Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol

Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol tickets: which one to buy

The Church of Saint John the Baptist, known as Saint John on the Wall, stands on Broad Street in the old centre of Bristol, built into the medieval city wall, and entry is free. The church is no longer used for regular worship and is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust, which opens it to visitors on certain days, usually a few days a week in the warmer months; check before visiting.

Walking tours of Bristol's old city combine it with Saint Nicholas Market, Corn Street with the Exchange and its brass tables, and the harbourside. The church is a short walk from Bristol Temple Meads station and from the docks, where the SS Great Britain is moored. The church is small, and the visit is short, but it is one of the most unusual survivals of medieval Bristol. The Churches Conservation Trust website lists opening days and volunteer-led visits.

Visiting Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol: what to see

The church was built in the fourteenth century on top of the city wall, and its tower rises over the last surviving medieval gateway of Bristol, Saint John's Gate, through which Broad Street still passes. The gateway is decorated with statues of Brennus and Belinus, legendary founders of the city. The church is narrow and long, because it had to fit on top of the wall. Inside, it has a simple nave with wooden fittings, including a seventeenth-century pulpit, communion table and hourglass stand, and memorials. Beneath the church lies a crypt, originally a separate church dedicated to the Holy Cross, with medieval tombs, including one with an effigy.

A conduit, once supplying water to the city, emerges from the wall beside the gate, and people still collected water there in the twentieth century. The crypt's vaulted ceiling and medieval tombs create an atmosphere quite different from the church above. A seventeenth-century brass hour-glass stand beside the pulpit recalls the length of sermons. The church has memorial plaques to Bristol merchants. The tower rises directly above the arch of the gate. The niche statues on the gate were restored in recent years.

Church of St John the Baptist, Bristol opening hours and the best time to go

The church opens on selected days, mainly from spring to autumn, and it is closed at other times, although the gate and the statues can be seen at any time. Bristol is lively all year, with a busy harbourside and a large student population. The Bristol Harbour Festival in July and the Balloon Fiesta in August attract crowds. Saint Nicholas Market, nearby, is open daily except Sunday and has food stalls. Allow about fifteen minutes for the church, and combine the visit with a walk to the harbourside and the SS Great Britain. The M Shed museum on the harbourside tells the story of Bristol and is free to enter.