Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, and one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The main body of the cathedral was completed in 38 years, from 1220 to 1258. Since 1549, the cathedral has had the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom, at . Visitors can take the "Tower Tour" where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wooden scaffolding, can be viewed. The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close in Britain at .
St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica (Toronto) vaults. Also, because there are no transepts, the cathedral itself does not assume the typical cruciform shape of most medieval Gothic cathedrals. Conversely, the secondary altars, or side-chapels, divide the cathedral in two down its length, providing a slight outcrop visible from the exterior. The building can be further subdivided down its length by the nine bays framed by the buttresses on the exterior of the building. The cathedral's tower supports a large iron spire located over its west entrance. At its tallest point, the tower reaches or approximately 26 stories above the ground, surpassing the height of many of