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.

During our brief visit to Bath, we toured the Abbey. The grounds of the Abbey have a 1300 year…read morehistory with establishment of a convent. The current building was built in 1499 in a Gothic style with additions and repairs made through time. The fan vaulted ceiling (added in the 1500's) is beautiful. Over 3000 people are buried in the floor of the Abbey but the actual number of markers are 891. An additional 635 memorials line the walls of the Abbey, telling stories of the people of Bath. I was touched reading these stories. The Abbey, like many others in the U.K., suffered extensive damage during the Reformation. The monks were dispelled during that time and the Abbey became a local Church of England restored by the people of Bath. The building suffered damage again during the bombing Blitz of WWII and required restoration. Very little of the stained glass is original. Admission to the Abbey was £9. An audio tour is available and a pamphlet with tour stop information. For £18, a guided tour of the tower is available, but we didn't have time for that tour. In the basement is a small museum that houses the chronology of the site and some artifacts. A gift shop featuring local goods is accessible to all visitors. On the outside of the building, damage by vandalism to many of the figures over the doors is apparent. The building has endured through some tough times. I hesitate to mention the minor presence of modern clutter throughout the Abbey. For me, the clutter distracted from the history of the building. But the church is active for worship by local residents. The Abbey is well worth a visit if you like history and architecture. Plan an hour plus and wear comfortable walking shoes. Photos are allowed. Restrooms are available.

The Bath Abbey is still an active church that is still quite popular with many people and they also…read moredo online services. I have heard of this place a long time ago and have been here three times on different occasions and I always feel like there is so much history and also calmness here. The area is beautiful and the building is a wonder.

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

Nestled on the crest of St. Michael's Hill, this squat-towered Gothic Revival church has a…read moresurprisingly grand and wide interior, making it one of the finest examples of early Victorian church architecture in the region. It is open on most mornings, and friendly volunteers are on hand. The church is on the site of Bristol's gallows; and a rough stone in the wall outside is part of Bewell's Cross, which used to mark the boundary of Bristol until the 19th Century.

This is St James Priory, the home of Benedictine monks in the early 12th century to 1540. This…read morechurch was used as a place of worship for 900 years and Robert Earl of Gloucester (illegitimate grandson of William the Conqueror) found the Priory of St James in 1129. The church was then closed down till the 20th century and being the oldest building in Bristol, it was all alone until a woman called Susan restored it in order to help get homeless addicts off the street. I got the privilege of meeting Susan today and I could see how passionate she is and was about the project. She's a lovely person to be around and told me the history of the church and of her journey and project. Susan decided to raise £4m for the building and £1m to build the rehab centre in the church which unfortunately has shut down. Susan had 80 volunteers including 3 paid day workers and 1 paid night worker. She helped 1400 people who now work as officers within the community and office workers get off the street. Susan had to cut down on her good work because the government came in and set rules that only professionals or certified workers could be part of the project which meant that she had to let her people go and continue looking after it on her own. Although she can't help as many people now as she did, she touched over 1000 lives with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund which she won for her passion in helping people get their lives back. I just wanted to express how inspired I was about her story and passion to help others. This is not only a church, it's a survival ground and it's a ground in which people who had no faith in their lives, had faith and belief restored again. Now, that's religion.

