Rock blessed for Salisbury Cathedral's 800th year

An 800kg piece of rock which is due to be attached to Salisbury Cathedral to mark its 800th anniversary celebrations has been blessed.

In 1220 the cathedral moved from Old Sarum to Salisbury - making it the only English cathedral to move location.

The slab of limestone was taken from the same seam at Chicksgrove Quarry which provided the original stones used to build the cathedral.

A final blessing will be held during a special service on 30 April.

Masons will carve and fix the rock on to the east end of the building to mark 800 years since the cathedral moved.

The Very Revd Nicholas Papadopulos, the Dean of Salisbury, travelled to the quarry to consecrate it.

"Whilst it is wonderful to have a year of celebrations shared across the city, we also wanted to trace that journey of faith that is personal to the cathedral," he said.

Gary Price, clerk of the works at the cathedral, selected the rock.

He said: "Any mason who has ever worked on this building joins a 'family' going back generations, sharing ancient skills and learning from the work left by those who went before.

"In the stonemasons and glazing shops we are reminded daily of just what the cathedral builders achieved - the endurance of their skills.

"What better way to celebrate the building they created than by creating a stone to place within these walls?"

The cathedral's move to Salisbury acted as a catalyst for the city to develop.

The move was made in defiance of the Kings' men, with a building plan that would have challenged even technologically advanced modern builders.

More than 50 years later the cathedral boasted a 400ft (123-metre) spire - the tallest medieval spire in the country.

The cathedral is now home to the "finest preserved" of the four original copies of the Magna Carta.