ON THIS day in 1632, a baby born in East Knoyle in Wiltshire went onto become a world-renowned architect offering a solution to the spire of Salisbury Cathedral during his assessment on the building.

Sir Christopher Wren was the only surviving son of Christopher Wren the Elder and Mary Cox but was a sickly child. He was drawn to mathematics but after completing his masters, he became a professor of astronomy. He went on to study architecture when he was commissioned to design the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford.

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The foundations of Salisbury Cathedral were not built to withstand the additional weight of the Spire and gradually, the spire moved out of alignment. 

Wren, whose work included St Paul’s Cathedral, visited Salisbury Cathedral in August 1668 to assess the building’s condition. He noted that the Spire had shifted just slightly from its upright position. To resolve the issue, Wren suggested strong iron bands were fitted to the inside of the spire.

At the time, Wren apparently praised the proportions and simplicity of the cathedral but was critical of its inadequate foundations and buttressing.

Born on October 20, 1632, Wren was knighted on November  14, 1673 and he died on February 25, 1723 aged 91.