St James's Priory claims to be the oldest building in Bristol. Recently restored, it has well…read morepreserved Norman arcades and an early rose window. It is now part of a charitable project offering support to vulnerable people, especially those struggling with addiction. The church has regular services led by a priest from the nearby Roman Catholic church of St Mary on the Quay. History The Priory was founded as a Benedictine house by Robert, Earl of Gloucester (1100-1147), in 1129. Robert was the illegitimate son of Henry I and a key player in the conflict between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. He is buried in the church. The church was made parochial in 1374 and the bell tower was erected in 1375, paid for by the parishioners. The priory continued until the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII, after which the west end of the Priory Church became the parish church. Alterations included the rebuilding of the south aisle in 1698 and the north aisle in 1864. The church was declared redundant and closed in 1984. In 1993 it was reopened by the Little Brothers of Nazareth, and a project for people in need established. The church was substantially restored in 2009-11. The church The west front is in many ways the most interesting: above a rubble wall (now rendered), are a row of Norman interlaced rounded blind arches, surmounted with an unusual (and very early) example of an oculus, or rose window. This consists of a circle surrounded by eight outer circles, with inter-twined rope decoration. At te east end, the rather plain tower forms a prominent landmark from the Haymarket. The south porch (towards the west) has a short tower and is an 18th century addition. Inside, the nave has arcades of five bays of rounded arches on round columns with attached shafts and cushion capitals, dating from the 12th century, albeit much restored. The roof corbels are in the form of mediaeval heads, brightly painted. The neo-Norman west wall is 19th century as is the inner north aisle of polished pink granite columns (the outer aisle has been separated off to provide exhibition and seminar rooms). The south aisle is more interesting and contains most of the monuments, beneath a row of large 4-light windows and more colourful corbels. The church has some interesting monuments: pride of place goes to that of Sir Charles Somerset (d. 1598), found through a modern door at the west end of the north aisle. There is a late 12th or early 13th century mediaeval effigy on the south wall under a large moulded arch. Well preserved, it is not clear whether this is in fact the tomb of its founder, as claimed on a wall plaque: his tomb of polished jasper was at the east end, which makes it unlikely. Among numerous 18th and 19th century wall memorials, there is an interesting brass on the east wall, surrounded by strap-work, commemorating Henry Gibbes (d. 1636) and his family. The church is open during weekdays for private prayer and there are regular masses.

Christ Church lies just a short walk south west of the town's mediaeval parish church of St John…read morethe Baptist, set attractively in the centre of an extensive churchyard on Christchurch Street West. History The church was built largely to provide additional capacity at a time when the main Parish church was no longer large enough to cater for its congregation, and particularly to provide more free pews (as opposed to those which were rented, as was the custom at the time). The churchyard was originally shared with St John's, but is closed for burials. It has a fine long stone wall on Christchurch Street - which, alas, has lost its railings. The building The church was built in 1817-18 to designs by the local architect George Allen Underwood (1793-1829), although much altered subsequently, most notably with new window tracery by Manners & Gill around the 1840s onwards, supposedly based on those of the church at Yatton, near Weston-super-Mare. The style is broadly Neo-Gothic (Perpendicular) and cruciform in plan, with a tall clerestory, low crossing tower and substantial aisles to the nave. An unusual feature is that the altar is under the crossing, with a later projecting Lady Chapel (now the Sacristy) added in 1929. Furnishings are decent Victorian work, including a substantial carved reredos and a later Rood erected in 1910, and some brightly coloured stained glass. The church is a Grade II* listed building. Practicalities The church has had an Anglo-catholic tradition since the mid 1850s, and provides for a friendly welcome. Parking seems relatively straightforward along the road outside.

Nearly 200 years old, this gem of a Victorian classical gothic style church sits in it's own…read moregrounds along Christchurch Street West. I always think of it as Reverse-tardis in that it's seems bigger on the outside than on the inside. But ti's well worth stopping by if classical churches are your interest. Old wooden pews, dark with age and use, beautiful stained-glass windows and a small simplicity iof style that is still grand and elegant. Choir stalls complete the package, and the local vicar is a delight - managing to bring the spiritual side of life out in an easy-listening, relevant and light-hearted package that makes strikes a chord with believers and athiests alike. A gorgeous venue for a wedding (which I had the pleasure to attend recently) and a lovely part of Frome's heritage.

