St Paul's Church, Bristol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church |
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St Paul's Church
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′40″N 2°35′05″W / 51.46114°N 2.58472°W |
| Construction started | 1789 |
| Completed | 1794 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Daniel Hague |
St Paul's Church is a famous building in the St Paul's area of Bristol, England. It was built a long time ago, in the 1790s. For many years, it was a church.
However, the church closed in 1988. It became unused and started to fall apart. Luckily, it was saved! Today, it is a special place. It is now home to Circomedia, a school where people learn amazing circus skills. This building is so important that it is a Grade I listed building. This means it is protected because of its history and beauty.
Building History
St Paul's Church is located in Portland Square. It was designed by an architect named Daniel Hague. Work on the church began in 1789 and finished in 1794.
The church has a very unique tower. It has different levels, like a wedding cake! Because of this, people started calling it the "Wedding Cake Church." The tower was meant to hold ten bells. But only four bells were bought. They were made by John Rudhall of Gloucester.
- Two bells were made in 1792.
- Two more bells were made in 1795.
One of these original bells is still at St Paul's. The other bells were moved to different churches. Two smaller bells are now in Buckland Dinham and Wagga Wagga, Australia. The second largest bell is now in Sydney, Australia.
The church also has old gates and railings. These are also protected as a Grade II* listed building.
From Church to Circus School
Over time, fewer people lived in the area around the church. Many houses became offices. This meant fewer people went to the church. So, in 1988, the church closed. It was in bad shape and boarded up for many years.
Water leaked in, damaging the plaster ceilings. The old ironwork inside also swelled up. This caused the Bath Stone walls to crack.
But there was good news! About £2.3 million was raised from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This money helped pay for the church's repair and transformation. The church is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This group helps save important old churches.
In 2005, the building got a new life. It became the home of Circomedia, a school for circus arts. Even though it's a circus school, the building is still considered a holy place. It still has its beautiful old plaster ceiling and stone columns. You can also see lovely stained glass windows.
Now, it also has special equipment for aerial acts and trapeze. There's even a pale Maple wood floor for dancing. In 2007, St Paul's Church won a big award. It was the international RICS Community Benefit Award. Judges chose it because of its amazing transformation.
Gallery
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Front of the church
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The tower
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The rear of the church taken from St Paul's Park
See also
