where is pillars of the earth based on
The Pillars of the Earth The novel's Kingsbridge is fictional. Follett set it in Marlborough, Wiltshire; he chose that location because the cathedrals of Winchester, Gloucester, and Salisbury could be reached from there within a few days on horseback. Kingsbridge Cathedral as described is based on the cathedrals of Wells and Salisbury.[4] The Preface includes the following sources: An Outline of European Architecture, by Nikolaus Pevsner, The Cathedral Builders, by Jean Gimpel, and The Medieval Machine, by Jean Gimpel.