History

History of Old Sarum

Old Sarum is one of the most enthralling and historically important sites in southern England. Uniquely, it combines a medieval royal castle and cathedral within an Iron Age fortification, and for 150 years was a major centre of both secular and ecclesiastical government.

Neither castle nor cathedral was occupied for long – in 1226 the cathedral was moved to nearby Salisbury, although the castle remained an administrative centre into the 14th century. Old Sarum lived on, however, as a notorious ‘rotten borough’ which continued to elect members of Parliament until 1832.

A reconstruction showing how the Iron Age hillfort at Old Sarum may have appeared in about 100 BC
A reconstruction showing how the Iron Age hillfort at Old Sarum may have appeared in about 100 BC
© Historic England (illustration by Peter Dunn)

Early occupation

An Iron Age hillfort may have been established here about 400 BC. It was then occupied shortly after the Roman conquest of Britain (AD 43), when it became known as Sorviodunum.

Three Roman roads from the north and east converged outside the east gate of the hillfort, and two sizeable Romano-British settlements were also established outside the ramparts. Little is known of this period, though it has been suggested that in the early Roman period a military fort was set up within the earthworks, with a civilian settlement outside.[1]

The civilian settlement formed the nucleus of one, or both, of the extra-mural Roman settlements. As the need for a fort dwindled, meanwhile, the area within the ramparts was converted to become the precinct for a Romano-British temple.

We have no evidence of the fate of Sorviodunum at the end of the Roman period, and the Anglo-Saxon period as a whole is poorly recorded. In 1003, however, a mint was sited within the old hillfort;[2] and archaeological finds suggest there was late Anglo-Saxon settlement outside the ramparts. So there is evidence of life in and around Old Sarum before the Conquest.[3]

The inner bailey of the medieval castle at Old Sarum, viewed from the south-west
The inner bailey of the medieval castle at Old Sarum, viewed from the south-west
© Skyscan Balloon Photography (source: Historic England Photo Library)

The medieval castle

It is William the Conqueror’s recognition of Old Sarum’s potential shortly after the Conquest that has left the greatest mark on Old Sarum. A motte was thrown up in the centre of the hillfort, creating an inner set of fortifications, with a huge outer bailey wrapped around this inner core.

Not only could this have been done quickly, but the scale of the outer bailey is sufficient to accommodate a large body of troops. Old Sarum’s position on the road network may have recommended the hillfort as an ideal army base in the early stages of the Norman Conquest.

The inner castle became home to a complex of towers, halls and apartments, while the north-western section of the bailey was selected as the site for a new cathedral. Old Sarum's importance as an administrative base grew thereafter, as the sheriffs of Wiltshire were established in the castle and the new cathedral provided a body of literate clerks who are known to have assisted with major projects.

All early buildings in the castle would have been of timber, and the oldest surviving stone structure, the keep, was probably built early in the reign of Henry I (1100–35).

Find out more about the Oath of Sarum
The courtyard house at Old Sarum as it might have looked in the late 12th century
The courtyard house at Old Sarum as it might have looked in the late 12th century
© Historic England (illustration by Peter Dunn)

In about 1130, however, the castle was made over to Roger, Bishop of Sarum and regent for Henry I during the king’s absences in Normandy.

Roger’s work on the castle is largely undocumented, but although he probably left the major fortifications as they were, the case for attributing a new residence – known as the courtyard house – to him is strong.[4] His downfall and death in 1139 and the subsequent return of the castle to the king brought to an end a period of great ambition at Old Sarum.

The next period of significant building was between 1171 and 1189, when the gatehouse was refurbished, a new drawbridge was constructed, the inner bailey was surrounded by a masonry wall, and a treasury was built in the keep.

At about the same time Henry II was lavishing a colossal amount of money on his great hunting palace at nearby Clarendon, and the work at Old Sarum may reflect a renewed royal interest in its potential. It also coincides with the period between 1173 and 1189 when Henry’s queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was kept under house arrest at Old Sarum for having incited her sons to rebel against their father.

   

Read more about Eleanor of Aquitaine

Podcast: The remarkable rise and fall of Old Sarum

Listen to this episode of the English Heriage Podcast to hear English Heritage senior properties historian Steven Brindle and historian John McNeill discuss the history of Old Sarum.

A reconstruction of Roger’s new cathedral at Old Sarum
A reconstruction of Roger’s new cathedral at Old Sarum
© Historic England (illustration by Peter Dunn)

The first and second cathedrals

The cathedral was created after the 1075 Council of London decreed that the see should be moved from Sherborne to Old Sarum. The bishop at the time was Herman, but the major work was completed under his successor, Osmund (1078–99),[5] who shaped the character and constitution of Old Sarum Cathedral.

