Bristol - the Cathedral

Bristol Cathedral was originally an abbey dedicated to St Augustine, founded in 1140 and consecrated in 1148. It became the cathedral of the new diocese of Bristol in 1542, after the dissolution of the monasteries. It is a Grade I listed building.

The vaulting is quite amazing

Very little of the original stained glass remains, with some being replaced in the Victorian era and there were further losses during the Bristol Blitz.

The most recent glass is an Abstract Expressionist interpretation of the Holy Spirit designed by Keith New in 1965 and installed here, in the South Choir

Some of the most recent stained glass is by Arnold Wathen Robinson following damage during the Bristol Blitz of 1940 and 1941. These include depictions of local Civil Defence during WWII including St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross and the fire services along with air raid wardens, police officers, the Home Guard and the Women's Voluntary Service.

A Victorian era window under the Cathedral's clock, marked 'to the glory of God and in memory of Edward Colson' was ordered to be covered in June 2020 in advance of its eventual removal. The Diocese of Bristol also decided to remove from the Cathedral other dedications to Colston after the toppling of the late 19th century statue of Colston in the city centre on 7 June 2020. The legacy of Colston and his involvement in, and profit from, the transatlantic slave trade in enslaved Africans became toxic and came to a head after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

A late Saxon panel of the Harrowing of Hell, dating from before the Norman Conquest tat may have been carved around 1050. Following a fire in 1831, it was found being used as a coffin lid under the Chapter House floor.

Madonna and Child with Joseph by Zimbabwean artist Chinyama. (1966)

This corridor is a remnant of the cloister, a square of such passages that connected the buildings of the monastery to each other and to the church. It was rebuilt in the 15th century.

Some of the stained glass here dates form the 14th and 15th centuries.

We then moved on to the Cathedral garden

very peaceful

Refugee, Naomi Blake, 1980.

We left the garden and then heard clapping and shouting, so we went to ingestigate (see here )

Drums

The Sambassadors of Groove at the Leamington Unity and Peace Festival. They are very good.

Bristol - from Broadmead to the Museum and Art Gallery

On our second day in Bristol we wanted to visit the Museum and Art Gallery and the Cathedral. Just as we left our hotel we could see some of the runners of the Great Bristol Run

We continued on our way past this gorgeous Art Deco building

and this church in Grecian style

Soon we had caught up with the runners who were cheered by this crowd

it seemed like the whole city was milling around them

Poseidon presiding over the proceedings

interesting clock on the wall of this pub

Food stalls had been set up for the runners and the spectators

Wow

a steady stream of runners.

Then I saw a unicorn on top of a building

We had arrived at College Green

where the Cathedral is

and the City Hall (with the unicorn on top of the roof - another one at the other end)

A gorgeous, extremely long building

with a water canal along the front of it

We moved on heading for the Museum and Art Gallery - in the distance we could see the tower of one of the University buildings

We stopped to look at Banksy's Well Hung Lover

Smiled at this tromp d'oeil inside the window of the building opposite

Mills Memorial Building of the University of Bristol

We were allowed to go inside the entrance hall, so we had a look

Then spent a delightful two hours inside the Museum and Art Gallery.

We then retraced our steps

gorgeous building

Stopped to look at some street art that Bristol is famous for

And ended up back at College Green

where a vigil was going on against the genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel

The service in the Cathedral had finished so we were able to visit. On the way out we heard a lot of shouting and clapping

so we went to investigate. It was the run, or rather the runs. I could not figure out how the run could have been still going on, so I asked someone: apparently, there are two runs, one after the other, first the 10K and then a half-marathon - this was the half-marathon coming to its completion.

We stood and watched for a while and then moved on

towards Millenium Square

lots of people in the cafes, as usual in Bristol

the square was packed out

lots of people who had finished the run(s)

and stalls to service the crowds

We crossed the bridge

walked through Queen's Square

had some lunch at the Osteleria in Broadmead and then went back to our hotel for some rest.