All Saints' Church, Bristol

51°27′17″N 2°35′36″W / 51.454688°N 2.593394°W / 51.454688; -2.593394LocationBristolCountryUnited KingdomDenominationChurch of EnglandArchitectureHeritage designationGrade II* listed buildingDesignated8 January 1959Completed12th centuryClosed1984

All Saints is a closed Anglican church in Corn Street, Bristol. For many years it was used as a Diocesan Education Centre but this closed in 2015.^[1] The building has been designated as a grade II* listed building.^[2]

History

The west end of the nave survives from the original 12th-century church, and the east nave and aisles were built in the 15th century. Alice Chestre made major donations to the church.^[3] The north-east tower was added in 1716 by William Paul, and completed by George Townesend. The lantern was rebuilt by Luke Henwood in 1807, and the chancel rebuilt in the mid-19th century.^[4]

The Kalendars, a brotherhood of clergy and laity attached to All Saints, built a library over the north aisle of the church in the fifteenth century; by a deed of 1464 they gave free access to all who wished to study. This was the first 'public' library in the kingdom. In 1466 fire destroyed many of the manuscript books.^[5]

The church is surrounded on three sides by pedestrian passageways and built into surrounding buildings. Over the south nave is a priests' room and over the north a Georgian coffee room. The most notable monument marks the grave of Edward Colston, the slave trader and philanthropist. It was designed by James Gibbs and carved by John Michael Rysbrack.^[6]

Archives

Parish records for All Saints' Church, Bristol are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. P.AS) (online catalogue), including baptism, marriage and burial registers. The archive also includes records of the incumbent, overseer of the poor, churchwardens, charities, chantries and vestry, plus deeds, maps, plans and surveys.

See also

1. ^ "Diocesan Education Centre". Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
2. ^ "Church of All Saints". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
3. ^ Manco, Jean. "The House that Alice Built". Bristol Past. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
4. ^ "All Saints' Church". Victoria County History. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
5. ^ Corry, John; Evans, John (1816). The History of Bristol, Civil and Ecclesiastical, Volume 2. p. 51.
6. ^ Burrough, THB (1970). Bristol. London: Studio Vista. ISBN 0-289-79804-3.

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