St Paul's Church, Clifton, Bristol facts for kids

St Paul's Church is a beautiful old church located on St Paul's Road in Clifton. It is an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. For a while, it was also known as the University of Bristol Church. Today, David Stephenson is the vicar, leading the church community.

Most of the church building you see today was built in 1867. This was after a fire damaged the original church. The architect, Charles Hansom, designed the new parts. He was able to keep the tall tower and spire from the first church. These parts were designed by Manners and Gill. St Paul's Church is a special building, listed as Grade II. It is famous for its amazing stained glass windows and the colorful mosaics on its walls, especially the one behind the altar called the reredos.

In 2012, the church received money from English Heritage to fix its roof. This was because the mosaics and windows are considered very important to the country's history and art.

Discovering Stained Glass Windows

The stunning stained glass windows in St Paul's Church were made by a company called Hardman & Co. in Birmingham during the 1860s. We know a lot about them from letters between the company and the architect, Charles Hansom. These letters also tell us how much the windows cost.

The East Window: A Story in Glass

The exact date the East Window was made is not known. However, experts believe it was created around 1868. This was when the church was rebuilt, and this window is above the altar, making it a main focus. Its design is a bit different from other windows, which supports this idea.

In 1868, Hansom wrote to Hardman's asking for a design sketch and a price. He mentioned they could spend about £175. This price had to include everything, like delivery, installation, and even removing the old glass. The old glass is still kept in the church's crypt today!

The East Window tells the story of the Conversion of St Paul. This story comes from the Bible's Acts of the Apostles. You can see scenes like the stoning of Stephen, Saul being struck down on the road to Damascus, and Ananias helping Paul regain his sight.

South Aisle Windows: The Life of Christ

The windows on the south side of the church were likely the next ones to be installed. Even though each window was paid for separately, they were designed to tell a connected story. These windows show different parts of the life of Jesus Christ. They go from his birth (Nativity) to his return to heaven (Ascension).

It's interesting that there isn't a scene showing the Crucifixion. Perhaps one was planned for another spot. The Nativity scene is in the window furthest to the west. The Ascension scene is in the window now found in the Julian Chapel. At the bottom of these windows, you can find references to the Gospels where the stories come from. All four Gospels are shown.

North Aisle Windows: Unique Designs

The windows on the north side of the church are newer. They include scenes like the Raising of Lazarus (from 1887) and Christ walking on water. These were also made by Hardman's. However, their design is special. A single story flows across different parts of the window. This is quite rare for English stained glass from the 1800s.

West Window: A Special Gift

The West Window is located above the main entrance of the church. It was a gift from Major General Fitzgerald of the Indian Army. A brass plaque near the door explains its purpose:

The three windows at the West end of the Nave are the gift of Major General Fitz-Gerald H.M. Indian Army in affectionate memory of his beloved wife, Anne Evered, who died at Clifton 17 August 1869 and was buried at Arnos Vale.

Records show that Hardman's sometimes delivered late. General Fitzgerald even refused to pay for the windows until they were changed and he received a drawing of the design.

Exploring the Mosaics

The mosaics at St Paul's Church are a collection of 11 beautiful artworks. They are made using a technique called opus sectile, which uses cut pieces of glass or stone. These mosaics line the nave (the main part of the church) and are also in the reredos behind the altar. They were created by James Powell & Sons of Whitefriars, London.

The oldest mosaics, in the reredos, were put in place in 1903. They were a gift from Sir George White after his daughter's wedding. The newest mosaic dates from the late 1920s. This means these mosaics show almost the entire time Powell's was creating opus sectile works. We can learn about them from Powell's old order and cash books, which are now kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum. For example, "The Good Shepherd" mosaic was installed in 1919 and cost £240. The smaller "Angel of Victory" mosaic, from the same year, cost £115.

Details of Selected Mosaics

Purity with Lily

This mosaic panel is on the right side of the tower porch door. It was given to the church to remember Catharine Cole, who passed away on July 4, 1902. Powell's records show it was installed on May 16, 1903. It was designed by Hardwick and cost £15.

St David with His Harp

This mosaic panel is on the left side of the tower porch door. It was donated to remember RHF Farrar Lambeert. He sang in the church choir for 30 years and died on April 28, 1903. The records show this panel was installed on November 23, 1903. It was designed by Penwarden and cost £23.