In May 2023, I visited Bristol Cathedral. I have been there many times before as I lived in Bristol and went to school there in the 1980s and early 1990s, but this time, I was visiting with a new perspective, as research for my book on Gothic Cathedrals.
It was a rainy and unseasonably cold day, but the wild flowers were in bloom in the meadow outside. This area was once an ancient meadow and burial ground, and now College Green is a wide open green space used by the community for events, protests, and enjoying the sun — when it arrives!
Bristol Cathedral was originally founded as St. Augustine’s Abbey in 1140 by Robert Fitzharding, a wealthy merchant who became the first Lord Berkeley. The abbey became a cathedral in 1542 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII. The freehold of College Green, the green space outside, belongs to the cathedral.
The Great West Front, completed in the 19th century, is adorned with statues of biblical figures and saints.
Close up of the West Front door featuring angels in the niches and carvings, pointed arches, and the rose window above. More on that below.
The cathedral features a unique “hall church” design with nave vaults that are the same height as those of the aisles, creating a spacious, open interior.
Look up to the vault of the nave above. This is one of my favourite photos to take in gothic cathedrals. I love the symmetry of the lines and curves based on my perspective from far below.
The aisle next to the nave with its series of Gothic arches.
The Rose Window at the West end of the cathedral is dedicated to the memory of Thomas Daniel and his wife, Augusta, funded by their children and installed in 1877. It is considered problematic as Daniel was heir to the fortune and West India estates of his father, also Thomas Daniel (1762-1854), whose vast wealth was built on the slave trade and sugar imports. He opposed emancipation, parliamentary reform, and the abolition of slavery. More on Bristol’s history with slavery towards the end of the article.
When I visited in May 2023, the organ was being repaired, which meant that the quire was closed for maintenance and there was also maintenance going on in other parts of the cathedral. As I walked around, I could hear the echo of hammering, as well as the strains of a temporary organ as a musician played through the din. It’s a good reminder that these ancient buildings need constant work to keep them from turning into ruins.
This is the main altar, still accessible behind the maintenance work.
There was a display about the organ on the boards surrounding the scaffolding. It noted that there was probably an organ on site since 1300, but the first written reference was from 1489 in Newland’s Roll, which recorded what happened in the Abbey, prior to the Reformation. As a non-musician, I found the display boards fascinating. The organ repairs should be finished in 2025, but in the meantime, there is still an organ used for worship, just not the big one!
Here’s some of the other maintenance work. Although some of the areas were closed, it was good to see how much work they’re putting in to keep the cathedral going.
The Lady Chapel, at the eastern end, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and designed in the Gothic architectural style, featuring pointed arches, intricate stone tracery, and ribbed vaulting. The decorated altar and colourful stained glass windows, as well as the small size, make this a lovely place to visit and sit awhile away from the main cathedral.
There is a cadaver tomb of Bishop Bush (1558) at the back of the Lady Chapel. I always keep an eye out for them, as they are reminders of memento mori, and that death comes for us all, no matter our status.
The Berkeley Chapel and anteroom, built after 1298, where priests prepared for services, where the Eucharist bread was kept, and where prayers were said for the lords of Berkeley. The Berkeley family traces its lineage back to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The family seat, Berkeley Castle, is one of the most well-preserved and historically significant castles in England, and you can still visit it. There are still Barons of Berkeley.
These stone bosses are in the little corridor between the Berkeley chapel and the main cathedral. Look up! Stone bosses are decorative features often found at the intersections of the ribs in vaulted ceilings, particularly in Gothic architecture. While primarily decorative, bosses also serve a structural purpose by covering the joints where the ribs of a vaulted ceiling intersect, thereby reinforcing these points.
The Harrowing of Hell is an Anglo-Saxon carving, probably 11th century, and the oldest object in the cathedral. It shows Christ descending into hell, standing on the head of Satan, and rescuing humanity, symbolised by Adam and Eve, from imprisonment.
The Argus Bell is struck before major services. It is from HMS Argus, an early aircraft carrier commissioned in 1918. I also enjoyed looking into the little office behind the bell as it shows how much modern technology is needed to run a cathedral in modern times. Bristol has a lot of services, community events, school visits, concerts, and more, so they need effective sound and lighting.
The Chapter House was built in 1160 and used for meetings about the business of the monastery. This is the entrance way.
This is the interior of the Chapter House. When I visited it was being used as a place for people to sit and work.
There are quite a lot of ties to the military and war memorials in the cathedral. The memorial below was one of the most beautiful, for the choristers who died in World War I.
The garden was closed this time I visited, but the photo below is from a previous visit. The garden is a quiet haven in the busy centre of the city.
The cathedral also had an exhibition on display, All God’s Children, A conversation about slavery, racism, justice and love. It’s clearly controversial in modern times that the church supported slavery and many of its benefactors made their money from slavery and the plantations, but these days, the cathedral is keen to focus on community and social justice.
Bristol was a major port city involved in the transatlantic slave trade from the late 17th century to the early 19th century. Bristol merchants transported enslaved Africans to the Americas, primarily to work on plantations. The trade was a significant part of the city’s economy, contributing to the wealth of many prominent families and the development of the city’s infrastructure.
According to the exhibition, “between 1698 and 1807, Bristol ships transported around 450,000 Africans into slavery in the Caribbean and Americas. Thousands more died on the journey. Several prominent slave traders are buried in the cathedral.”
Ships from Bristol would travel to West Africa, exchange goods for enslaved people, transport them across the Atlantic (called the Middle Passage), and then bring goods such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton back to Bristol. This triangular trade was integral to the city’s prosperity during this period.
The legacy of the slave trade and subsequent immigration from the Caribbean and other parts of the world have made Bristol one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the UK. The Windrush generation, who came to the UK from the Caribbean after World War II, significantly contributed to this diversity. Areas like St. Paul’s and Easton are known for their vibrant multicultural communities, with significant Afro-Caribbean populations. Cultural festivals such as the St. Paul’s Carnival celebrate this diversity and heritage.
Edward Colston, a 17th-century merchant and slave trader, was a prominent figure in Bristol’s history. His philanthropy led to many buildings and institutions being named after him. However, his legacy has been reevaluated, and in June 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests, a statue of Colston was pulled down and thrown into the harbour. This event sparked a wider debate about how the city remembers its history and honours its benefactors, and it remains a controversial issue.
I really enjoyed visiting Bristol Cathedral and it gave me a lot to think about. Well worth a visit!
