334 The Excavation of the Site of Old Sarum. 



the bishopric of Sherborne was moved hither by Bishop Herman, 

 in accordance with the edict of the Council of London of 1075, 

 ordering the transfer of episcopal sees from vills to cities. The 

 Cathedral Church of Old Sarum was, however, the work of 

 Herman's successor, Osmond (1078 — 99), and was hallowed in 

 1092. It stood in the north-west quarter of the outer work, 

 where its foundations can still be traced after a prolonged drought, 

 and during the autumn of 1835 they were sufficiently uncovered 

 to show that the Church was a cruciform building, about 270ft. long. 



About the year 1220 the ecclesiastical authorities obtained leave 

 to remove from Old Sarum to the new site known as Salisbury, 

 and were by degrees followed by the townsfolk. The Cathedral 

 Church was left standing until 1331, when the Dean and Chapter 

 obtained letters patent from the King empowering them to take 

 it down and use the stones for the repair of their Church and the 

 walling in of the Close. A chapel of our Lady was to be built to 

 mark the site, and remained standing into the 16th century. The 

 Eoyal Castle, of course, continued to exist, but fell into decay 

 during the fifteenth century, and at the time of John Leland's 

 visit, about 1535, he could only record that " much notable ruinous 

 building of this castell yet ther remaynith." 



A place with such a history and so early an ending cannot fail 

 to give interesting results if scientifically excavated, and a formal 

 agreement has lately been made between the Society of Antiquaries 

 on the one part and the Dean and Chapter of Salisbury (owners), 

 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (lessees) and their tenant, Mr. 

 Carey, on the other part, for the carrying into effect of a proper 

 examination of the whole site, to which H.M. Office of Works,! 

 under whose care Old Sarum has been placed in accordance with 

 the Ancient Monuments Act, has also given its approval. 



The Nature of the Operations. 



Circumstances being favourable, operations were begun onl 

 August 23rd last, under the direction of Lieut.-Colonel Havvley 

 and Mr. Hope, and continued without interruption down tc 

 November 5th. The part selected for examination was the castle 



