St Thomas's Church

Salisbury


This stately church was built for cathedral workmen in 1219 and named after Thomas Becket. Its most famous feature is the amazing doom painting above the chancel arch, painted in 1475, which depicts Christ on the Day of Judgement, sitting astride a rainbow flanked by visions of Heaven and Hell.

On the Hell side, look out for two naked kings, a nude bishop, a miser with his moneybags, and a female alehouse owner – the only person allowed to hang on to her clothes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Salisbury attractions

1. Poultry Cross

0.04 MILES

Dating from the 15th century, the Poultry Cross is the last of four crosses that once stood on the town's market square.

2. Market Square

0.07 MILES

Markets were first held here in 1219, and the square still bustles with traders every Tuesday and Saturday (from 8am to 4pm), when you can pick up…

3. High St Gate

0.15 MILES

One of the narrow, ancient gates leading into Cathedral Close.

4. College of Matrons

0.17 MILES

An ornate facade and elaborate crest distinguish the College of Matrons, which was founded in 1682 for the widows and unmarried daughters of clergymen. It…

5. Mompesson House

0.17 MILES

Magnificent plasterwork ceilings, exceptional period furnishings and a sweeping carved staircase grace this fine Queen Anne (1701) building. All that made…

6. Rifles

0.23 MILES

Collections include a cannonball from the American War of Independence, Victorian redcoat uniforms, and displays on 19th- and 21st-century conflicts in…

7. Salisbury Cathedral

0.28 MILES

England is endowed with countless stunning churches, but few can hold a candle to the grandeur and sheer spectacle of 13th-century Salisbury Cathedral…

8. Magna Carta

0.32 MILES

Magna Carta on display in Salisbury Cathedral's Chapter House is one of only four surviving original copies. A historic agreement made in 1215 between…