Old Sarum Castle - English Heritage

High above Salisbury Plain stands Old Sarum, the site of the ancient city of Salisbury. In the Iron Age a massive hillfort was created here, named Sorviadum by the Celts, meaning 'the fortress by the gentle river'. This was later occupied by the Romans, several Roman roads converge on the site. In Saxon times a town grew up within the prehistoric ramparts, which defended the local people against attack from marauding Vikings.

After the Norman conquest in 1066, William the Conqueror was a frequent visitor and part of the famous Domesday book was written here. Old Sarum grew into one of the most flourishing settlements in early Medieval England, until the bishop moved his cathedral to the town of (New) Salisbury in 1219.

Address:

Castle Road
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 3SD

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