Salisbury and the Magna Carta

A few years ago, I read the historical novel Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, which tells the story of England's long history through fictional characters who represent the different eras from the Ice Age to the present.

To say it is broad in scope is a vast understatement.  It dramatically illustrates how subsequent conquerors brought not simply different rule but new strains of DNA along with evolving ways of life.  Celtics, Romans, Saxons and Normans all made contributions to what we now consider to be English.

These cultural shifts also impacted our 13 British colonies that became the United States of America.

Perhaps the most significant British influence came with our adherence to principles of due process of law for every citizen, regardless of their stations in life, which sprang from the Magna Carta.

The original decree with that name forced upon King John in the year 1215 wasn't about "freedom and  justice for all" but rather exclusively for the benefit of nobles who objected when the King's high taxes, seizure of property and selective enforcement of laws became too egregious.

As famous as it is for establishing foundations for our Bill of Rights, the Magna Carta was only in effect for a few days before King John convinced Pope Innocent III to void the agreement with a papal bull.

Nonetheless, approximately 40 copies of the original were distributed around the land, and the rest, as they say, is history.

King John unexpectedly died just over a year later, but his 9-year-old son Henry III signed an abridged version as advisers recommended in order to keep the kingdom in tact.  In 1225, Henry III ratified a third version of the Magna Carta as an adult under his own seal.

The Magna Carta gradually took root over generations, as new Kings were forced to sign modified versions. It gained credence through repetition, not unlike British Common Law, upon which our legal system is based.

Our Founding Fathers understood the intent of the legal principles of the Magna Carta, but they had the revolutionary notion of having them apply to each and every citizen, regardless of their position in society.

The principles have been incorporated into the Charter of the United Nations.

As such, the Magna Carta is honored throughout the world.  Only four original copies are known to have survived to this day, and the best preserved of these is exhibited at Salisbury Cathedral.

Last year, a nut with a hammer attacked the case, apparently intent on stealing it.



The cracked case is now displayed in the area of the Magna Carta exhibit.

We waited in a short line to get a close look at the precious document that holds such great meaning for us.  The Magna Carta is written in Latin, though the English language has changed so much over the years that I doubt I could have read a version translated into English of that era.

The majestic Cathedral itself is worth seeing, regardless of that historic document.  The foundation stone of the Cathedral was laid in 1220.

The new Cathedral replaced nearby Old Sarum Cathedral.

The town of Sarum had originally been on a defensible hilltop, but it had also deteriorated over the years.

New Sarum grew up around Salisbury Cathedral, and with the Cathedral being the significant draw of this new market village, the city itself became known as Salisbury.

Like Wells Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral escaped destruction in Henry VIII's Dissolution by converting to Anglican from Catholic.

The city of Salisbury is a pleasant merger of historic village with modern services, including Burger King, where we had a royal lunch that King John could have only dreamt of savoring.

I must confess a bit of disappointment that we only drove past the mesa where Old Sarum once sat, seeing it briefly outside the bus window.

I would have liked to have wandered around the hilltop site of the old city.

While it isn't the same hill apparently, I nonetheless have come to associate the whole Sarum story and its transition to Salisbury, with all the changes along the way, to a Peter Gabriel video for Solsbury Hill called "Live DNA," which shows Gabriel and his band at different ages performing the song in different eras.

However, I don't think we could have enjoyed staying in Salisbury any more than we loved our time in Bath, which is about 32 miles away.

Stonehenge is just eight miles northeast of Salisbury, making an easy combination for a day trip from Bath.  Cotswold Villages were added as a third element to this trip.

While we could have changed hotels more frequently, packing and unpacking daily to change hotels isn't our bag.