00:00Imagine a place where kings ruled, armies trained, and a great cathedral once stood,
00:05all on top of a windy hill.
00:07Welcome to Old Serum, one of the most fascinating historical sites in Wilshire.
00:12Located in southwest England, this mysterious and ancient place holds over 5,000 years of
00:18history, and even today it continues to amaze people from around the world.
00:23Old Serum is a large, earthwork hilltop site that contains the remains of a once powerful
00:29castle, a Norman cathedral, and a thriving town that existed centuries ago.
00:34It sits just a few miles north of the modern city of Salisbury.
00:39This place has been many important moments in British history, from the times of the Iron
00:44Age through the Roman period and especially during the Norman and Medieval periods.
00:49The history of Old Serum goes back to around 3000 BC, that's more than 5000 years ago.
00:56Back then people built huge circular earth walls, called hill forts, for protection.
01:01This hill fort at Old Serum was one of them, and it later became a very strategic spot for
01:07invaders and rulers.
01:09Over the years, Romans took control of Old Serum and built their roads through it.
01:14Then came the Saxons, who used it as a strong defensive point.
01:18Old Serum truly rose to fame after William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England,
01:24visited the site in the 1070s.
01:27He ordered the construction of a mighty royal castle on top of the hill.
01:31Using stone and wood, it was a safe place to rule from because you could see enemies approaching
01:36from far away.
01:38The castle even had a royal palace, a chapel, and strong stone walls.
01:42One of the most amazing parts of Old Serum was its cathedal, built in the late 11th century.
01:49This cathedal was used for over 150 years.
01:52It was the center of religious life in the region.
01:55However, due to constant strong winds, lack of water, and arguments between church and
02:00government leaders, the bishop decided to move the cathedal downhill.
02:05This led to the creation of a brand new city, Salisbury.
02:08And a new and much larger Salisbury cathedal was built there in the 13th century.
02:14Once this happened, Old Serum slowly became desert.
02:17After the cathedal and many people moved to Salisbury, Old Serum began to fade away.
02:22By the 14th century, few people lived there, even though the town became empty.
02:28It continued to send two members to Parliament for hundreds of years, even though nobody lived
02:33there anymore.
02:34This made Old Serum one of the most famous rotten boroughs in British history, which means
02:39it had political power but no actual population.
02:42Today, when you visit Old Serum, you can still walk through the giant earth walls.
02:48Explore the remains of the stone castle and see where the old cathedal once stood.
02:53The site offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside and modern Salisbury.
02:57It's now managed by English Heritage and it is now open to visitors who want to discover
03:03England's deep and powerful past.
03:05Old Serum is not just a pile of old stone, it's a living storybook that tells the tale
03:11of England's early history.
03:12Whether you love castles, cathedrals, or just want to stand where ancient kings once ruled,
03:18this site is full of wonder and mystery.
03:21Kids and adults enjoy the place.
03:23Imagining how life must have been up on that windy hill centuries ago.
03:28From ancient tribes to mighty kings, and from a grand cathedral to a goose town with political
03:34power, Old Serum is a place where time has stood still, yet its stories continue to echo
03:40through the ages.
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