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Christ Church with St Ewen, Bristol facts for kids

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Christ Church with St Ewen
Christ Church with St Ewen, Bristol, from south-west.jpg
General information
Architectural style Baroque
Town or city Bristol
Country England
Coordinates 51°27′16″N 2°35′39″W / 51.4545°N 2.5943°W / 51.4545; -2.5943
Construction started 1786
Completed 1791
Design and construction
Architect William Paty

Christ Church with St Ewen is an old Church of England church. You can find it on Broad Street in Bristol, England. This church was built a long time ago, between 1786 and 1791. It replaced an even older church from the Middle Ages.

The church tower was likely designed by Thomas Paty. His son, William, probably designed the main part of the church. The whole building was put together by Thomas Paty and Sons. Later, in 1883, Henry Williams updated the entrance and inside of the church. In 1973, Rev. G. S. Zimmern helped restore the building.

Look closely at the church tower! You'll see special figures called "quarter-boys" there. They hit the bells to mark the quarter hours on the Automaton clock. This church is so important that it's been named a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very special historic place.

Christchurch with St Ewen, Bristol, BRO Picbox-4-BCh-3a, 1250x1250
An old picture of Christ Church with St Ewen in Bristol, from around 1838. You can see the church tower and shops on Broad Street.

History of St Ewen's Church

There used to be another church called St Ewen's Church. It was located across the street from Christ Church. St Ewen's Church was built in the early 1100s. That's almost 900 years ago!

One of the oldest documents in Bristol Archives is about St Ewen's Church. It's from around 1141. In 1639, Matthew Hazzard became the vicar of St Ewen's. His wife, Dorothy Hazzard, was known for helping people. She would let pregnant women stay at the parsonage. She also gave homes to families who were traveling to America.

In 1790, the parish of St Ewen's joined with Christ Church. St Ewen's Church was taken down in 1820. This made room for a bigger Council House, which is now the Bristol Register Office.

Christ Church with St Ewen clock
The clock on the church tower.

The Church Building

The Christ Church building you see today is in the Baroque style. It was made using Bath stone. William Paty designed it, and it was built between 1786 and 1791.

Later, in 1883, Henry Williams carried out a Victorian restoration. This means he updated parts of the church in the style popular during the Victorian era.

See also

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