Holy Trinity Church, Lawrence Hill
Encyclopedia
The Trinity Centre, formerly the Holy Trinity Church, in Lawrence Hill
, Bristol
is designated by English Heritage
as a grade II* listed building. The building is protected by a covenant, which states that it is to only be used for community, arts, youth and education services. This covenant has influenced much of the building's recent use as an arts and community venue.
and Henry Hutchinson
, two architects from Birmingham, who also designed the piers, perimeter walls and railings which are also listed.
The church is built using Bath stone
in a Perpendicular style, a style of English Gothic architecture
characterised by its strong emphasis on the vertical elements and its linear design .
It has two octagonal bell
towers with open turrets on the west face of the building. The towers sit on either side of the main entrance and the west window. During a period when the building sat empty, the bells were taken and either sold for scrap or to another church. The towers now sit empty and are occupied only by bats and pigeons.
The original bells and fittings were replaced with new ones in April 1927. The work was carried out by local firm Llewellins & James Ltd of Castle Green. It cost £47 10s for bells and labour although an additional £3 10s was incurred when the workmen realised that they had to remove the floor of the towers in order to get the new bells in.
The Holy Trinity Church had 2,200 seats with 1,500 of these being free. The free seating had the word ‘free’ printed on the side and would have been located towards the rear of the church and up in the galleries. Free seating was for the population who could not afford to pay the ‘rent’ for a seat near the front. The closer you sat to the altar the holier you were deemed to be – therefore the richer you were the holier you were. The underside of the original galleries can still be seen today over the bar area.
. With victory came money for Britain and her allies.
In 1818, £1,000,000 was given by Parliament
to build new churches across the country. In 1824, a further £500,000 was given to continue with the mass build. The acts became known as the 'Million' and 'Half Million' Acts. Churches built as a result of these acts became known as 'Million', 'Half Million', or Waterloo churches.
The church took 26 months of hard work to build. The foundation stone was laid on 22 September 1829, by the Lord Mayor
John Cave. The consecration of the completed church took place by the Bishop of Bristol
on 17 February 1832.
Later work was carried out on the building circa 1882 by John Bevan
and in 1905 by William Venn Gough
.
When the church was deconsecrated
the coffins were exhumed and moved to other graveyards such as Arnos Vale Cemetery
.
On 24 April 1869, policeman PC Richard Hill 273 was stabbed to death by 19 year old local labourer William Pullin.
Thousands of people turned up to his funeral at Trinity, lining the streets all the way from the church to the burial at Arnos Vale. Pullin would have hanged had it not been for the intervention of more than 7,000 individuals petitioning for mercy on his behalf, on the grounds that he was a young man of good nature who had come to this terrible act due to circumstance.
A marble memorial tablet that once resided in the Holy Trinity Church can now be found in the foyer of Old Market's Trinity Road police station, which reads: In memory of Richard Hill, police constable of this city, who was murdered whilst in the execution of his duty in Gloucester Lane, 24 April 1869, aged 31 years, and was interred in Arnos Vale Cemetery. This tablet was erected as a mark of esteem by his brother officers and inhabitants of the city. A brave man: PC Richard Hill was not forgotten.
Local leaders looking to ease tensions agreed for Trinity to be deconsecrated
and given to the public, for use as a community centre, with a focus on activities for young people.
The building was transferred to the African-Caribbean
Community Association (also known as the Bristol Caribbean Community Enterprise Group) with a 50 year lease, under the management of Mr Roy de Freitas. The group carried out extensive repairs and alternations to the building, including the installation of a second floor. On 1 July 1978, the same day as St Paul’s Festival, now called Carnival, Trinity Community Centre was opened to the public.
During the early part of this decade, the centre provided a much needed outlet for local youth culture, hosting nights of dub and reggae from the likes of Jah Shaka
and Quaker City, and playing host to some of the biggest domestic and international music stars of the time, notably from the punk and new wave genres, such as U2
, Crass
, The Cramps
, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division
and New Order
alongside local favourites such as The Stingrays
and Disorder
.
