St Thomas’s Salisbury: Ceilings and Memorials

A photographic and historical record of the church’s decorated ceilings and memorials

Explore the Ceilings

Tap a brown ceiling bay to explore it.
St Thomas’s Church, Salisbury — Ceiling Bays Interactive Map — East up East-up interactive schematic map. East is at the top, matching the view from the west entrance towards the east end. NA1 to NA3, PV1 to PV4, SA1 to SA7 and LC1 to LC5 are available now. East West / entrance North South North Aisle (NA) NA1 NA2 NA3 NA4 NA5 NA6 NA7 Central Aisle (CA) CA1 CA2 CA3 CA4 CA5 CA6 CA7 South Aisle (SA) SA1 SA2 SA3 SA4 SA5 SA6 SA7 People’s Vestry (PV) PV1 PV2 PV3 PV4 PV5 (no figures visible) Chancel / Choir (CH) CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 CH5 Lady Chapel (LC) LC1 LC2 LC3 LC4 LC5 Available now

Digitally enhanced images

Many of the ceiling figures are darkened by more than 500 years of dirt and smoke. We use digital enhancement to reveal details that are difficult to see from the floor.

Nothing is added or reconstructed.

Original photograph
Digitally enhanced image

Condition notes

Comments on condition describe what is visible in the photographs. They are not professional conservation assessments.

Heraldry

We provide a blazon – the formal, description of a coat of arms or shield written in specialised language – and a plain English explanation, and a family association when it can be made.

There are two published lists of the ceiling heraldry, one by the RCHME – Royal Commission (Buildings of Salisbury) (Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1980, The Ancient and Historical Monuments in the City of Salisbury, HMSO, 26-28) – and one by Buckeridge (Buckeridge, D., 1995, Church Heraldry in Wiltshire, Trowbridge). We include them at the end of Heraldry sections.

Credits

Photographers: Steve Hoffman, Peter Horwood, Spencer Mulholland

History advisor: Chris Daniell