Salisbury Cathedral
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Salisbury Cathedral: The Birth of English Gothic Architecture
Rising four hundred and four feet above the Salisbury Plain in England, one can see the tip of the tallest spire in all of Britain. Below the spire lies a Cathedral of unmatched grandeur.
The first stone for the Salisbury Cathedral was laid in 1220, and it was finished only thirty-eight years later in 1258. For the first time in history, ground was broken for an early Christian cathedral because the Salisbury Cathedral was the first to be built on an unobstructed “virgin” site (Crotchet 81-89). This meant that the architect, Canon Elias of Dereham, was able to build it exactly as he wanted with no spatial or organizational restrictions. Salisbury Cathedral not only boasts the tallest spire in Britain, but also the highest vault, the oldest working clock, and the resting place of one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. The Cathedral is the first and oldest remaining example of Early English Gothic architecture. Unprecedented at its time, the Salisbury Cathedral made full use of the new ideas and technologies associated with the
English Gothic movement, and it has proven to be a historically important and transitional piece of architecture.
Analytical Essay
The Gothic movement in Europe arose as a response to Romanesque ideas about religion and art. It was driven by new Christian doctrine that focused on Christ as a “New Light” and avoided the Romanesque’s focus on hell and doomsday. In attempt to translate these lighter, happier religious ideas into architecture, architects began to deconstruct the massive structures that were cathedrals at this time. Unnecessary weight was removed from the exterior walls. In its
Sanchez, 2
place, flying buttresses were added to the exterior of the churches to support the great vaults that spanned the naves. This technique is seen at Salisbury where there are several different
Salisbury Cathedral: The Birth of English Gothic Architecture
Rising four hundred and four feet above the Salisbury Plain in England, one can see the tip of the tallest spire in all of Britain. Below the spire lies a Cathedral of unmatched grandeur.
The first stone for the Salisbury Cathedral was laid in 1220, and it was finished only thirty-eight years later in 1258. For the first time in history, ground was broken for an early Christian cathedral because the Salisbury Cathedral was the first to be built on an unobstructed “virgin” site (Crotchet 81-89). This meant that the architect, Canon Elias of Dereham, was able to build it exactly as he wanted with no spatial or organizational restrictions. Salisbury Cathedral not only boasts the tallest spire in Britain, but also the highest vault, the oldest working clock, and the resting place of one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. The Cathedral is the first and oldest remaining example of Early English Gothic architecture. Unprecedented at its time, the Salisbury Cathedral made full use of the new ideas and technologies associated with the
English Gothic movement, and it has proven to be a historically important and transitional piece of architecture.
Analytical Essay
The Gothic movement in Europe arose as a response to Romanesque ideas about religion and art. It was driven by new Christian doctrine that focused on Christ as a “New Light” and avoided the Romanesque’s focus on hell and doomsday. In attempt to translate these lighter, happier religious ideas into architecture, architects began to deconstruct the massive structures that were cathedrals at this time. Unnecessary weight was removed from the exterior walls. In its
Sanchez, 2
place, flying buttresses were added to the exterior of the churches to support the great vaults that spanned the naves. This technique is seen at Salisbury where there are several different
Cited: Blum, Pamela Z. "Liturgical Influences on the Design of the West Front at Wells and Salisbury." Chicago Journals. 25.1 (1986): 145-150. Print. Crotchet, Dotted. "Salisbury Cathedral." Musical Times. 44.720 (1903): 81-89. Print. Hoey, Lawrence. "Piers versus Vault Shafts in Early English Gothic Architecture." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 46.3 (1987): 241-260. Print. Rosenau, Helen. "Cathedral Design of Medieval England ."Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs. 66.384 (1935): n. page. Print. White, Gleeson. The Cathedral Church of Salisbury: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the See of Sarum. G. Bell, 1896. Print.