As a music venue, Trinity was a melting pot for the different styles popular at the time, from reggae through ska to punk. From this came a post-punk scene which blended many of these influences. Trinity saw regular performances from local acts such as Mark Stewart
and The Pop Group
, who through their collaborations with artists and producers from the reggae scene, as well as artists such as On-U Sound System and Gary Clail
laid the foundations for the later Trip Hop
genre, and the Bristol Sound.
In 1984 the African-Caribbean
Community Association went into insolvency due to financial mismanagement, with large bank and Inland Revenue
debts. Allegations were rife Mr de Freitas had embezzled funds and fled to Jamaica
, though it eventually transpired that he was in fact living with his sister in Clevedon
, having sold his own house to invest in a cafe for the centre, which he had hoped would help to pay off Trinity's debts.
The 50 year lease that had been granted to the community was prematurely terminated and by default the building was transferred to the local authority.
The Centre reopened in 1992, and under this new management Trinity again gained international fame as an important landmark in the globally exported Bristol Sound, prominent during this era, playing host to local acts such as Roni Size
, Smith & Mighty
and Portishead.
As well as the successful music nights there were also daytime community activities. From bingo madness to a boxing club the two levels provided a much needed space for everyone to use.
Shifting funds away from community centres towards Millennium Projects coupled with a series of financial problems, echoing those which led to the demise of the previous group, Trinity was forced to close once again in 2000.
The Centre is continuing in its tradition as a Bristol music venue, as well as providing recording and broadcast studios, and training around media arts and technology, run almost entirely upon Free software
.
Lawrence Hill, Bristol
Lawrence Hill is an electoral ward of Bristol, United Kingdom. It takes its name from a small area just to the east of the city centre, and includes the districts of Barton Hill, St Philips Marsh and Redcliffe, Temple Meads and parts of Easton and the Broadmead shopping area.-History:It is the most...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
is designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade II* listed building. The building is protected by a covenant, which states that it is to only be used for community, arts, youth and education services. This covenant has influenced much of the building's recent use as an arts and community venue.
Holy Trinity Church
The church was built between 1829 and 1832 by Thomas RickmanThomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman , was an English architect who was a major figure in the Gothic Revival.He was born at Maidenhead, Berkshire, into a large Quaker family, and avoided the medical career envisaged for him by his father, a grocer and druggist; he went into business for himself and married his first...
and Henry Hutchinson
Henry Hutchinson
Henry Hutchinson was an English architect who partnered with Thomas Rickman in December 1821 to form the Rickman and Hutchinson architecture practice, in which he stayed until his death in 1831. Hutchinson was born on October 16, 1800, in Ticknall, Derbyshire. He partnered with Rickman after he...
, two architects from Birmingham, who also designed the piers, perimeter walls and railings which are also listed.
The church is built using Bath stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
in a Perpendicular style, a style of English Gothic architecture
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
characterised by its strong emphasis on the vertical elements and its linear design .
It has two octagonal bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
towers with open turrets on the west face of the building. The towers sit on either side of the main entrance and the west window. During a period when the building sat empty, the bells were taken and either sold for scrap or to another church. The towers now sit empty and are occupied only by bats and pigeons.
The original bells and fittings were replaced with new ones in April 1927. The work was carried out by local firm Llewellins & James Ltd of Castle Green. It cost £47 10s for bells and labour although an additional £3 10s was incurred when the workmen realised that they had to remove the floor of the towers in order to get the new bells in.
The Holy Trinity Church had 2,200 seats with 1,500 of these being free. The free seating had the word ‘free’ printed on the side and would have been located towards the rear of the church and up in the galleries. Free seating was for the population who could not afford to pay the ‘rent’ for a seat near the front. The closer you sat to the altar the holier you were deemed to be – therefore the richer you were the holier you were. The underside of the original galleries can still be seen today over the bar area.
Spoils of War
The Napoleonic War against France, which had raged for 12 years ended in 1815, with the defeat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of WaterlooBattle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. With victory came money for Britain and her allies.
In 1818, £1,000,000 was given by Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
to build new churches across the country. In 1824, a further £500,000 was given to continue with the mass build. The acts became known as the 'Million' and 'Half Million' Acts. Churches built as a result of these acts became known as 'Million', 'Half Million', or Waterloo churches.
