Old Sarum

Old Sarum is the oldest settlement of Salisbury ( Wiltshire, England). There is evidence that the place was inhabited since around 3000 BC. Old Sarum is located on a hill about three kilometers north of modern Salisbury, on the western side of the road that leads to Stonehenge.

History

Old Sarum at the time of the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons

Sir Richard Colt Hoare, a British historian of the 18th century, who published the excavation results of William Cunnington in Stonehenge, Old Sarum described as "a city of high note in the remotest periods by the several barrows near it, and its proximity to the two large largest Druidical temples in England, namely, Stonehenge and Avebury " ( German: " a city which, judging from the nearby burial mounds and the proximity to the two largest Druid temples in England, namely, Stonehenge and Avebury after, one in earliest times enjoyed high reputation. ") According to current knowledge Stonehenge was built long before the time of the Celtic Druids, which was not known at that time, however.

Gaius Julius Caesar called Old Sarum as a city of Belger. The Romans maintained a strong military base here. Old Sarum was a fort at the strategic point where two trade routes and the River Avon met. The fort was built oval, measuring approximately 405 m in length and 360 m in width. It consisted of a single circular rampart and a ditch. The entrance was at the east end. Old Sarum was granted the privileges of Roman law under the name Sorbiodunum. The king of Wessex, Cynric is reputed to have conquered Old Sarum in 552. Under Anglo-Saxon rule it became one of the most considerable cities of the western Anglo-Saxon kingdom, and had soon after the conversion of the Saxons to Christianity several church organizations. Beginning of the 9th century, the city was often used by Egbert of Wessex as a residence. King Edgar called 960 along the National Old Sarum to find a way to repel the Danes in the north.

The writer and cleric Peter of Blois (1125 - 1203) described Old Sarum as " barren, dry, and solitary, exposed to the rage of the wind; and the church ( Board ) as a captive on the hill where it what built, like the ark of God shut up in the profane house of Baal " ( German: " desolate, dry, and standing alone, the fury of the wind exposed, and the church ( is ) like a prisoner on the hill on which it was built, as the ark of God, as it was included in Baal godless house " ).

The time after the Norman conquest of England

After the Norman Conquest of England, the town was named after the Earl, who received the area, called Salisberie. He built a wooden castle with a moat. 1075 has started with the construction of a cathedral and a palace for the bishop. 1092 the construction of the two buildings was completed. The cathedral burned but only five days later again. 1100 is a stone keep was built (see Motte ). In 1190 a replacement Cathedral was completed. There were five walls, four in the city and one in the castle, mainly designed to support the garrison and the inhabitants in case of war, or during a siege.

1086 William the Conqueror assembled prelates, nobles, sheriffs and knights of his new dominions, there to be worshiped by them. Possibly the feudal law was adopted, as the Domesday Book was started in the same year. Two more national assemblies were held at Old Sarum: An I. also by William the Conqueror in 1096 and 1116 by Heinrich

Old Sarum decline and rise of Salisbury

Finally, in Old Sarum, there was a lack of space for new buildings. In addition, the water supply of the hilltop was taxed, which led to a bad situation for the residents of the city. Since the cathedral and the castle were in close proximity to each other and their respective leaders apart sat on a regular basis, a change of location of one of the great buildings was inevitable. 1219 began the bishop to build a new cathedral on the banks of the Avon, grew up around it gradually formed a new settlement. As New Sarum was built, the downfall Old Sarum was inevitable. The new settlement was originally called New Sarum and was later named Salisbury. 1217 inhabitants left the Old Sarum the city and built with their building materials brought new homes in New Sarum. Old Sarum was abandoned and fell into ruin. When the new city grew and in her more and more people lived, the other fell faster and faster. Of the buildings nothing remains but visitors can easily see the outline of the old castle and the cathedral. Old Sarum is today because of its long history, an interesting place for reenactment.

Since the reign of Edward II Old Sarum elected two members to the House of Commons, despite the fact that there was no resident voters more since at least the 17th century. One of those elected was William Pitt the Elder, who was prime minister in the 18th century. 1831, eleven people participated in the election, all landowners from the surrounding areas, which meant that Old Sarum ( rotten borough ), the most famous church was depraved. The Reform Act 1832 disenfranchised Old Sarum completely.

Processing in the arts

Writers such as Ken Follett took the historic site as an impression for their works. So Follett used for the book The Pillars of the Earth, which in medieval England, also impressions from history Sarum Old Sarum or. Edward Rutherfurd (actually Francis Edward Wintle ), himself originally from Salisbury, wrote in his novel Sarum, which was published in 1987, fictional family fortunes down, all of which relate to portions of the history of Sarum, and says so on the basis precisely of the stories the story of Sarum. Even with paintings is resorted to Sarum. Thus, the English artist John Constable painted in 1829, a work that shows Old Sarum. Furthermore, Constable painted pictures, which for example reflect the Salisbury Cathedral.

Personalities

Sons and daughters:

• John Bevis (1695-1771), physician and amateur astronomer