Tom Builder, having lost a commission to build a home for Percy Hamleigh’s son, roams southern England, seeking work. After losing his wife in childbirth and encountering the dark and empowered Ellen living in a forest cave with her son, Jack, Tom settles in Kingsbridge under the auspices of Prior Philip, who aspires to expand his priory by rebuilding a cathedral.
Seeking construction funds, Philip appeals to Stephen and is given land and the right to take stone from the quarry. The quarry itself, however, is granted to Percy Hamleigh as part of the earldom of Shiring. Hamleigh’s interests lie elsewhere, setting up one of the many conflicts within the narrative. In addition to currying favour with the king, Hamleigh has reason to topple Bartholomew, as his daughter, Aliena, rejected Hamleigh’s son, William. William finds Aliena and her brother Richard living at the castle and in revenge, he rapes her and maims Richard. Homeless and destitute, Aliena and Richard travel to petition the king, and instead find their dying father in prison. Both swear an oath that Richard will regain the earldom. Aliena works to support Richard in becoming a knight for King Stephen, fighting in the civil war against Maud. William also fights for the king, but Richard gains his favour when he defends him at the Battle of Lincoln.
Tom, meanwhile, has been building the cathedral, and living with his children, Alfred and Martha, his lover Ellen and her son Jack. Alfred despises and bullies Jack, and one fight reveals that Ellen and Tom are not married, bringing a charge of fornication. Outraged and hating the clergy, Ellen urinates on a sacred book and returns to the forest with Jack. Tom befriends Prior Philip and when Ellen returns, he persuades Philip to forgive her and allow them to marry. Now both masons, Jack and Alfred fight again. While the better mason and a skilled sculptor, Jack is expelled from the cathedral construction and is compelled to become a novice monk to stay in Kingsbridge.
Upon Sir Percy’s death, William and Richard compete for the earldom but it has been bankrupted by the prosperity of Kingsbridge at Shiring's expense. Attempting to restore his fortunes, William burns down Kingsbridge and kills many people including Tom Builder. Aliena loses her fortune again, forcing her to agree to marry Alfred as he promised to support Richard in exchange. However, Jack and Aliena spend the night before her wedding together but Aliena marries Alfred regardless and Ellen curses the wedding, rendering Alfred impotent.
Despondent, Jack goes to France and hones his skills as a sculptor and mason, unaware that Aliena is pregnant. In Kingsbridge, Alfred persuades Philip to replace the wooden roof with a stone vault. The building collapses during a service, killing many people but revealing that Aliena has given birth to a red-headed son, causing Alfred to disown her as he is not the father. Jack cleans up the mess after Aliena brings him home but Philip forbids the union until her marriage is annulled: an act requiring Waleran Bigod’s approval. This is not forthcoming since Bigod and the Hamleighs are allies, intending to ruin Philip and Aliena.
Meanwhile, Richard has joined the forces of Maud's son, Henry, Count of Anjou. When Henry invades, Stephen agrees to a deal whereby Henry succeeds Stephen and all properties revert to those who owned them prior to Stephen’s reign. Frustrated that the earldom will not go to Richard until Stephen's death, Aliena takes action and persuades William's wife, Elizabeth, to hand the castle over to them. This forces William to return to the village of Hamleigh.
After many years, Kingsbridge cathedral is completed, thanks to inventive problem-solving by Jack. Conflict continues as Waleran accuses Prior Philip of unchastity and fornication by claiming the monk, Jonathan, is Philip's son. Ellen swears that Jonathan is Tom Builder’s son but Waleran accuses her of perjury so she exposes his complicity in a conspiracy to sink the White Ship carrying William Adelin, heir of King Henry I. Ruined by this, Bigod lives out his days as a humble monk.
Meanwhile, William Hamleigh has led a wastrel’s life and ultimately is involved with the plot to assassinate Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Convicted of this sacrilege, William is hanged. The Pope forces King Henry’s public repentance and symbolic subjugation of the crown to the church.
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