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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · South Wales

St Mark's Church, Bristol

Norman & medievalFree admission

St Mark's Church, Bristol — Grade I listed church in the United Kingdom.

St Mark's Church, Bristol, historic churches in South Wales

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Princes Wharf · 0.6 km
  • Free entry

About

St Mark's Church, Bristol is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1201. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed church in the United Kingdom". Coordinates: 51.4530°, -2.6002°.

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Heritage listing

St Mark's Church is an ancient church on the north-east side of College Green, Bristol, England, built c. 1230. Better known to mediaeval and Tudor historians as the Gaunt's Chapel, it has also been known within Bristol since 1722 as the Lord Mayor's Chapel. It is one of only two churches in England privately owned and used for worship by a city corporation. The other is St Lawrence Jewry, London. It stands opposite St Augustine's Abbey (after 1542 Bristol Cathedral), founded by a member of the Berkeley family of nearby Berkeley Castle, from which it was originally separated by the Abbey's burial ground, now called College Green. It was built as the chapel to the adjacent Gaunt's Hospital, now demolished, founded in 1220.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

St Mark's Church is an ancient church on the north-east side of College Green, Bristol, England, built c. 1230. Better known to mediaeval and Tudor historians as the Gaunt's Chapel, it has also been known within Bristol since 1722 as the Lord Mayor's Chapel. It is one of only two churches in England privately owned and used for worship by a city corporation. The other is St Lawrence Jewry, London. It stands opposite St Augustine's Abbey (after 1542 Bristol Cathedral), founded by a member of the Berkeley family of nearby Berkeley Castle, from which it was originally separated by the Abbey's burial ground, now called College Green. It was built as the chapel to the adjacent Gaunt's Hospital, now demolished, founded in 1220. Except for the west front, the church has been enclosed by later adjacent buildings, although the tower is still visible. The church contains some fine late gothic features and a collection of continental stained glass. It is designated by Historic England as a grade I listed building.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

In 1220 Maurice de Gaunt (d.1230), a grandson of Robert Fitzharding (d.1170), first feudal baron of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, founded a hospital, that is to say a mediaeval charitable residential institution, next to his grandfather's foundation of St Augustine's Abbey, to provide relief for the sick and poor. It was to be called the "Hospital of St Mark of Billeswyke-by-Bristol" and was housed in the Abbey's almonry. On Maurice's death in 1230, his nephew Robert de Gournay added to its endowment, made it independent of the Abbey and placed it under the control of Maurice's brother Henry de Gaunt. It became known informally as St Mark's Hospital or Gaunt's Hospital. The church for the use…

Architecture

The nave was built around 1230, and the south aisle around 1270 80. These parts are in the early decorated gothic style, while the rest of the church is of the later perpendicular style. The tower, constructed over the east end, was completed in 1487.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4530, -2.6002
Parish
Bristol, City of, unparished area
Postcode
BS1 5TB
Parliamentary constituency
Bristol Central
Established
1201
Nearest railway station
Princes Wharf0.6 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Mark's Church, Bristol?
St Mark's Church, Bristol is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode BS1 5TB), in the parish of Bristol, City of, unparished area.
When was St Mark's Church, Bristol built?
Built or established in 1201.
Is St Mark's Church, Bristol a listed building?
St Mark's Church, Bristol is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is St Mark's Church, Bristol a protected site?
Yes — St Mark's Church, Bristol is part of the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is St Mark's Church, Bristol free to visit?
Yes, St Mark's Church, Bristol is free to enter.
How do I get to St Mark's Church, Bristol?
The nearest railway station is Princes Wharf, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BS1 5TB.