mary anglican parish church located district bristol england church short walk church building constructed 12th 15th centuries place christian worship years church renowned beauty gothic architecture classed grade listed building famously described famous parish church england little remains earliest churches site little fabric dated 12th century current building dates late 13th 14th centuries built decorated wealthy merchants city tomb monuments church fell struck lightning rebuilt little original stained glass remains following damage english civil war extensive new glass added victorian era tower contains bells designed circle english style change ringing music church provided organ history church site built saxon times port bristol began medieval times mary sitting red cliff sign pray departure thanks return church built bristol wealthy merchants paid masses sung souls commemorated parts church date beginning 12th century plan dates earlier period church stands built south aisle 13th century greater building late 14th century perpendicular patrons included mayor bristol merchant times mayor bristol times 15th century grandson great merchant times mayor times assumed responsibility bringing work interior completion filling windows stained glass work damaged struck lightning fell causing damage interior angle falling masonry extent damage unclear remain damaged years continued commitment restore church took holy orders death wife buried church families associated include school formed chapel churchyard church school remained closely linked aspects operations 17th century saw loss church fittings stained glass reformation english civil war reign partially funded interior mary refitted baroque style father born house church studied church records room south porch wrote works attempted pass genuine medieval documents committed suicide london age seventeen church saw marriages sarah sister elizabeth upper missing struck lightning reconstructed height funds rebuilding raised formed raised needed long tons short tons laid mayor effect environmental pollution stone repairs stonework needed 1930s mobile mast fitted inside second world war bomb exploded nearby street throwing rail houses churchyard embedded ground rail left monument archives parish records church bristol held online catalogue including baptism marriage burial registers archive includes records incumbent poor church council charities estates restoration church schools societies plus deeds photographs maps plans records related held berkeley castle room gloucestershire archives architecture fittings largest parish churches england according sources largest tallest parish churches tallest building bristol plan chapel extending east chancel large 13th century tower placed north west tower added building 13th century broad angle buttresses windows bell stage corner collapse original remained truncated 1870s rebuilt nave chancel choir vaulted richly decorated bosses variety styles lady chapel star vault large pointed blind arcade descending windows beneath lady chapel small larger beneath bays rectangular 13th century porch nave north porch inner component dating black columns outer portion built appearance outer north porch built 14th century buttresses richly decorated vault church oak chest dating choir stalls date 15th century 13th century marble oak pulpit built 19th century wrought iron chancel screen built stands tower june announced awarded contract extend include visitor amenities step free access community hub monuments memorials church adorned monuments individuals history city including sir father founder pennsylvania helm half armour hung wall banners dutch ships captured battle church displays rib whale brought tombs grandfather tomb multiple wall monuments stained glass little early stained glass remains west window chapel instance medieval glass barely survived destruction said caused men higher portions went untouched severely damaged cases windows impossible repair clear glass eventually introduced replace missing scenes victorian stained glass windows created finest studios period produced design seven light east window following competition launched delays raising money caused delays installation controversy design meant replaced current depiction bell tree design window south installed north memorial window died designed installed crown glass company later design depicting installed lady chapel alongside designed windows choir bell designed memorial north wall north west window obscured organ 1860s moved way depiction designed funded attempts achieve installed work subsequent designs lead commissions bell generally memorials wealthy local dignitaries contributed restoration church sealing tomb great commissioned fill east end chancel paid paintings scenes depicted ascension featuring mary central canvas feet feet flanked sealing tomb feet inches feet mounted frames removed church mid victorian displayed stored redundant church bristol church bells tower contains total bells bell dating early cast cast family remainder cast dates bells bell bell bell larger 10th bell 11th bell included ring bells bells hung cast iron steel frame john taylor dating major overhaul number small modifications taken place additional bell added tenor bell largest bell parish church hung circle english style change ringing 7th largest bell world surpassed 11th tenor tenor tenor london exeter cathedral tenor tenor new 8th bell cast queen replacing bell non swinging bell internal hammer fitted use service bell body church ring bells augmented additional bells sharp bell cast smallest bell tower flat 6th cast allow different scales bells tuned tenor bell tuned strikes note mary guild change founded clock heard striking quarter 3rd 4th 5th 8th bells ring hours struck largest 12th tenor bell clock strikes commonly known quarter hour daily disabled outside hours bells position disabled normally day sundays clock fully converted electric operation 1960s driven smith derby motor old gravity weights etc removed clock automated remains clock movement electrified barrel housed large enclosure ringing room clock face approximately diameter northern elevation choir choir released numerous recordings touring europe north_america organ pipe organ church built harris stops rebuilt chancel manual stop organ having pipes installed end life said regarded organ mary finest characteristic work organ remains essentially designed recorded organ symphony organ ideal choice notes recording describe church ideal period seconds notes organ tone range volume practically loud royal festival hall called organ finest high romantic organ constructed november saw performances organ month renovation original builders costing organ taken away builders workshop durham pipes cleaned leather replaced fitted electronic panel storing combinations stop settings directors music record names early record payments rogers playing organ rogers long tenure new organ installed took served followed years post combined held continued appointed post held title post director music post held assistant graham
St Mary Redcliffe