Salisbury

Salisbury, city and administrative centre of Salisbury District, Wiltshire, southern England, at the confluence of the East Avon, Bourne, and Nadder rivers. Salisbury is the primary commercial and service centre in the south of Wiltshire, and there are several banking, insurance, and government offices. The manufacturing sector is comparatively small and includes pyrotechnics, electronics, engineering, and printing firms. Agriculture is more important, and Salisbury is a produce and cattle market for the surrounding agricultural district. It is also a tourist centre with many fine old buildings, most important of which is its famous cathedral (mostly 13th century), a fine example of the early English architectural style. The cathedral's spire is the highest (123 m/404 ft) in England. Salisbury originated on the nearby site of Old Sarum, which was successively a British earthwork fort, a Roman outpost, a Saxon town, and a Norman fortress. Old Sarum became a bishopric in the 11th century. In 1220 the bishopric was moved to the city's present site, and construction of the cathedral began. The town of Salisbury, formerly New Sarum, grew around the cathedral and received a charter in 1227. Population 114,614 (2001).