Bristol Cathedral

From abbey to cathedral

Robert Fitzharding founded St Augustine's Abbey here in 1140, and Augustinian canons built the first church over the following years. After the Dissolution, Henry VIII made it the cathedral of the new Diocese of Bristol in 1542. The medieval nave was never finished, so the one you walk through today is Victorian: George Edmund Street designed it in Gothic Revival style between 1868 and 1877, and the west towers followed in 1888.

What to look for inside

The east end is the reason architecture lovers come. Rebuilt in the 14th century as a hall church, its aisles rise to the same height as the choir, giving a broad, airy space that Nikolaus Pevsner admired. Seek out the late 12th-century chapter house, an early example of pointed arches in England, and the red sandstone Elder Lady Chapel from around 1220 with its stiff-leaf carving.

Planning a visit

The cathedral is open every day of the year, and a suggested donation covers entry. Choral services cost nothing to attend, and free Tuesday lunchtime recitals are held in the nave. Pinkmans Café on site serves coffee, light lunches and its sour doughnuts. Afterwards, College Green leads straight down to the harbourside, We The Curious and the Aquarium.

Highlights

• Founded as St Augustine's Abbey in 1140; cathedral since 1542
• 14th-century hall-church choir with aisles as tall as the choir
• Late Norman chapter house and Early English Elder Lady Chapel
• Victorian nave by George Edmund Street (1868–1877)
• Free choral services and Tuesday lunchtime recitals

Good to know

• Entry is by voluntary donation, with a suggested amount displayed.
• Parts of the North Transept and Elder Lady Chapel may be closed for monument work, so check the What's On page.
• Pinkmans Café on site serves light lunches and cake.

Frequently asked questions