Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St John the Baptist |
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St John's church showing the gateway over the city wall
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′23″N 2°35′48″W / 51.456313°N 2.596605°W |
The Church of St John the Baptist in Bristol, also called St John on the Wall, is a very old church. It is looked after by a group called the Churches Conservation Trust. This church is special because it's built right into Bristol's old city walls. You can find it at the bottom of Broad Street. It has an upper church and a cool, old underground room called a crypt.
Contents
Building the Church: St John on the Wall
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This church was built in the 1300s. It was changed a lot in the 1800s. The church's tower and tall steeple sit right above St John's Gate. This gate is the last old city gateway left in Bristol.
The church is quite narrow because it's built right next to and into the city walls. That's why it's also known as St John's on the Wall. Inside, you can see a high doorway in the wall. This was once a staircase to a large screen called a "rood screen." Other churches in Bristol, like St Peter's and St Stephen's, have similar stairways.
Underneath the church, there's a special underground room called a crypt. This crypt was dedicated to the Holy Cross. Since 1374, a water pipe has brought water from Brandon Hill to the church. You can sometimes see small markers on the ground that show where the pipe runs.
Art and History Inside
The church has some interesting memorials. One is for Walter Frampton, who died in 1357. He was the Mayor of Bristol three times and gave a lot of money to the church. There's also a brass plaque for Thomas Rowley, who died around 1478. His name was later used by a teenage poet, Thomas Chatterton, in the 1700s. Chatterton pretended to find old poems written by "Thomas Rowley."
On the south side of the gate, you can see statues of two legendary founders of Bristol: Brennus and Belinus. They face up Broad Street. These statues might even be older than the gate itself!
The inside of the two arches next to the main gateway are now covered with cool graffiti murals.
The church also has an old burial ground. You can see it from John Street. The entrance is in Tailors Court, which you can reach from Broad Street. The burial ground is not open to the public.
What's Happening Now
St. John on the Wall is looked after by The Churches Conservation Trust. This is a national charity that helps preserve old churches. The church is usually open every day. You can visit for free and see interactive displays. These displays tell the story of Bristol in medieval times.
St John on the Wall also hosts different events. These include free family activities, music gigs, art shows, and concerts. The church is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Grade I listed building. This means it's a building of special historical interest. The Trust took over caring for the church on June 25, 1985.
The Churches Conservation Trust also uses "The Crypt" area. It's a unique space that can be rented for live music and art shows. It has also been used as a place to film movies or TV shows.
In 2022, the church had to close for a while. This was because people were worried that the spire might become unstable.
Past Church Community
During World War II, in 1940, another church called St Mary le Port Church was bombed. Its community and leader, William Dodgson-Sykes, moved to St John on the Wall Church. The community stayed there for many years. However, their numbers slowly became smaller. The church was finally closed for regular worship in 1984. The remaining members then moved to the Chapel of Foster's Almshouses.
See also
- Churches in Bristol
- Grade I listed buildings in Bristol
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in South West England