Design and build
£6,000 was given to the out parish of St Philip’s with a further £2,200 raised by the laymen. This and other sources brought the total cost of the build to £9,020 19s. 4d .The church took 26 months of hard work to build. The foundation stone was laid on 22 September 1829, by the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
John Cave. The consecration of the completed church took place by the Bishop of Bristol
Bishop of Bristol
The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire...
on 17 February 1832.
Later work was carried out on the building circa 1882 by John Bevan
John Bevan
John Bevan may refer to:* John Bevan , Welsh dual-code rugby international who played rugby union for Cardiff and rugby league for Warrington...
and in 1905 by William Venn Gough
William Venn Gough
William Venn Gough was an architect responsible for a number of prominent buildings in Bristol. His works include the Cabot Tower, Colston's Girls' School, Trinity Road Library, and Port of Bristol Authority Docks Office, now Queen Square House, in Queen Square.From 1872 he had an office at...
.
Graveyard
Due to the relatively small size of Trinity’s graveyard, when graves were dug, they were dug deep and coffins were stacked on top of each other to maximise the use of space.When the church was deconsecrated
Deconsecration
Deconsecration is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The same act when performed by a member of a differing religion may be considered a curse by some religions and not a complete removal of the...
the coffins were exhumed and moved to other graveyards such as Arnos Vale Cemetery
Arnos Vale Cemetery
Arnos Vale Cemetery , located in Arno's Vale in Bristol, England, was established in 1837. Its first burial was in 1839. The cemetery followed a joint-stock model, funded by shareholders. It was laid out as an Arcadian landscape with buildings by Charles Underwood.Arnos Vale cemetery is located on...
.
Crime
In the 19th Century there was no provision for street lighting or for constables to patrol after dark. Hand-in-hand with this went crime. Attempts to curb crime by making the death penalty a mandatory sentence for even the smallest capital felony had little perceived impact. Local authorities felt the way to address the problem was to engage the spiralling population in Christian worship, and the Holy Trinity Church was built.On 24 April 1869, policeman PC Richard Hill 273 was stabbed to death by 19 year old local labourer William Pullin.
Thousands of people turned up to his funeral at Trinity, lining the streets all the way from the church to the burial at Arnos Vale. Pullin would have hanged had it not been for the intervention of more than 7,000 individuals petitioning for mercy on his behalf, on the grounds that he was a young man of good nature who had come to this terrible act due to circumstance.
A marble memorial tablet that once resided in the Holy Trinity Church can now be found in the foyer of Old Market's Trinity Road police station, which reads: In memory of Richard Hill, police constable of this city, who was murdered whilst in the execution of his duty in Gloucester Lane, 24 April 1869, aged 31 years, and was interred in Arnos Vale Cemetery. This tablet was erected as a mark of esteem by his brother officers and inhabitants of the city. A brave man: PC Richard Hill was not forgotten.
1960s
The Holy Trinity Church of St Philip & St Jacob finally closed due to dwindling congregations and lack of money. The building sat empty for a decade, spiralling ever further into disrepair, due to vandalism and looting.1970s
Discontent amongst black and minority ethnic young people escalated due to unemployment and increasing clashes with the police.Local leaders looking to ease tensions agreed for Trinity to be deconsecrated
Deconsecration
Deconsecration is the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion. The same act when performed by a member of a differing religion may be considered a curse by some religions and not a complete removal of the...
and given to the public, for use as a community centre, with a focus on activities for young people.
The building was transferred to the African-Caribbean
British African-Caribbean community
The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
Community Association (also known as the Bristol Caribbean Community Enterprise Group) with a 50 year lease, under the management of Mr Roy de Freitas. The group carried out extensive repairs and alternations to the building, including the installation of a second floor. On 1 July 1978, the same day as St Paul’s Festival, now called Carnival, Trinity Community Centre was opened to the public.
