Bristol Cathedral Church

Address: College Green, Bristol BS1 5TJ, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk/

Bristol Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral for the Diocese of Bristol in England, occupying a site that dates back to a medieval abbey and featuring architecture from the 12th to the 15th centuries.

The building combines Norman and Gothic elements, with a long ecclesiastical plan that includes an early medieval crypt and later medieval choir and nave sections. Visitors come to view the historic fabric, liturgical spaces and periodic cultural events held in the cathedral.

The church began as the abbey church of St Augustine’s and, following the Reformation, was designated the cathedral for the new Diocese of Bristol in 1542. Over centuries it has undergone restorations and alterations reflecting changing liturgical and architectural fashions.

The cathedral stands in central Bristol, close to the city centre and riverfront, acting as an urban landmark within walking distance of the city’s main civic and commercial areas.

• Cathedral status: Originally the abbey church of St Augustine, it became the seat of the Bishop of Bristol when the diocese was created during the English Reformation in 1542.

Bristol Cathedral sits on College Green next to the city centre. From Bristol Temple Meads railway station it is about a 15-20 minute walk (1.2 km) northwest along Temple Way and Baldwin Street. Multiple bus routes serve the city centre, and the cathedral is a short walk from Broadmead shopping area.

• Attend Evensong on a weekday evening (when scheduled) to see the cathedral's medieval and Gothic features quietly used in worship.
• Look down: worn stone steps and the shallow grooves on the choir stalls are the fingerprints of centuries of use.
• The cathedral is compact; for the best photographic light aim for late morning when sunlight slants through the east windows.