Christ Church with St Ewen, Bristol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church with St Ewen |
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| 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 |
| 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.
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.
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
- Churches in Bristol
- Dorothy Hazard, a helpful woman from Bristol's history
- Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
