In April, 1220, the foundation of this massive Cathedral was laid in Salisbury, England. Eventually, labourers would use 60,000 tonnes of stone to complete their masterpiece in the way people of the Middle Ages honoured God.
Salisbury Cathedral 2025 Suttong.com
The spire is the tallest in Britain at 123m.
It’s Easter, the foundational story of Christianity, so the celebration begins outside. It’s Holy Saturday so the stone still blocks the entrance to the tomb.
Easter 2025 at Salisbury Cathedral Suttong.com
Inside, the artistry of the workers can be seen from floor to ceiling as well as in furniture and objects of sacred art.
Candles at Easter Salisbury Cathedral
View from the 13 Century quire Salisbury Cathedral
Artistry is everywhere.
Pulpit at Salisbury Cathedral Suttong.com
Lectern at Salisbury Cathedral Suttong.com
Water flows from this font
Sometimes the art of a place inspires when words fail.
The world’s oldest working Mechanical clock Salisbury Cathedral Suttong.com
OUTSIDE
In addition to the first images outside the Cathedral, I’ve included some more here.
Close up of the West Doors
The scene above the West Doors
Green space seen from inside the cloisters Salisbury Cathedral
A video panorama because it’s difficult to capture the image on a phone photo.
THE CHAPTER HOUSE
There is a special room, the Chapter House, which contains one of the original Magna Carta documents written in 1215. Early ideas of personal freedom and justice still resonate with people today who take action against tyrannical rule. The original was signed by King John. Copies went to the bishops of England.
Chapter House Ceiling
Priests have gathered in the Chapter House for centuries.
Above the seating, medieval artists illustrated scenes from the Bible. Here are a two examples.
The old table is in good condition. The tiled floor in the Chapter House was replaced with tiles replicating the originals.
The Magna Carta isn’t an explicitly Christian document, but the context is a reminder of the powerful connexion of church and state for thousands of years. The original is protected in a vault, visitors can view the encased document and see a dynamic translation of the original Latin in the Charter House.
I added a specific section (in translation), which is still relevant today. The original does not have numbered sections.
Christianity is of course older than this ancient church yet we see in the carved images the way people understood the Bible stories as the characters are dressed in medieval attire as in the stone work. It isn’t that different from the way people understood God at work during the centuries of life covered by the Bible documents.
In places like Salisbury Cathedral we are connected to the past even as we cannot escape our present context.
Notes
There are toilets and a gift shop at the end of the tour route.
There is a fee to enter for a tour.
It is an active church where visitors are welcome.
I may earn money if you click on an ad.
I earn some money from book sales.
Notes
The photos are mine and were taken April 19, 2025.
Images
Readers are free to use my pictures provided you reference this blog post.
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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.
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