Church spires

 

Church spires

Salisbury Cathedral, from the Bishop's Grounds, 1823, painted by John Constable  (1776-1837)

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

We were discussing church spires recently. They were once prominent landmarks but now are frequently overshadowed by taller constructions.

They point the way to heaven and often house bells, whose clamour calls the faithful to worship.

The spire of Salisbury Cathedral has been the tallest in the United Kingdom since 1561, after the collapse of St Paul’s spire after a fire. In 2018, it gained attention in the press through being visited by two Russians, apparently on a sightseeing tour and wishing to see it for themselves. It transpired that they were military intelligence agents, intent on using Novichok to murder Sergei Skripal, a Russian double agent spying for Britain.

  Salisbury is one of only three cathedrals in the country that does not have a ring of bells.

There is more information here about the building, including the modern font of 2008 designed by William Pye.

Authors inspired by Salisbury Cathedral include Thomas Hardy, William Golding, and Ken Follett, among others. The great gothic building has also inspired artists including John Constable, J.M.W. Turner, Henry Moore, and Antony Gormley.