The 800-year-old St Thomas’ Church in Salisbury’s town centre was built in 1219 to serve workers on Salisbury Cathedral, however, the bulk of the current church dates from the 15th century.
The main drawcard for visitors is the 15th-century Doom painting.
What to see at St Thomas’ Church
The church is a lovely spot to visit and many visitors to Salisbury prefer it to the much more touristed cathedral.
The medieval Doom painting is one of the church’s main attractions. It is the largest and most complete painting of its kind in the UK. The 1475 Doom painting was painted over in 1593, during the Reformation, and was uncovered and restored in 1881. A more recent restoration of this painting took place in 2019.
![The Doom Painting at St Thomas’ Church dates from 1475 but was painted over in 1593, then restored in 1881 and again in 2019. (Photo: Nessino [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)](https://englandrover.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/st-thomas-church-salisbury.jpg)
Visiting St Thomas’ Church
St Thomas’ Church is in the heart of the city centre at the northern end of High Street. However, it is hard to find as the church is hidden from view and accessible through a small gate next to Caffè Nero or alternatively via St Thomas Square. It is a 10-minute walk from the railway station, a six-minute walk to the cathedral and a three-minute walk to the Cathedral Close.
Visitors to the church can see a mobile-optimised guide to the church at tom.church, which highlights the church’s architectural and historical features.
The church is wheelchair accessible but some areas of the floor are uneven, which is to be expected in an 800-year-old building.
It is free to visit the church and it is open for sightseeing from 9am until 5pm Monday to Saturday and between noon and 5pm on Sundays.
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