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Old Sarum is a hillforted settlement occupying a commanding position on a chalk downland near Salisbury in Wiltshire, whose occupation spans from the Iron Age through to the medieval period. The site comprises a substantial multivallate hillfort with concentric defensive earthworks, within which stand the remains of a Norman castle and the foundations of an early cathedral, demonstrating continuity of settlement and administrative importance across many centuries. The Norman castle was built in the eleventh century following the conquest, whilst the cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, served as the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury before the cathedral was relocated to the new town of Salisbury in the thirteenth century. The combination of prehistoric fortifications, Norman military architecture, and ecclesiastical structures makes Old Sarum significant as a palimpsest of English settlement patterns and the transition from hillforted strongholds to planned medieval urbanism.
Old Sarum is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1015675. View the official record →
Old Sarum is a hillforted settlement occupying a commanding position on a chalk downland near Salisbury in Wiltshire, whose occupation spans from the Iron Age through to the medieval period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1015675.
Old Sarum is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1015675.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Woodbury ancient villages (4.9 km), Bowl barrow 430m north west of Northdown Barn (5.7 km), Round barrows S of Hare Warren (6.7 km).
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Research the area around Old Sarum