1. St Mary Redcliffe Church

    1. St Mary Redcliffe Church

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    Bristol, BST

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    St Mary Redcliffe Church

    4.2 (17 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Taken from their website
    Will P.

    Quietly dotted around Bristol there are many magnificent churches, and this is one of them. Despite there being two cathedrals and plenty of office blocks in Bristol St. Mary Redcliffe is the cities tallest building at 54 ft (yes, I know that's not all that tall by most standards but this is Bristol we're talking about). It's remarkable that this is just a parish church. Entering you are struck by the size of the place, or maybe it just makes you feel very small. St. Mary Redcliffe is a grand and imposing place and an experience to visit, anyway. Beautifully ornate aswell, I wish I knew more about architecture to be able to explain what it's like. That there's been a Church here for over 800 years should give you an idea of what the place feels like. Their very keen on choral singing here, with an organ and choir that tours all round Europe. Coming to watch one of their performances is a wonderful way to see the church come to life. Even if you can't come to one of these, stop at St. Mary Redcliffe to see a large, beautiful church.

    Kathryn C.

    "The fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England." according to Queen Elizabeth the I, five centuries on, this church still does not fail to impress. It is a stunning example of gothic architecture. I'm so glad i got to see the stunning organ before it was taken away for restoration. The churchyard itself is a lovely place to come and sit and reflect or just eat your sandwich on a sunny day! Look out for the rail that was part of an old tramway that embedded itself in the ground here during world war II. This is a lovely grand ornate church, well worth a visit whether to sit in the grounds, marvel at the ornateness within or even if you're just popping down to the crypt for a coffee.

    Henry N.

    The tallest building in Bristol, this is certainly a visually striking construction, though one, I'm slightly ashamed to admit, that I'd never bothered to actually go into until a couple of weeks ago, despite the fact that I walk past it every time I go into town. The interior is impressive and striking, though not all is well as the church organ is in need of an £800,000 restoration so be sure you make a donation on the way in. You can also pay a nominal sum for an information sheet which explains the features and history of the church and this is certainly worthwhile. The only jarring note was a water display, the gyst of which was that even scientists studying the construction couldn't predict which way the fluid would flow next. This seemed a slightly random way to try and debunk science to the atheist in me, but then again, if you can't have religion shoved down your throat in a church, where can you?

    A large, ornate gothic style church, often mistaken by visitors to Bristol as the Cathedral. Well worth a photo or two. Most fascinating parts for me are the Chaotic Pendulum and the part of the Railway track in the gardens at the back of the church. The Railway track is stuck into the ground pointing up to the sky and found its way there when a bomb dropped during WW2 on the Railway some distance away with such force that it flew threw the air and stuck in the ground. It has been left there as a reminder of what the city endured during the war. The Chaotic Pendulum is fascinating. The device obeys very simple physical laws, yet is unpredictable in its behaviour and thus gives you a great deal to contemplate.

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    Review Highlights - St Mary Redcliffe Church

    The architecture is simply awe-inspiring, though the exterior is badly in need of cleaning and restoration.

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    St George's Bristol - Taken from their website

    St George's Bristol

    4.4(8 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    ££

    St Georges is a beautiful venue just off Park Street on the way up to Brandon Hill. Its…read moremagnificent palladian facade will prepare you well for a night of classical music. Their usual line up is classical, but they also have a really eclectic mix of Jazz and World Artists perfoming. The latter, especially, are often the type of acts who do tours of rarer artistic and cultural venues around the country. This means the acts are extremely unique, but in my experience so far, they're always utterly phenomenal and very worth knowing about and seeing. This is a venue Bristol should really be proud of - it's lesser well known than the more major music venues in the town, which is perhaps why they still have a massive degree of quality with regards to the acts they invite to perform. I strongly advise getting involved with St Georges, keeping track of the programme, and experiencing a night of music in this phenomenal venue.

    A concert hall just off Park Street that puts on a lot of classical performacnes, as well as some…read morejazz and other genres. Run by the council, it offers cheap access to a bit of culture. It's quite an experience climbing the stairs and entering under the thick sandstone pillars, the building is very imposing. Opened in 1999 the interiors stayed smart since then, and they're currently celebrating their tenth birthday. If you enjoy classical music, or just want to sample it, the lunchtime concert series is a good opportunity and at only £7 (£4 for students, children and job seekers) an absolute steal. They have relaxing gardens as well, so you can bring a picnic and make a day of it. As a classical music venue it is excellent, with good accoustics and a grand open space. I've been told that St. Georges is one of the countries, as well as one of Bristol's, finest music venues.