The picturesque village of Bruton has a magnificent late mediaeval church, with an impressive…read more'Somerset type' tower and an unusual Georgian chancel. History There has been a church on the site since Saxon times, replaced by a stone curch in the mediaeval period. This parish church was replaced with a mediaeval stone church, and the crypt and the tower over the north porch date from around 1350. In the mid-15th century a comprehensive rebuilding scheme was begun, beginning with the impressive west tower, which was built 1449-56. The nave was rebuilt a little later, and given a tall clerestory as well as being extended eastwards. The chancel was rebuilt by Sir Charles Berkeley in 1743 and provides a bright but sympathetic contrast to the mediaeval church. The registers record visits by both Charles I and Charles II. The church The west tower is a tour de force, particularly on the path leading up from the town. Of the 'Wells' group of towers, which have a strong vertical emphasis, the arrangement of the west window, niches and bell openings delivers a particularly attractive composition. Inside, the nave has an elegant arcade of Perpendicular arches, with a particularly tall clerestory rising to a magnificent wooden king-post roof, richly decorated with angels, tracery and bosses. The interior is sadly scraped of its plaster and therefore rather gloomy, but details such as stairs to long-vanished roods provide interest. The chancel is a complete contrast; whitewashed throughout with gilded ribs and corbels decorated with cherubs, there is a large classical reredos in place of an east window. The church has almost an embarrassment of riches in its fittings: Pews with Jacobean bench ends and a Jacobean pulpit; a richly-carved Jacobean west screen dated 1620; 16th and 17th century heraldic glass in the apex of the chancel windows; a fine west window by Clayton and Bell; the colourfully panted Royal Arms of Charles II in the north aisle; the finely preserved tomb chest of Sir Maurice Berkeley (d. 1581) in the chapel, his armoured effigy flanked by his two wives (d. 1559 and 1585) and, opposite, the notable bronze memorial bust of William Godolphin (d. 1636), attributed to Le Seuer (sculptor of the mounted statue of Charles I in Trafalgar Square). The church has a busy parish life as well as serving the schools of Kings School and Sexey's Church of England school, and strong links with Bruton parish in Williamsburg, named in honour of the Governor, Sir William Berkeley.

St Andrew's Church is the Church of England parish church of Burnham-on-Sea in the English county…read moreof Somerset. Of medieval origins, the church is a grade I listed building, well known for its leaning tower. There has been a church on this site since the late 11th century. Between 1305 and 1314 the original church was either replaced or enhanced; the parts of that church that still stand are the south transept, the south door arch, the holy water stoop and the consecration cross. The tower dates from the late 14th century, and the nave from the late 14th/early 15th century. The north aisle and gallery were added in 1838, and the chancel arch modified at this time. The chancel itself was remodelled in 1878

St Andrew's really is a sea-side church. Built on sand dunes, it was originally only feet from the…read moresea, and the wind and salt-water smell are still ever-present. Although of uncertain foundation, there was certainly a church here in the 11th century, but most of the present structure dates from a re-building in the early fourteenth century, completed in 1315. The interior is whitewashed, with Decorated Gothic windows and a Victorian gallery and chancel. Although pretty enough, the two real reasons for a visit are the leaning tower and its sculptures. It is grade I listed. The tower leans because it was literally built on sand (in contravention of the biblical parable)! The main lean, to the north, is about 5 degrees off the vertical, although it also leans slightly to the west, too. It is clear that the lean began during its building, as attempts were made higher up the tower to correct the lean. As a result, the tower has a gentle curve. The effect is heightened by the fact that the windows and doors were inserted true to the vertical. The marble sculptures, designed by Sir Christpher Wren and carved by the famous wood sculptor Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721), have a remarkable story. Originally commissioned in 1685 by James II for the Chapel of Whitehall Palace, they comprise a carved reredos and cherubs flanked by angels. Moved in 1706 to the high altar of Westminster Abbey, they were acquired in 1820 by the then Bishop of Rochester, who was also Vicar of Burnham, and moved to St Andrew's. The reredos was placed behind the altar, but the cherubs and angels have subsequently been located around the church. Thus this small parish church has marble sculptures of high quality. Other items of interest are the barrel-vaulted roof, and a fine canopied pulpit and brass chandelier, all Jacobean in date. Oddly, the roof and pulpit are painted in a rather gaudy lime-green and gold scheme. There are also fragments of mediaeval glass in the south-west nave window. After your visit, stroll through the pretty church-yard and the adjacent sunken gardens, down to the sea, and a view of Burnham's unique light-house (see separate entry on Qype).