The Salisbury Market Place was created as part of the original city development which occurred simultaneously with the building of the cathedral. The market attracted many merchants and it generated the great wealth that Salisbury enjoyed because of its links to the surrounding agricultural areas and its proximity to Southampton Docks for an import and export trade.

Originally the Market Square was larger than it is now and stretched from Blue Boar

Row to New Canal, and east/west from Queen Street to the river Avon. What today form Butchers Row, Fish Row and Ox Row was where market stalls stood before they were given a substantial structural form.

A Friday market was started in 1219, a Tuesday market in 1227 and a Saturday market in 1315. An August Fair was added in 1221 and an October Fair in 1270. In 1361 the weekly markets were restricted to just Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The city was largely the property of the Bishop who prospered from its wealth. This caused much distress to the city merchants until 1612 when the city gained its independence.

This antagonism between the bishop and the city is well represented in the Doom painting in St Thomas's church which was the church of the merchants. The Doom predicts what will happen at the end of the world, when Christ will reappear and lead the good to heaven while the bad will be destined to hell. Amongst those heading to hell is the bishop.