TALK: The importance of the marketplace in the development of New Sarum
- FREE, with a suggested donation to go towards the upkeep of St Thomas’s Church
- 14 Apr 27
- St Thomas’s Church
- 19:30-20:30
Salisbury (or New Sarum) is a city that never fails to capture the imagination.
This year, we celebrate 800 years since its foundation charter at a time when hitherto the main settlement was the commercial, military and ecclesiastical city on a hilltop known today as Old Sarum, located within and around an Iron Age Hillfort. While Old Sarum was the focus for several Roman Roads, it then developed as a Saxon settlement, becoming a centre of Norman rule and is where the Domesday survey of 1086 was presented to William I. Its historical pre-eminence would come to an end as the new City was founded some 3km (2 miles) away from the old hilltop at a more convenient location closer to the rivers.
A thriving medieval city, Salisbury’s subsequent growth was limited, and it never became a major industrial centre. Fortunately for us, many surviving earlier features remain in its buildings, street plan, river systems and even its urban drainage history from the thirteenth century to the present, capturing the imaginations of residents and visitors alike.
We are proud to present Sarum then and now: five rivers and a movable city, that is hosted at St Thomas’s Church, a famous perpendicular medieval church. The speakers are active in researching the history of Salisbury and its surroundings and will focus not only on its medieval origins, but on its subsequent development. It also provides opportunity for them to present the most recent findings from their historical research.
St Thomas’s Church, the Parochial Church Council, Church Wardens and clergy all welcome you to come and listen to these talks.