12 historic Bristol churches transformed

Will one of Bristol’s most historic churches be turned into flats?

Bristol Diocese have revealed that the 15th century St Michael on the Mount Without on St Michael’s Hill in Kingdown will be put on the open market following a devastating fire last October. 

It’s not the only church in Bristol to be faced with an uncertain future. With repair bills estimated at £500,000, the Roman Catholic Clifton Diocese have also announced that Holy Cross Church in Bedminster, is to close at the end of this month.

Here are 12 churches in Bristol which have found a new lease of life:

1. St Paul’s Church, Portland Square

St Paul’s church is now home to Circomedia. The dilapidated building was converted in 2005 by The Churches Conservation Trust and now houses the UK’s largest in-door trapeze rig. It’s also home to Circomedia’s youth circus, City Circus and plays host to several half day and drop in classes. 

2. Zion Methodist Church, Bishopsworth Road

The last service at the Zion Methodist Church was held in August 2008. Once a focus for the local community of Bedminster Down this beautiful chapel was left derelict after the dwindling congregation could no longer sustain its use. It has now been turned into a Zion, a thriving community centre and cafe.

3. St Werburgh’s, Mina Road 

The medieval St Werburgh’s church originally stood in Corn Street. It was demolished in 1877 and each individual stone numbered before being transported to the new site in Mina Road – in an area originally called Baptist Mills and later named after the church. During the removal of the church, 100 coffins and 40 chests of human remains were uncovered which were reburied at Greenbank Cemetery. The grade II listed St Werburgh’s Church is now a climbing centre.

4. St George’s, Great George Street

St George’s Brandon Hill, and later St George’s Bristol, was the only church in Bristol to receive government money from the first grant under the Church Building Act of 1818. It was built between 1821 and 1823 and was the city’s first building in the Greek Revival style. A star-shaped light in the ceiling marks the point where an incendiary bomb – which failed to ignite – came through the roof and landed on the altar during the Second World War. St George’s has been a concert venue since 1976 and is reputed to have some of the finest acoustics in the country.

5. Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Road

Built in 1829, the building is protected by a covenant which states that it is to only be used for community, arts, youth and education services. English Heritage stepped in to help save the building and the grade II* listed Gothic Revival Commissioners’ Church is now the Trinity Centre – a music, creative arts and events venue.

6. St Peter’s, Castle Park

The ruined building was bombed during World War II and is now preserved as a memorial to the civilian war dead of Bristol. The foundation of the church can be traced back to 1106 and excavations in the 70s suggest that this was the site of Bristol’s first church. The church was bombed during the Bristol Blitz of November 1940 and ruined. 

7. St Katherine’s, Totterdown

Bristol Jamia Mosque was formerly a disused church that was bought and converted into a mosque in 1968, with the dome and minaret added in 1980. It was the first mosque in Bristol and is currently the largest in the south west of England.

8. St John the Evangelist, Whiteladies Road

This unusual building was built out of red and paler sandstone in 1841 as the parish church of St John the Evangelist and had a chancel added in 1864. However, in the 1980s it was turned into auction rooms and in 2013 was converted into a nursery.

9. St George Baptist Church, Clouds Hill Road

The small chapel was was erected in 1830 was was closed for repairs in 1871. The old chapel, now surrounded by later buildings, remains as part of Summerhill Infant school.

10. Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, Park Place

The Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles was Bristol’s Roman Catholic cathedral from 1850 to 1973. It was replaced in 1973 by the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul, also known as Clifton Cathedral. The cathedral and site became the home of a Steiner school until 2002, when it was sold for redevelopment. During 2007 the space was run as a theatre and arts venue by The Invisible Circus and Artspace Lifespace, and it’s now student flats.

11. St Jude, Lamb Street

Built on the site of the Bullring, St Jude’s church was erected in 1844-49 to the designs of S.B.Gabriel. It stands today – converted into flats – at the beginning of the Old Market one-way system which includes three churches at the main junctions. These are two former churches, Holy Trinity (now the Trinity Centre)  and St Jude, and the Roman Catholic church of St Nicholas of Tolentino.

12. Mount of Olives Pentecostal church, Blackboy Hill

Now a gym, the building was formerly the Mount Olive United Methodist Free Church, founded in c. 1850. The church was closed by 1979, and its congregation moved to the former St Saviour’s Church building in Chandos Road – itself now flats.

Main photo: the launch of Building a Sounder Future on the roof of St George’s

Read more: Plans revealed for fire damaged church