St. Paul's Church, Bristol
Encyclopedia
St Paul's Church gives its name to the surrounding St Pauls
area of Bristol
. It was built in the 1790s but fell into disuse and disrepair by its closure in 1988. It is a Grade I listed building.
Major renovation work was undertaken to repair and convert the building for use as a performance space and circus
skills school Circomedia
.
Portland Square
. It was designed by Daniel Hague although the original St Paul's Church was to be designed by James Allen
in a Greek style. Work was started on the church in 1789 and completed in 1794. St Paul's became known as the Wedding Cake Church from the unusual tiered tower. The tower was designed to hold a ring of ten bells
, however only four bells were purchased, all cast by John Rudhall of Gloucester
, two in 1792 and the 6th and tenor bells of the proposed ring in 1795.
The gates and railings are a grade II* listed building.
and water leaking in, causing erosion to the plaster ceilings.
About £2.3 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund
funded the restoration and conversion work. The church is now a redundant church
in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. It was declared redundant on 1 November 1988, and was vested
in the Trust on 1 April 2000.
In 2005 the church was converted into its present form as the home of Circomedia
, a circus school, but remains consecrated. It still boasts an ornate Georgian plaster ceiling, stone columns and a wealth of decorative stained glass
, but has now been equipped with aerial and trapeze
equipment and a pale Maple
wood sprung dance floor.
On 19 October 2007, it won the international RICS Community Benefit Award 2007. St Paul's was chosen as the winner by judges because of the transformation it has undergone under the Churches Conservation Trust.
St Pauls, Bristol
St Pauls is an inner suburb of Bristol, England, situated just north east of the city centre and west of the M32. It is bounded by the A38, the B4051 and the A4032 roads...
area of 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...
. It was built in the 1790s but fell into disuse and disrepair by its closure in 1988. It is a Grade I listed building.
Major renovation work was undertaken to repair and convert the building for use as a performance space and circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
skills school Circomedia
Circomedia
Circomedia is a school for contemporary circus and physical theatre based in Bristol, England. The school offers a variety of training courses and workshops that teach circus skills in the context of physical theatre, performance and creativity....
.
Building
It is in the GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
Portland Square
Portland Square, Bristol
Portland Square is in the St Pauls area of Bristol.It was laid out in the early 18th century as one of Bristol's first suburbs. Built upon a flat area of ground its central focus of St. Pauls Church...
. It was designed by Daniel Hague although the original St Paul's Church was to be designed by James Allen
James Allen
James, Jim, or Jimmy Allen may refer to:*James Allen , American football linebacker*James Allen , American football running back...
in a Greek style. Work was started on the church in 1789 and completed in 1794. St Paul's became known as the Wedding Cake Church from the unusual tiered tower. The tower was designed to hold a ring of ten bells
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...
, however only four bells were purchased, all cast by John Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
, two in 1792 and the 6th and tenor bells of the proposed ring in 1795.
The gates and railings are a grade II* listed building.
Closure and redevelopment
The church closed in 1988 in state of disrepair and was boarded up for many years. A lot of damage was caused by swollen ironwork exploding the Bath StoneBath 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...
and water leaking in, causing erosion to the plaster ceilings.
About £2.3 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
funded the restoration and conversion work. The church is now a redundant church
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. It was declared redundant on 1 November 1988, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Trust on 1 April 2000.
In 2005 the church was converted into its present form as the home of Circomedia
Circomedia
Circomedia is a school for contemporary circus and physical theatre based in Bristol, England. The school offers a variety of training courses and workshops that teach circus skills in the context of physical theatre, performance and creativity....
, a circus school, but remains consecrated. It still boasts an ornate Georgian plaster ceiling, stone columns and a wealth of decorative stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, but has now been equipped with aerial and trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
equipment and a pale Maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
wood sprung dance floor.
On 19 October 2007, it won the international RICS Community Benefit Award 2007. St Paul's was chosen as the winner by judges because of the transformation it has undergone under the Churches Conservation Trust.