Christ in the Temple, St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol

Detail of one of the windows of the Lady Chapel, part of a full scheme of five windows in this part of the church by Harry Stammers, installed between 1960-65 to replace glass lost in the war.

So much has been said in praise of St Mary's church in the Redcliffe area of Bristol that it seems rather pointless trying to go into further detail here beyond saying that its repute is truly well deserved, this being the church that Elizabeth I called "the fairest, goodliest, and most famous parish church in England."

St Mary Redcliffe is a wonderfully complete vision of English late Decorated / early Perpendicular Gothic architecture which is broadly unified stylistically. The present building mainly dates from 1292-1370 and has a cathedral-like form and scale, fully cruciform with nave, choir and transepts flanked by aisles in each case and the church culminating in a Lady Chapel at the east end. The tower is at the north west corner and crowned by a tapering spire (truncated by a lightning strike in 1446 and only rebuilt in 1872) and a landmark for the surrounding area (visible as one arrives in Bristol by train as I did, being so close to the station). However the most dramatic architectural feature of the exterior is the unique two-storied hexagonal porch on the north side which is the main entrance to the church. This porch has much unusual ornament in its carved doorways and details and within is a joy to behold with its vaulted ceiling, a beautiful introduction to the church beyond.

Inside the nave the glory of the interior becomes clear, flooded with light from the many great aisle and clerestorey windows and crowned throughout by vaulted ceilings of a variety of beautiful designs, all studded with gilded roof bosses. It is a breathtaking interior to behold and a feast for the eyes. As one progresses further down the church through the aisles and transepts one encounters tombs and effigies to various medieval worthies of Bristol and whilst most of the medieval glass has disappeared beyond a few collected fragments (located in the chapel at the north west corner under the tower) there are some huge swathes of Victorian glass and some rather more rewarding postwar glass in the Lady Chapel adding a rich splash of colour at the far end of the building.

It is impossible to really do this architectural gem justice with words so I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking. All I can add is that this is one of the loveliest buildings in the country and a masterpiece of English medieval art and architecture. It shouldn't be missed and is happily normally open to visitors on a daily basis.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Redcliffe

Taken in: UK / England / Bristol (show map)

Taken on: August 30, 2022

Tags:

Bristol

church

stained glass

window

modern

contemporary

Harry Stammers « less

Sets appears in: • Contemporary stained glass • Stammers & Harvey Stained Glass more » • The Face of Christ • Bristol - St Mary Redcliffe • Bristol - Stammers Glass, St Mary Redcliffe « less

Groups appears in: • Contemporary Stained Glass Windows • Modern Glasspainters of York

Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ70, f/7.1, 1/8 sec, 71.7mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-TZ70
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.125 sec (1/8)
Focal Length:	71.7mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer 6.1.7600.16385
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