---
title: "St Thomas, Melbury Abbas"
description: "Located in Melbury Abbas, Dorset. Built 1852, replacing a medieval church on the same site. Diocese of Salisbury. Grade II*. Decorated Gothic Revival style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Church of England","Dorset","Melbury Abbas","Grade II*","Gothic Revival","Victorian"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/melbury-abbas-st-thomas"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T02:17:11.058Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-07T16:06:33.003Z"
location: "Melbury Abbas, Dorset"
country: "England"
county: "Dorset"
town: "Melbury Abbas"
address: "Quarry Lane, Melbury Abbas, Dorset, SP7 0DX"
postcode: "SP7 0DX"
built: "1852, replacing a medieval church on the same site"
consecrated: "21 December 1852"
architect: "George Evans of Wimborne"
denomination: "Church of England"
dedications: ["Thomas"]
diocese: "Salisbury"
grade: "II*"
style: "Decorated Gothic Revival"
materials: "Ashlar with tiled roofs and stone gable copings"
website: "https://shaftesburycofe.org.uk/"
openingHours: "Open everyday from 10am to dusk."
parish: "Melbury Abbas"
listEntryUrl: "https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1304933"
gridReference: "ST 882 200"
accessNotes: "Accessible toilets in church"
---

# St Thomas, Melbury Abbas

St Thomas’s is a Grade II* Victorian parish church on Quarry Lane in Melbury Abbas, Dorset, in the Shaftesbury Team and the Diocese of Salisbury.

## Overview

The manor belonged to Shaftesbury Abbey. A stone church stood here until 1852, when it was demolished in poor repair. Sir Richard Glyn, who owned most of the village, paid for the present larger church on the ancient site. George Evans of Wimborne designed it in a Decorated style with flowing tracery. The Bishop of Salisbury dedicated it to St Thomas on 21 December 1852, then that saint’s feast day.

The listing describes ashlar walls, tiled roofs, a three-stage embattled tower with octagonal stair turret, nave, chancel, south aisle continuous with the tower and south transept, north transept, vestry and south porch. The interior has hammerbeam roofs springing from carved angel corbels, an octagonal pulpit, poppy-head pews in the chancel, and encaustic tiles.

## Further Information

- [Shaftesbury Team: St Thomas, Melbury Abbas](https://shaftesburycofe.org.uk/melburyabbas/)
- [Historic England list entry 1304933](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1304933)
- [Parish church guide](https://shaftesburycofe.org.uk/melburyabbas/guide/)