The stories of Salisbury’s historic buildings revealed in new book

Salisbury in 50 buildings is a new book by Paul Rabbitts and Liz Gordon which explores the city’s architecture while revealing the fascinating stories behind some of the city’s various buildings.

With its magnificent Early English cathedral, timbered buildings and historic houses, Salisbury has a wealth of history and architectural treasures, say the authors.

Salisbury’s architectural story began 2,500 years ago when an Iron Age fort was built on Salisbury Hill, two miles north of the modern town centre, and developed into the town of Old Sarum.

The origins of modern Salisbury (New Sarum) date from 1217 when the Bishop relocated his seat to church-owned land to the south of the hill. Work on the cathedral started in 1220 and, in the years that followed, a thriving town developed.

In this book, authors Paul Rabbitts and Liz Gordon take the reader on an engaging tour of Salisbury’s landmarks and significant buildings from across the centuries.

It tells the stories of the structures that reveal the history of the town, showing how it developed and telling the story of its people and their way of life. The wide range of structures included range from the cathedral to bridges, almshouses to inns, and cinemas to townhouses.

Illustrated throughout, this broad and accessible perspective of Salisbury’s architectural heritage will interest residents and visitors alike.

The book is available to buy online here, or will be available at all good local bookshops, museums, as well as some of the buildings included in the book from the 15th October.