St Thomas's Church, Salisbury

The first church on the site is thought to be a small wooden chapel built 1219 by Bishop Poore as a place of worship for those working on the site of the new cathedral. This was soon replaced by a stone building, The church had its own parish by 1246. In 1447 the chancel collapsed, leading to extensive rebuilding and enlargement; a fragment of 13th-century masonry remains at the west end of the south arcade of the chancel. The replacement chancel was longer and higher and was partly paid for by Salisbury's merchants, among them William Swayne who was three times mayor of the city. The chancel aisles were also rebuilt, and Swayne provided a chantry chapel in the south aisle (now the Lady…

in 2021]] Nikolaus Pevsner called the interior of the church "sumptuous". Above the chancel arch is a large 15th-century doom painting, "one of the best surviving" according to Orbach, which depicts Jesus and the twelve apostles above portrayals of heaven and hell. The painting was hidden below whitewash in 1593 during the Reformation. It was uncovered in 1881 and the paint was heavily retouched by Clayton and Bell. In 1850–1860 the tall boxed pews were removed from the chancel, and the high altar and oak screens added. The window above the altar, depicting early Christian figures, was renewed in 1856. A new organ was bought for the church around 1568 The Samuel Green organ which had been…