Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Salisbury

The Pilgrimage now travels westward from Hampshire to the cathedral city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. Salisbury is still, as it was in the medieval period, dominated by the cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Salisbury Cathedral

Image:Wikipedia 

Salisbury was a specific focus by reason of the dedication for Marian prayer but there seems to be no clear evidence of a specific statue as at the similarly dedicated cathedral at Lincoln.

Our Lady of Salisbury, pilgrim badge

Although not that clear the badge does shows standing figure of Our Lady holding the Christ Child rather than the earlier enthroned type

Image: Wessex Museums

 

The Virgin Mary, being patron of Salisbury Cathedral, was believed to protect Salisbury’s citizens. In 1409 a local girl watching a game of quoits was hit on the head by an iron ring – she recovered after bystanders prayed to Our Lady of Salisbury. The Wessex Museum service says the shrine was popular with pilgrims from Europe, but unfortunately does not give further details.

Salisbury Cathedral in the 1670s

On the left is the bell tower which was built in the early 1260s and tragically demolished in 1790.

This is how the cathedral would have appeared to medieval pilgrims

Image: rareoldprints.com

There is more about the bell tower in my 2011 post Vandalism at Salisbury Cathedral and I still believe it should be rebuilt, not least because then the cathedral could have bells again - it is one of three Anglian cathedrals that do not have any.

The Salisbury bell tower 

The octagonal upper stage and spire were of wood and removed some years before the final demolition 

Image: Wikinedia Commons

May Our Lady of Salisbury intercede for us and our intentions

Jesu mercy, Mary pray