Saint-Thomas can be explored through two different types of hiking route. The long-distance GR 86 crosses the Haute-Garonne département over 280 km and passes through the town centre. The Circuit du Peyrigué circular trail also starts in the town centre and is 9.7 km long. This means there is both a long-distance trail that passes through the town and a circular route that starts in the centre.
Long-Distance Trail and Circular Route
When planning, the main difference between the two types of trail is worth noting: the GR 86 passes through Saint-Thomas on its route across the département, while the Circuit du Peyrigué starts in the town and is a circular route. If you are planning a hike, you can consider whether the route of a long-distance trail or the circular trail starting in the town centre better suits your plans.
Fortified Village and Village Church
The Fosses du Fort is an old castle village, thought to be one of the oldest fortified villages in the area. The fortified complex is said to date from the mid-12th century. A surviving pond is the only remaining part of the former moats. It therefore provides tangible evidence of the fortifications, while the classification of the castle village and the dating of the complex remain subject to their respective qualifications.
The Église Saint-Barthélemy is a traditional village church that was rebuilt and altered over time. It was rebuilt between 1882 and 1892, and its bell tower has eleven bells. The church is open to the public, but is generally closed outside of services and can mainly be visited during Mass or events. If you are planning a visit, check in advance whether it will be possible.
The Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié is also part of the town’s religious history: prayers were said there for agricultural prosperity and good harvests of grain and grapes. Thus, alongside the buildings, prayers are also connected with the area’s agricultural way of life.
Crafts, Pottery and Landscape
Saint-Thomas was a village of craftspeople, with five windmills, three brickworks, oil presses, shoemakers, wheelwrights and, above all, potters. Pottery production ended in 1920 after four centuries. The last Dournes made in Saint-Thomas came from Jean Lascours’s workshop in 1920. The Savès-Dourne was made in both Saint-Thomas and Rieumes, making its production part of the history of both towns.
The area around Saint-Thomas includes forests, cultivable Boulbènes soils and clay-rich Terrefort. These landscape features add another perspective to the town’s history: they describe wooded, cultivable and clay-rich areas without reducing the town to its buildings or its former crafts alone.
Getting Around the Town
The “SAINT-THOMAS – Mairie” bus stop is served by the Sabonnères–Fontenilles–Toulouse routes. The Église Saint-Barthélemy is less than a ten-minute walk from there. Transport information can change, so check current connections before travelling. The previously described conditions also apply to visiting the church: it is generally closed outside of services and can mainly be visited during Mass or events.
Discover more destinations: Luscan, Arnaud-Guilhem, Bellesserre, Vaudreuille, Sajas, Latrape, Sainte-Foy-DĘĽaigrefeuille, Montoussin.
For the broader travel overview: Haute-Garonne.