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    St George's Bristol
    St George's Bristol
    St George's Bristol

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    Saint Stephen's Church

    Saint Stephen's Church

    4.5(4 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I am a fan of anything with some history behind it, and in Bristol I sometimes find this a bit hard…read moreto fin. I mean obviously you have Bristol Cathedral, Clifton Suspension Bridge, HMS Great Britain etc etc but I want to find something a little less touristy. Well, if you are like me then check St. Stephen's Church out. It's breathtaking inside and really well looked after. There are not hoards of tourists which means you can spend as long as you want exploring. There is also a really great cafe within the Church's gardens which is so nice and peaceful. The coffee they serve is also pretty damn good! Well worth a look if you are both a tourist and a resident of Bristol.

    This is a large and well preserved 15th century town church, filled with monuments, with an…read moreimpressive tower, quiet churchyard and a small modern cafe. History Although there has been a church on the site since the 11th century, the present structure dates from a comprehensive rebuilding in the late 15th century. The tower and East window were the gift of John Shipward, Mayor of Bristol (d. 1473). The clerestory was repaired after a storm in 1703, and the aisle and east window repaired in 1873. It now has an active ministry to the City Centre, with innovative, modern forms of worship. The church The most impressive external feature is the tower. This is 152ft high, of an elaborate Perpendicular Somerset design, but with a Gloucester style crown with complex open tracery, decorated with pinnacles and gargoyles. The main church has aisles to the nave, of seven bays, but no crossing, with large Perpendicular windows in both aisles and clerestory. The church has impressive monuments: on the north wall is a tomb chest with effigies and statuettes in ogee niches, to Edmund Blanket (d. 1371), a clothier and wool merchant. Also on the north wall is one to Martin Pring (d. 1627), who explored the coast of what is now Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. This is an elaborate affair, decorated with allegorical figures, urns, a mermaid and merman, an hour-glass, scythes and anchors. There is a large collection of monuments and memorials by the door to the cafe at the east end of the south aisle. Two are of particular note: the huge and colourful tomb of Sir George Snygge (d. 1617), complete with life-sized semi-reclining effigy beneath a large strap-work cartouche with columns either side. On the south wall is the rather humbler but attractive memorial to Robert Kitchin (d. 1594) and his wife; in the form of an engraved brass plaque, it shows them facing each other in prayer, with a delightful poem below: Robert Kitchin, Alderman, and his wife, Lieth neere this place, closed in earth and clay, Their charities alike in death and life, Who to the poor gave all their goodes away, Leaving in trust such men to act the same, Who might with truth perfor(m) their good intent, So that the poore indeed and (m)eke in name, To lasting ages in this Citie meant, And other places of this Kingdom faire, As Kendall towne and Stuckland Field both have, With Bathe the native place of her first ayre, The bountie of their guyftes they to them gave.

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    Saint Stephen's Church
    Saint Stephen's Church
    Saint Stephen's Church

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    Temple Church

    Temple Church

    3.8(6 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    In less than a week, this has been the second church that I had come across while in the UK, that…read morehad been bombed by the Germans as part of their WWII blitz. There is an Info Board located at the main entrance that gives you background including the fact that the original church was constructed by the Knights Templar, in the 12th century. Definitely also look up and checkout the leaning church tower, which gives the one in Pisa a run for its money. The Church's graveyard area has been turned into these beautiful gardens, which are maintained by English Heritage. The atmosphere is one of calm and serenity- a peaceful oasis of greenery amidst the hustle and bustle of city streets . I also liked that the surrounding garden path is wide and even, this making it suitable for wheelchairs and child friendly for strollers. I'm very intrigued by the fact that these bombed out Churches are standing as testaments for the WWII horrors and so it's weird describing these ruins as beautiful, but I feel there is indeed a weird sort of beauty in how this church as well as the one in Coventry are being naturally allowed to decay.. Yelp 167 / 2019

    A historic haven near Broadmead. Peer in through the railings and you'll spy concrete slabs that…read moremark out where the exisitng temple stood in medieval times. The church structure you see today was all but destroyed by bombing in World War II, but the original temple was run by the Knights Templar, soldier monks who owned loads of land and religious buildings in Somerset. The churchyard is a welcoming little park now, good for picnics when the sun shines, and a poke around under an umbrella if it pours. English Heritage own it now, so it won't be going anyway for hundred of years. Phew. I like to think of it as a tranquil corner in the chaos of Bristol centre.

