Editing Salisbury Cathedral (section)

=== 21st century ===
In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/press-release-archive/salisbury-cathedrals-750th-anniversary-open-day-overwhelming-success |title=Salisbury Cathedral's 750th Anniversary Open Day An Overwhelming Success |publisher=Salisbury Cathedral |language=en |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=19 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125528/http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/press-release-archive/salisbury-cathedrals-750th-anniversary-open-day-overwhelming-success |archive-date=8 December 2015 }}</ref> In 2023, the completion of a programme of external restoration begun in 1985 saw the removal of scaffolding that had stood around the building for some 37 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-66753871|first1=Emma |last1=Colman|first2=Dawn|last2=Limbu|title=Salisbury Cathedral restoration complete after four decades|work=[[BBC News]]|date=10 September 2023|access-date=25 June 2024}}</ref>

The cathedral previously employed five [[cathedral constable]]s (known as "Close Constables"), whose duties mainly concerned the maintenance of law and order in the cathedral close. They were made redundant in 2010 as part of cost-cutting measures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7928053/Anger-after-Salisbury-Cathedral-Constables-scrapped-to-save-money.html|title=Anger after Salisbury Cathedral Constables 'scrapped to save money'|last=Hough|first=Andrew|date=6 August 2010|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=24 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025051006/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7928053/Anger-after-Salisbury-Cathedral-Constables-scrapped-to-save-money.html|archive-date=25 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The constables were first appointed when the cathedral became a [[liberty (division)|liberty]] in 1611 and survived until the introduction of municipal police forces in 1835 with the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835|Municipal Corporations Act]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cathedralconstables.co.uk/pb/wp_04804f3d/wp_04804f3d.html|title=Salisbury Cathedral Close Constables|publisher=Cathedral Constables' Association|access-date=24 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911220717/http://www.cathedralconstables.co.uk/pb/wp_04804f3d/wp_04804f3d.html|archive-date=11 September 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1800 they were given the power, along with the city constables, to execute any justices' or court orders requiring the conveyance of prisoners to or from the county jail (at Fisherton Anger, then outside the city of Salisbury) as if it were the city jail (and, in so doing, they were made immune from any legal action for acting outside their respective jurisdictions).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/gaols.pdf|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110202093443/http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/gaols.pdf|title=Statute Law Revision: Gaols: Repeal Proposals|date=April 2006|publisher=[[Law Commission (England and Wales)|Law Commission]]|access-date=17 June 2011|archive-date=2 February 2011}}</ref> The right of the cathedral, as a liberty, to maintain a separate police force was conclusively terminated by the [[Local Government Act 1888]].<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1888/pdf/ukpga_18880041_en.pdf section 48(3)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208084146/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1888/pdf/ukpga_18880041_en.pdf |date=8 December 2009 }}, [[Local Government Act 1888]]</ref><ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1888/pdf/ukpga_18880041_en.pdf section 119(4)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208084146/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1888/pdf/ukpga_18880041_en.pdf |date=8 December 2009 }}, [[Local Government Act 1888]]</ref>

Between 1864 and 1953 there were records of [[peregrine falcon]]s being present at the cathedral. More arrived in 2013 and have been hatching every year since with their nests on the cathedral's tower.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/visit-what-see/peregrine-falcons-0|title=Peregrine Falcons {{!}} Salisbury Cathedral|website=www.salisburycathedral.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704063448/https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/visit-what-see/peregrine-falcons-0|archive-date=4 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, the cathedral chapter placed [[Sophie Ryder]]'s sculpture ''The Kiss'' (of a pair of hands) straddling a path in the grounds. It was moved shortly thereafter, due to pedestrians colliding with it while texting.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/20/this-20ft-statue-had-to-be-moved-because-people-walked-into-it-while-texting-5707564/#ixzz40ojL2ErO|title=This 20ft statue had to be moved because people walked into it while texting|last=Burke|first=Dave|date=20 February 2016|newspaper=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|access-date=3 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704063550/https://metro.co.uk/2016/02/20/this-20ft-statue-had-to-be-moved-because-people-walked-into-it-while-texting-5707564/#ixzz40ojL2ErO|archive-date=4 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018 there was an attempted theft of the cathedral's copy of [[Magna Carta]]; the alarms were triggered and a 45-year-old man was later detained on suspicion of attempted theft, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon. The outer layer of a double-layered glass case containing the document was broken, but the document suffered no damage.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-45991475|title=Man arrested for Magna Carta theft attempt at Salisbury Cathedral|work=BBC News|date=26 October 2018|access-date=26 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026101516/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-45991475|archive-date=26 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2020 Mark Royden, from Kent, was found guilty of the attempted theft, which caused £14,466 of damage, and of criminal damage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-51315721|title=Man found guilty of trying to steal Magna Carta|date=2020-01-30|work=BBC News: Wiltshire|access-date=2020-01-31|language=en-GB}}</ref>

From 16 January 2021, while closed to services during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in England|COVID-19 pandemic]], the cathedral was used to accommodate the [[COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom|vaccination programme in the United Kingdom]], a day after [[Lichfield Cathedral]] became the first place of worship to become part of the immunisation plan against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in England|pandemic in England]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Morris|first=Steven|date=2021-01-16|title=Covid vaccine jabs accompanied by organ music at Salisbury Cathedral|language=en|website=The Guardian|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/16/covid-jabs-to-be-accompanied-by-organ-music-at-salisbury-cathedral|access-date=2021-01-16|archive-url=|archive-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-01-15|title=Covid-19: Lichfield Cathedral turned into vaccination centre|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-55683025|access-date=2021-01-16}}</ref> A selection of music was played on the organ as people received their vaccinations.<ref name=":0" /> In February 2024, the full exterior of the cathedral could be seen for the first time in 38 years after the removal of scaffolding that had been erected for extensive renovation works.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-68276414|title=Salisbury Cathedral finally sheds exterior scaffolding|website=BBC News |date=13 February 2024|access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>