In the 4th century BC The Iron Age rampart Old Sarum was built in the 4th century BC. This was later used as a fortress by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and finally, from the 11th century onwards, by the Normans. Around the year 460, Salisbury Plain was the scene of the Night of the Long Knives, during which Celtic nobles were murdered by Anglo-Saxon mercenaries under the pretext of negotiations. Under Norman rule, the settlement became a bishopric.
In 1220, Bishop Richard Poore of Sarum began building a new cathedral about three kilometers away in the valley south of the Old Sarum fortress. This was the nucleus of today's city of Salisbury, initially under the name New Sarum. Just seven years later, Salisbury received city rights. In 1258 the cathedral was consecrated after 38 years of construction. More and more residents moved to the new city and Old Sarum was abandoned over time.
Salisbury was a textile manufacturing center. The college was one of the most prestigious in Europe. In the 17th century, the city became the scene of several battles during the civil war. This led to the decline of the city.
The industrial revolution passed Salisbury almost without a trace. To this day, the region has been shaped by agriculture and has no industry worth mentioning. In the second half of the 20th century, tourism became the city's main source of income.
Salisbury Plain has been used as a military training ground north and west of the city since the 19th century.
On March 4, 2018, the location reached the media worldwide because of an attack on the former Russian-British double agent Sergei Viktorovich Skripal and his daughter with a neurotoxin from the Novichok group.