1980s
The Trinity Centre's early years as a community centre and music venue were set against a backdrop of rising local tensions, culminating in the St. Pauls riot.During the early part of this decade, the centre provided a much needed outlet for local youth culture, hosting nights of dub and reggae from the likes of Jah Shaka
Jah Shaka
Jah Shaka has been operating a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system since the early 1970s. His name is an amalgamation of the Rastafarian term for God and that of a Zulu warrior, Shaka Zulu.-Career:...
and Quaker City, and playing host to some of the biggest domestic and international music stars of the time, notably from the punk and new wave genres, such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
, The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
alongside local favourites such as The Stingrays
The Stingrays
The Stingrays are a New Wave/Rockabilly band, which originally formed in 1977 in Bristol, England, and is still gigging today. ....
and Disorder
Disorder (band)
Disorder are a hardcore punk band that formed in the Bristol area of the United Kingdom in 1980, and has existed with varying line-ups to this day. Faithful to anarcho-punk ethics, Disorder are a band who aligned with politically-charged punk bands like Crass and Conflict.-History:Disorder formed...
.
As a music venue, Trinity was a melting pot for the different styles popular at the time, from reggae through ska to punk. From this came a post-punk scene which blended many of these influences. Trinity saw regular performances from local acts such as Mark Stewart
Mark Stewart
Mark Stewart is the name of:*Mark Stewart , British musician, founding member and vocalist of The Pop Group*Mark Stewart , New York City based multi-instrumentalist who has worked as a guitarist e.g...
and The Pop Group
The Pop Group
The Pop Group are a British post-punk band from Bristol, England, formed in 1978, whose dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub reggae. Their lyrics were often political in nature...
, who through their collaborations with artists and producers from the reggae scene, as well as artists such as On-U Sound System and Gary Clail
Gary Clail
Gary Clail is an English singer and record producer. He was part of On-U Sound Records and led Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System.-Biography:...
laid the foundations for the later Trip Hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
genre, and the Bristol Sound.
In 1984 the African-Caribbean
British African-Caribbean community
The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
Community Association went into insolvency due to financial mismanagement, with large bank and Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
debts. Allegations were rife Mr de Freitas had embezzled funds and fled to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, though it eventually transpired that he was in fact living with his sister in Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
, having sold his own house to invest in a cafe for the centre, which he had hoped would help to pay off Trinity's debts.
The 50 year lease that had been granted to the community was prematurely terminated and by default the building was transferred to the local authority.
1990s
After a spell of sitting empty, Bristol City Council put the building out to tender and it was taken on by the New Trinity Community Association in 1991. The new tenants and a dedicated team of volunteers began an extensive round of development and renovations, which included the installation of the sprung wooden floor downstairs, and new railings.The Centre reopened in 1992, and under this new management Trinity again gained international fame as an important landmark in the globally exported Bristol Sound, prominent during this era, playing host to local acts such as Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
, Smith & Mighty
Smith & Mighty
Smith & Mighty are a Drum and bass/Trip hop group from Bristol, consisting of Rob Smith and Ray Mighty. Their first releases, in the late 1980s, were breakbeat covers of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Walk on By"...
and Portishead.
As well as the successful music nights there were also daytime community activities. From bingo madness to a boxing club the two levels provided a much needed space for everyone to use.
Shifting funds away from community centres towards Millennium Projects coupled with a series of financial problems, echoing those which led to the demise of the previous group, Trinity was forced to close once again in 2000.
Today
In 2001, Trinity Community Arts formed to reopen the Trinity Centre. Funding was received through the Bristol Objective 2 Action Plan - a strategic development fund across the City, designed to address social, economic and environmental decline and disadvantage - to improve access within the building and make it fit for use by the community. Since reopening in 2004, it has become a prominent arts venue within Bristol.The Centre is continuing in its tradition as a Bristol music venue, as well as providing recording and broadcast studios, and training around media arts and technology, run almost entirely upon Free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
.
See also
- Churches in BristolChurches in BristolThe English city of Bristol has a number of churches.The churches listed are Anglican except when otherwise noted.- External links :*...
- Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
- Trinity Road Library, BristolTrinity Road Library, BristolTrinity Road Library is an historic building situated on Trinity Road, St Philips, Bristol, England.It was constructed in 1896 in a Jacobethan style, to the plans of William Venn Gough, and bears an inscription with its original name, St Philips Public Library.It has been designated by English...