14 facts you didn’t know about St Mary Redcliffe

Renowned for its beautiful Gothic architecture, St Mary Redcliffe has a lively and interesting history, with queens, poets and merchants having graced the church across the centuries. Now, as it embarks on a major redevelopment project, here are 14 things you may not know about the famous Bristol church:

1. A historic place of worship

Christians have worshipped at the church for over 800 years, with the oldest parts of the present building dating from the 12th century, although most of the nave, transepts and choir was created by highly skilled yet unrecorded stonemasons in the 14th and 15th centuries.

2. A Gothic architecture masterpiece

The Grade I listed church building is a treasure of international importance – a wall of glass surmounted by gilded roof bosses of exquisite beauty, with elegant 18th century ironwork, carved wood and stone, all framed by light flooding in through stained glass windows. The church’s floor plan is the traditional cruciform shape – symbolic of the crucifixion cross.

3. Friends in high places

“The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England.” The famous remark by Queen Elizabeth I on her visit in 1574 suggests she was as impressed by the building as its many modern visitors are. Certainly she did the church a great favour by grants of Letters Patent in 1588 and 1591, restoring some of the funds previously confiscated during the Reformation period. These funds have remained in the custody of the St Mary Redcliffe Church Lands Charity ever since.

4. A Bristol landmark

At 292 feet, the church’s 19th century spire makes it the tallest building in Bristol and the third highest parish church spire in the country.

5. Lucky survivor

St Mary Redcliffe survived a severe thunderstorm in 1446, although a lightning strike did claim its original medieval spire. The building was also lucky to escape destruction during the Blitz in World War Two, which damaged several other famous Bristol buildings.

6. Merchant benefactor

With the largest merchant fleet in England by 1461, William Canynges the younger was probably the richest man in the land at that time. An impressive career saw the merchant become five times Mayor of Bristol and an ordained priest in 1468 after the death of his wife, saying his first mass in St Mary Redcliffe. The generosity of Canynges enabled much of the present glorious church to be built and his tomb can be found in the South Transept.

7. The gift of water

The Pipe Walk is an annual event where members of the church walk the route of a 824 year old pipeline linking the church with an ancient fresh water spring in the Knowle area of Bristol. Throughout the walk, periodic stops are made for manhole inspections of the pipe. It takes in Victoria Park where first-time Pipe Walkers traditionally are ‘bumped’ on one of several old stone markers indicating the route. Also in the park is a labyrinth (a design replicating one of the medieval roof bosses in the church) constructed by Wessex Water in 1984 at the point where the pipe is crossed by a twentieth-century foul water interceptor. Originally made of lead but replaced with cast iron by the Victorians, the pipe was broken by bomb damage in the Second World War.

8. Pennsylvania’s namesake 

Admiral Sir William Penn, Parliamentarian naval commander in the Civil Wars, found favour with King Charles II and loaned large sums to the King’s re-building plan for the Royal Navy. Following the Admiral’s death, the monarch was unable to repay the loan to Penn’s son and so offered him land in America instead, on the condition that it would be named after the favoured late Admiral. Thus, the name of the state of Pennsylvania came into being. Penn is buried in the South aisle of St Mary Redcliffe and his funerary armour, reproduction banners and his monument are mounted at the west end of the nave.

9. Rush Sunday 

Before paved floors, rushes were strewn on church floors and it was common for their annual renewal to be a special occasion. The medieval merchant and Mayor of Bristol William Spenser instituted the annual Rush Sunday service, which is one of Bristol’s most historical occasions, dating back to 1493. The Mayor and members of the City Council process into the church across a fragrant floor covering of rushes and herbs, carry traditional posies of flowers to add further colour to the traditional service.

10. The North porch

The most used entrance to the church is the spectacular North porch, its inner Early English 1185 porch being the oldest part of the building, with the outer part added 150 years later. Octagonal in shape, it is designed with niches to house statues.

11. A place of pilgrimage

The church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a statue of whom is believed to have been housed in the North porch in medieval times. Pilgrims, including merchants and sailors whose vessels had returned safely to port, may have come to make thank offerings at this shrine.

12. The first English romantic poet

Above the North porch is the Chatterton Room, where the tragic boy poet Thomas Chatterton spent time reading and writing, possibly including his famous poems under the persona Rowley. Leaving Bristol for London, the poet committed suicide by drinking arsenic in 1770, aged 17.

13. A bright future

St Mary Redcliffe has recently embarked on a major redevelopment, improving access to and around the church, provide improved hospitality and visitor services, develop new office and work spaces and create community spaces and facilities for the benefit of local people. Working closely with the Redcliffe Neighbourhood Development Forum, the project will act as the centrepiece of the wider development of Redcliffe Way.

14. Architecture competition 

The first stage of the church’s redevelopment has been an architecture competition, the winner of which will work with the church to develop proposals for how the new church buildings and spaces will look.

Read more: Design competition launched for St Mary Redcliffe