Book a Guided Tour
Multiple dates available
Discover over 800 years of history and enjoy the magnificent interior of this masterpiece of gothic architecture.
About this event
Over 800 years of history
Join us for a guided tour of this superb church, once referred to by Queen Elizabeth I as "The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England”.
The Christian community has worshipped continuously on the site occupied by St Mary Redcliffe Church for well over 800 years. The first church may have built here in Saxon times, when Bristol first became a port – the original quayside was just across the road, below the red sandstone cliff from which this area gets its name, located on what is now Redcliffe Quay.
The present church is a treasure of international importance, a Grade I listed building that has been described as a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. All the features of St Mary Redcliffe speak clearly of the beauty and the infinite variety in God’s world.
St Mary Redcliffe sits at the centre of Redcliffe, on a spur of red cliff that gives the church its name. Redcliffe, once separate from Bristol and part of the manor of Bedminster, like the wider city is an area with strong links to the sea, maritime trade and industries such as glass-making and pottery. The history of the church is peopled with characters associated with the early modern expansion of Bristol, such as John Cabot and William Canynges, but also later political and cultural figures such as Admiral William Penn, William Hogarth and Thomas Chatterton, Wordsworth's "marvellous boy", whose formative years were spent contemplating the gothic splendour of the church.
Meet your guide Paul Stevens inside the main entrance to the church five minutes before the tour start time.
Accessibility
This tour will include a visit to the Chatterton Room, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (a 75 step spiral staircase) and is therefore not accessible for those who are unable to climb the staircase. Most of the tour, however, will take place in the main body of the church, which is accessible via the south entrance and on a level. We welcome bookings from those who are unable to visit the Chatterton Room, but would like to join us for the main part of the tour.
