Old Sarum anniversary to be marked with weekend of activities
Next Sunday will 800 years since the Old Sarum cathedral was dissolved for the new site in modern-day Salisbury
Preparations to mark the anniversary of when three bishops graves were moved to modern-day Salisbury are moving into their final stages.
Next Sunday, 14th June, will be 800 years since the tombs of Osmund, Roger and Jocelin were moved from the hilltop Old Sarum to symbolise the new spiritual home of south Wiltshire.
To celebrate the occasion, English Heritage is getting ready for a full weekend's worth of activities, with a chance to learn more about the medieval craftsmanship that went into building Salisbury Cathedral as we know it today.
While the new Cathedral wasn't completed for another 30 years, Simon Ball, Old Sarum Manager at English Heritage, said the ceremony in 1226 was the "formal dissolution of the Cathedral at Old Sarum".
History brought to life
On Saturday, 13th June, a number of interactive activities will be available at Old Sarum, featuring many of the trades that helped create Salisbury Cathedral.
Simon told us we can get involved in a living history encampment that will include a stonemason, blacksmith, medieval stained glass window maker, medieval cloth maker and cookery demonstrations.
He added that there will opportunities to learn about life for the Cannons of the Cathedral at the time, as well as knights and soldiers who will be in armour and displaying the various weapons from the age.
There will also be numerous activities for children to engage with.
Tickets for these activities are available via the English Heritage website and are free for English Heritage members.
New meets old
On the day of the anniversary, the cathedral and current members of the clergy and choristers will be travelling to the hilltop for a special event.
A short service will be held at 1.30pm within the footprint of the old cathedral, before the group returns to the current location for an evensong service at 3.30pm.
Both services will feature the theme of the move and its significance.