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    Temple Church
    Temple Church
    Temple Church - Beautiful entrance

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    Beautiful entrance

    Bristol Cathedral - Tomb of Abbot Newberry, d. 1483, Eastern Lady Chapel.

    Bristol Cathedral

    4.4(23 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Bristol Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is the Church…read moreof England cathedral in the city of Bristol, and was built 1220-1877. it is located at the bottom of the steep hill In Clifton an sits majestically n the green there, and opposite the City Hall of Bristol.

    We came to Bristol Cathedral as the meet-up place and 1st stop on our Bluebeard to Banksy walking…read moreTour of Bristol. The Cathedral is located in this gorgeous open square, and overlooks the Bristol City Council buildings. For me, the curlicue fanciful Victorian Architecture was most dominant, but our guide pointed out the Chapter House is dated from the medieval period and various restoration and expansion efforts were continuously pretty much undertaken over various centuries, so that now the Bristol Cathedral is a beautiful and harmonious blend of Gothic - Medieval, Tudor, Restoration and Victorian architecture. Luckily its still standing as it wasn't damaged during the WWII blitz of the city. An interesting fact our guide told us was that no member of the Bristol City Council ever comes to worship here. Instead they go to a church, which is located directly opposite this Cathedral, because back at the turn of the 19th century, the then-Councillors requested the Bristol Cathedral Bishop for them to be seated closer to the front. The Bishop refused and so they Councillors decided to build their own Church, where they could be given more prominence. If in Bristol, I definitely recommend coming to check this Cathedral out. Yelp 157/ 2019

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    Bristol Cathedral - A wall of the Chapter House, dated to 1165. This is one of the best surviving examples of Norman Romanesque in Britain.

    A wall of the Chapter House, dated to 1165. This is one of the best surviving examples of Norman Romanesque in Britain.

    Bristol Cathedral - The vault outside the inner Chapter House door, dated to 1165. This is one of the best surviving examples of Norman Romanesque

    The vault outside the inner Chapter House door, dated to 1165. This is one of the best surviving examples of Norman Romanesque

    Bristol Cathedral - Tomb of Sir Charles Vaughan, d. 1630.

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    Tomb of Sir Charles Vaughan, d. 1630.

    Church of St Thomas the Martyr

    Church of St Thomas the Martyr

    5.0(1 review)
    0.3 mi

    Now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, St Thomas the Martyr has a particularly…read moreattractive 18th century interior and fittings regarded by some as worthy of a London Wren church. History Founded at the end of the 12th century, the church served the population of a new district of Bristol, south of the main bridge. Originally dedicated to St Thomas a Becket, the dedication was changed after the Reformation on orders of Henry VIII (who forbade the veneration of the saint who defied his king). The church was rebuilt at the same time as St Mary Redcliffe in the 14th and 15th centuries, and was reputedly one of the grandest of Bristol's churches, filled with altars and chantry chapels. However, by the 1780s, the fabric was in such dangerous condition it was decided to build a new church. The architect chosen was James Allen, and the building was built 1789-1796. Allen had intended to alter the west tower to match, but a lack of funds meant that the handsome Perpendicular Gothic tower from the 15th century survives. The church Allen's design has a plain classical exterior: only the east end is rendered in stone, as the sides were originally hemmed in by buildings. This has a pretty Venetian motif, with a small circular window of 1879, under a pedimented arch decorated with garlands, and a handsome classical door. At the west end, the handsome 15th century tower dominates the rather soulless modern square. Inside, the nave has five bays resting on square pillars, with a tunnel vault and clerestory. The aisles have tall arched windows. Allen retained many of the furnishings from the previous church. The reredos of 1716 has fine Corinthian columns and pilasters, decorated with carvings of wheat, vines and flowers of the highest quality. The original panels containing the Lord's Commandment were replaced in 1907 by paintings by Fritz von Kampf of Clifton, depicting biblical scenes. The Communion rails are 18th century, and the carved oak pulpit dates from 1740. The organ case is by John Harris and dates from 1730, and again has excellent carvings of foliage and cherubs' heads. At the west end, again surviving from the earlier church, is the original organ gallery, with Roman Doric columns. beneath this are two sculptures of saints taken from the former Long Row almshouses. On the north wall are the Royal Coat of Arms of Charles I, (1637) and on one of the nave columns an elaborate early 17th century sword rest. The late 18th century mahogany font was converted into a lectern in 1878, replaced by a rather cumbersome stone design.

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    Church of St Thomas the Martyr
    Church of St Thomas the Martyr
    Church of St Thomas the Martyr

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    St Mary Redcliffe Church - churches - Updated July 2026

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