Bristol - St Mary Redcliffe

When Queen Elizabeth I visited Bristol in 1574 she described St Mary Redcliffe as "the fairest parish church in England". Begun in the 13th century and paid for by wealthy merchants, the church is situated on the south side of the Floating Harbor. It takes its name from the red cliffs on which it stands. The spire, 290ft/88m high, is a 19th century addition. The interior is of enchanting elegance with its tall arches, slender clustered pillars and reticulated vaulting. Particularly fine is the hexagonal north porch, with its richly decorated doorway. The wealth and splendor of the church is due to one of the richest merchants of the day, William Canynge, whose tomb can be seen in the south transept. He is commemorated at a special service on Whit Sunday. Also to be found in the church are the memorial tablet and tomb of Admiral Sir William Penn, father of the William Penn who founded Pennsylvania in the USA.

It was in the muniment room of St Mary Redcliffe that Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770) claimed to have discovered the poems of an unknown monk named Rowley, poems which he had in fact written himself. The boy poet, born in nearby Redcliffe Way, committed suicide at eighteen. There is a monument to him northeast of the church.