Description

BRISTOL

ST5873SE BROAD STREET, Centre
901-1/11/535 (North East side)
08/01/59 Christ Church with St Ewen

GV II*

Church. 1786-1791. By William Paty. Built by Thomas Paty and
Sons. Entrance and refurbished interior by Henry Williams in
1883, restored 1973. Bath stone ashlar; roof not visible.
W tower and nave. Baroque style. The E and N elevations are
hidden; the S aisle has four 3-light round-arched windows with
plain surrounds, from 1883. W tower is of 4 stages: a
neo-Florentine portal with a round-headed doorway, an arch of
oak leaf bundles inside pilasters, with a moulded archivolt
with egg-and-dart moulding and rocaille decoration above;
either side are reeded pilasters with Composite capitals, and
clasping pilasters to the corners; entablature with a dentil
architrave, decorated fret frieze and acanthus cornice below a
segmental pediment containing the head of Christ; first-stage
balcony beneath a pair of Roman Quarter Jacks striking bells,
and a large clockface, below a cornice and segmental pediment
on scrolled acanthus brackets; above this the tower is
free-standing, and all 4 faces identical: stepped plinth to
the third stage, beneath paired Ionic pilasters at the corners
and beneath a projecting pediment; a central, recessed
round-headed blind arch with rusticated blocks and an impost
band; belfry with plinth and pairs of Corinthian pilasters to
a modillion cornice, and a central, louvred, round arch;
blocking course with large urns at the corners. 3-stage
octagonal spire on a short plinth, divided by arcaded strips,
each with a course of oculi on each face.
INTERIOR: Classical triglyph reredos by F Bell, 1882; the
original reredos, an elliptical pediment on Corinthian
pilasters with gilded plaster decoration, is now the rood
screen, with swan's-neck gates. 4-bay nave has elliptical
arches with guilloche soffits on slender Corinthian columns;
aisles the same height, the vaults carried on to scrolled
acanthus corbels; Adam-style ceiling decoration.
FITTINGS: restored 1791 octagonal timber pulpit with painted
plaster cherub heads, back and and inlaid tester; communion
table and wrought-iron rail 1792; the original font is now the
lectern base. At the rear is the 1708 organ loft by Renatus
Harris, above a balcony on 2 Corinthian columns with a frieze
of cherubs, carved panelled front surmounted by angels with
instruments. In the NW corner is a segmental arch to a bay
containing a small octagonal font with dentils under the
basin; a large bound oak chest with 3 locks.
Memorials include wall plaques to Christopher Raymond d.1754,
a draped stele on a slate background; Martha Leavis d.1750, a
sarcophagus panel beneath a sarcophagus; Thomas Holmes d.1761,
a sarcophagus below an obelisk with a seated figure holding an
urn, signed Thomas Paty; William Baylis d.1788, an oval plaque
on a black marble backing with a draped urn above; Frances
Ireland d.1795, a black stele bearing an open marble book,
signed by Wood; Hannah Hosier d.1830, a stele with inverted
fire brands either side, and an urn above; Robert Watson
d.1842, a rectangular plaque with an open quatrefoil above
containing fleur-de-lys.
The design is based on the church at Badminton,
Gloucestershire and more loosely on St Martin-in-the-Fields.
The Quarter Jacks came from the earlier church, 1728, by James
Paty, and many of the memorials from St Ewen's (demolished).
(Dening C F W: The Eighteenth Century Architecture of Bristol:
Bristol: 1923-: 132).

Listing NGR: ST5889773076

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Christ Church with St Ewen at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5108837

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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