one of the great treasures of English history, and it is displayed in the Chapter House of Salisbury Cathedral.

A chapter house was a place where a medieval community of monks or clergy gathered to hold meetings and discuss important matters. The Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral is octagonal in form, and it was a beautiful medieval architectural space in its own right.

Photography was not allowed in the area where Magna Carta was displayed, so I was unable to take a photograph of it myself. Instead, official images are available through Salisbury Cathedral and UNESCO’s Memory of the World materials. When I am in a place where photography is prohibited, I try to stay as long as I can and keep the scene in my eyes.

The old document placed behind glass looked small, but its meaning was anything but small. On a single sheet of parchment were held the histories of royal power and law, freedom and responsibility.

Magna Carta of 1215, preserved at Salisbury Cathedral. Image source: UNESCO Memory of the World / © Salisbury Cathedral.

The Memory of Law Held on a Single Sheet of Parchment

Magna Carta was created in 1215 during the reign of King John of England. It was not a document that completed modern democracy from the beginning, but it was deeply significant in that it clearly left behind the idea that even the king could not stand above the law.

Thinking that this document is regarded as one of the starting points of English constitutional history, and that it later influenced the rule of law and the rights of citizens, the small parchment behind glass began to look different to me. Looking at Magna Carta inside the Chapter House was not simply a matter of seeing an old historical object. It was a time to reflect on how the meaning of freedom and law had been defended in the face of power.

 

The World’s Oldest Working Mechanical Clock

Salisbury Cathedral has another ancient treasure: a medieval mechanical clock believed to have been made in 1386.

This clock is introduced as the world’s oldest working mechanical clock. It does not have a face and hands like the clocks we imagine today, but it shows the trace of medieval technology that made the passage of time move through a mechanical device.

Looking at this clock, I wondered how people in the Middle Ages understood time. The time of a cathedral must not have been merely a way of measuring hours. It must have been the time of prayer, the time of Mass, and the rhythm of labour and rest, all directed towards God.

The medieval mechanical clock at Salisbury Cathedral, which told time through its mechanism without a clock face or hands. Photo source: Wikimedia Commons.

Salisbury Cathedral beyond the Green Close

Even before I entered Salisbury Cathedral, I was already overwhelmed. Beyond the wide green Close, the exterior of the cathedral looked both majestic and elegant.

The tall spire was easy to see even from a distance, and along the cathedral walls were cross-shaped decorations, niches, and delicate carvings. It seemed as though the language of faith that medieval people had built upwards towards heaven had been carved into stone.

Salisbury Cathedral stands near the eastern side of the River Avon. Around it are other historic places as well, such as Salisbury Museum, Arundells, and Mompesson House.

After visiting the cathedral, I also looked for the old places that still remain around it.

Salisbury Cathedral from the East. Image source: Wikipedia.

The Memory of Time and Law I Found at Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral was not simply a beautiful church.

There was the architecture of medieval England, the spire rising towards the sky, and an old clock that still moves today. Above all, there was Magna Carta, one of the most important documents in English history.

It was deeply impressive that the history of law and freedom was preserved within a space of faith. The cathedral was a house of prayer directed towards God, and at the same time a historic place that showed how human society had searched for a more just order.

Although I came to Salisbury on impulse after visiting Stonehenge, this city showed me another treasure.

Under the spire that seemed to pierce the sky, the memory of old time and law remained together in one place.

 

On a pilgrimage path towards my mother, now a star
– Little Star

 

 

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