Christ Church with St Ewen, All Saints & St George

Christ Church, is located on the corner of Broad Street and Wine Street in the heart of the old City of Bristol, and is now the only church used for regular services in the old City. The Bristol City Centre churches were reorganized in 2008 when the full title of the church became Christ Church with Saint Ewen, All Saints and Saint George, Bristol. The parish includes the most part of the old parishes of Saint Ewen and All Saints.

 

We are a very traditional church, and our services, with very few exceptions, accord to the 1662 Book

of Common Prayer. Our Bible readings are exclusively from the Authorised Version, and we enjoy a

very high standard of preaching from our Priest in Charge and several visiting clergy. We have an

eclectic congregation who come from all parts of the City and beyond, to enjoy the dignity of our form

of worship, the tradition of good preaching and music. 

 

The PCC has passed resolutions A, B and C and is cared for by the Bishop of Oswestry.

 

Most of our Sunday services are sung, when a choir of boys and men lead our worship, other than

during the school summer holidays, when they are on holiday. At 11.00 am we have a Sung Eucharist,

with a choral setting of the Communion Service with congregational hymns. At 6.30 pm Sung

Evensong, includes Psalms and Canticles, an Anthem and Sermon as well as congregational hymns. 

Our Tuesday and Thursday service at 1.05 pm is a said Communion service and has a regular following.

 

A church has stood on the present site since Norman times, this probably being the third, but in

1786 the medieval building, which had a history of instability, was judged beyond repair and pulled

down. The present church was then built after surrender of the southern side of the site to enable

Wine Street to be widened.

 

The present church was designed by William Paty and completed in 1792. The Paty family were

architects and craftsmen involved in building and joinery as well as design. Christ Church is arguably

their masterpiece and is renowned amongst Georgian churches for the elegance of its interior and

the clever use of light and space. It follows the design tradition of Gibb's, St Martin-in-the-fields,

London and has similarities with Badminton church, Gloucestershire.

 

In the 19th Century the church became the centre in Bristol for the Church Union whose High Church

views contrasted with those perceived and attached to the Georgian age. This resulted in unfortunate

alterations in 1883 in pseudo-Florentine style. The porch was altered, sash windows were replaced by tracery and stained glass, the original pews altered and the 18th Century reredos replaced by the present stone version. The reredos was however stored in the crypt and with alterations re-erected

in 1928 as a Rood Screen. More recently the large marble pulpit of 1883 was replaced by the original pulpit, likewise fortunately preserved.