The first, small cathedral was magnificently extended eastwards by Bishop Roger (1102–39). At his death in 1139 plans to rebuild the nave were abandoned and it was left to Bishop Jocelyn (1142–84) to furnish and fit out the enlarged cathedral, as well as add a new west front.

In addition to the cathedral, a precinct for the cathedral canons and bishop's palace had been created to the north under Osmund and Roger, to which a cloister was added, in all likelihood under Jocelyn.

The cathedral precinct today, seen from the west, with the castle beyond. Much of the stone from the old cathedral was taken to Salisbury where it was reused in the new cathedral
The cathedral precinct today, seen from the west, with the inner bailey of the castle beyond. Much of the stone from the old cathedral was taken to Salisbury where it was reused in the new cathedral
© Shutterstock

Abandonment

Dissatisfaction with the site and poor relations with the garrison in the castle caused the cathedral to be moved to its present site in Salisbury (New Sarum) in the 1220s, although royal approval for this move had been given much earlier, in 1194.

A foundation ceremony at the new cathedral was held in 1220 and on 14 June 1226 the tombs of Osmund, Roger and Jocelyn were moved to the new cathedral. This latter event marks the ritual abandonment of Old Sarum Cathedral, after which the demolition of the old cathedral began.

The abandonment of Old Sarum by the clergy during the 1220s marked the end of serious royal interest in the castle. The castle continued in use, however. Over £700 was spent on its repair and maintenance during the reign of Edward III (1327–77), though it is clear that some of the structures in the inner bailey must have been abandoned by then. The courtyard house – identified in 1330 as the building ‘in which the sheriff and his officers dwell’[6] – was the subject of a major overhaul in 1366.[7]

A caricature showing those for and against the Reform Bill of 1832, depicting the outdated electoral system as a rotten tree. Old Sarum, which appears on one of the lower left branches, was often cited as one of the most notorious ‘rotten boroughs’, which had no real voters
A caricature showing those for and against the Reform Bill of 1832, depicting the outdated electoral system as a rotten tree. Old Sarum, which appears on one of the lower left branches, was often cited as one of the most notorious ‘rotten boroughs’, which had no real voters
© Trustees of the British Museum

A ‘Rotten borough’

The castle seems to have limped on as an administrative centre into the 15th century, the end finally coming in 1514, when Henry VIII made over the ‘stones called the castle or tower of Old Sarum’[8] to Thomas Compton, together with the right to carry away the materials.

Far less is known about the outer bailey and suburbs. By the time John Leland visited Old Sarum in 1540, even the east suburb was no more: ‘Ther is not one house … [with]in Old Saresbyri or without inhabited.’[9] Old Sarum retained its borough status, however, and despite its lack of population continued to send members to Parliament until the 1832 Reform Act formally disenfranchised such ‘rotten boroughs’.


By John McNeill

Find out more

More resources

  • Why does Old Sarum matter?

    Uniquely in southern England, Old Sarum combines evidence for a royal castle and cathedral within a massive Iron Age fortification.

  • Description of Old Sarum

    Read about the three main points of interest at Old Sarum – the Iron Age earthworks, the Norman castle and the cathedral remains.

  • Research on Old Sarum

    Uncover the latest understanding of Old Sarum, historically and archaeologically, and find out what questions remain unanswered.

  • Sources for Old Sarum

    This listing provides a summary of the main sources for our knowledge and understanding of Old Sarum.

Footnotes

    1.
    J Stone and D Algar, ‘Sorviodunum’, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Magazine, 56 (1955), 104; M Corney, 2001, ‘The Romano-British nucleated settlements of Wiltshire’, in Roman Wiltshire and After, ed P Ellis (Devizes, 2001), 19–23.
    2.
    H Shortt, ‘The mints of ancient Wiltshire from Eadgar to Henry III’, Archaeological Journal, 104 (1947), 117. The Aethelred II type 4 penny minted at Old Sarum (and now in the British Museum) is illustrated as Plate 10, no. 7.
    3.
    E Crittal (ed), Victoria County History: Wiltshire, vol 6 (London, 1962), 53; J Chandler, ‘Where was Old Sarum?’, Sarum Chronicle, 4 (2004), 22–30.
    4.
    The plan of the courtyard house is closely related to that of the courtyard house at Sherborne Old Castle, documented as having been built by Roger, while the stonework excavated from the site compares closely with that found in the area of the cathedral south transept – again known to have been built while Roger was bishop.
    5.
    Osmund is described as the builder of the cathedral in the 1091 foundation charter: W Rich-Jones, The Register of St Osmund, vol 1 (London, 1883–4), 198.
    6.
    The National Archives (TNA), C 145/114(1).
    7.
    TNA, E 101/593/31(1).
    8.
    Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, vol 1, no. 5715, 26 December 1514.
    9.
    L Toulmin Smith (ed), The Itinerary of John Leland, 5 vols (London, 1906–10), 3.261.