Church Of All Saints

Church of All Saints

A church now in use as a study centre, located on Corn Street in central Bristol. The building represents a layered architectural history spanning from the early 12th century to the mid-19th century, constructed in Pennant rubble with Bath stone ashlar dressings.

The earliest fabric dates to the early 12th century and survives in the two westernmost bays of the nave, which display Norman characteristics including stout piers with wide scalloped capitals and square-section semicircular arches. The bulk of the building dates to the 15th century, when the church was substantially rebuilt as an uncleerstoreyed hall church with aisles. The remaining three eastern bays of the nave are Perpendicular Gothic in style, as are the chancel and the east and north elevations. A new chancel was built in the mid-19th century, and the interior contains mid-19th century Gothic Revival furnishings and fittings.

The most prominent external feature is the north-east tower, a four-stage structure begun in 1716 by William Paul and completed by George Townesend. The base features pilasters with moulded capitals flanking a round-arched window set within rusticated surround and a larger arch with coved reveals and key. The second stage contains a 3-light segmental-arched window within an open segmental pediment on pilasters. The third stage displays a 3-light Perpendicular-style window with hood and head stops. The tall belfry stage is distinguished by a raised louvred oculus set in a sunken panel. An octagonal cupola crowns the composition, surrounded by a balustrade with corner urns and topped by paired Corinthian shafts supporting an entablature that breaks back over tall open arches, with urns above. The lantern was rebuilt by Luke Henwood in 1807 and is finished with a dome carrying a gilded ball and cross finial.

The south elevation dates to around 1420 and features three 3-light windows with transoms, head stops to the hoodmoulds, and offset buttresses. The north elevation displays mid-15th century work comprising three bays, a weathered plinth with buttresses rising through an open quatrefoil parapet to crocketed pinnacles, large 4-light windows with cinquefoil heads, and a corbel table above a blind trefoil band. The south chancel features three 3-light windows with square stops set within traces of a larger window, with a timber-labelled door between them.

The west end features a pointed doorway with splayed reveals and Tudor roses in hollow mouldings, a label mould with angel stops and traceried spandrels, flanking buttresses, and a band of sunken quatrefoil panels above the door. Above this is a rebuilt Perpendicular 6-light window. A 5-light east window is largely hidden by adjoining buildings.

The interior comprises a five-bay nave with a braced collar beam roof. The three eastern bays have piers with attached shafts, foliate capitals and pointed arches, while the two western bays retain the Norman character with stout piers and wide scalloped capitals. The mid-19th century chancel arch has three attached shafts. The north aisle features a moulded arch at its eastern end enclosing the organ, with a drip mould below decorated with dragon stops and Tudor flowers. North aisle windows continue down into an arcade of blind panels with cinquefoil heads. At the Norman western end of the nave, the aisles were built over in the early 15th century, creating what is now a coffee shop to the north and connecting to Glebe House to the south. The south aisle's western end contains a trefoil-headed window to Glebe House.

The chancel contains mid-19th century Gothic Revival furnishings. The reredos comprises three cusped arches with deep bays behind, ogee crocketed hoods and angels with scrolls to the spandrels, divided by pinnacle buttresses. A late-19th century piscina and three sedilia follow the same style. The hood to the east window runs into gable-hooded panels either side. The north side features a painted doorway with head stops and a ribbed door leading to the organ loft, together with a panelled timber oriel with Tudor flowers.

The church contains significant historical memorials and fittings. The choir stalls feature open front desks with poppy heads and traceried bench ends. A late-17th century communion table survives, alongside the arms of Charles II. An octagonal pulpit with Perpendicular panels and angel brackets is approached by stone steps.

Memorials include a wall tablet to William Clutterbuck (died 1708) with panel, apron, sides and scrolled top; a painted marble cartouche to Hester Becher (died 1714) with heart-shaped panel, leaves and winged cherub heads; a wall tablet to Francis Wall (died 1761) with pedimented panel below cartouche and obelisk; a large dresser tomb to Edward Colston (died 1721) designed by James Gibbs, featuring a finely carved recumbent figure by Rysbrack on a grey marble plinth in front of a Tuscan aedicule with side pilasters, bay-leaf frieze and pediment with children at ends and cartouche; and a wall tablet to Mrs Tooth Blisset (died 1805) by Flaxman, depicting a half-reclining figure under a segmental arch with pointed hoodmould.

The Norman work represents the most important surviving Norman church fabric in Bristol. The medieval tower was replaced by the current 18th-century structure.