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St Stephen SOUTHMEAD Bristol |
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St Stephen SOUTHMEAD Bristol |
Shares a grassed open space with the catholic St Vincent de Paul and other buildings. The foundation stone for the church was laid on 29th May 1958 by Bishop Cockin of Bristol. It was completed the following year and the architect was Gerald Wills. The church is of brick, but rather more successful than its catholic neighbour. The tower stands at the south west corner and has an open top stage with bells and is also surmounted by a cross. To the south a long glazed porch vestibule with a figure of St Stephen by Ernest Pascoe over the entrance. |
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Transverse concrete arches divide the interior into six bays, attached to the wall on the north and continued down as pillars on the south towards the aisle. This aisle has now been screened off for parish rooms. Clerestory above on the south side, on the north side the windows are placed low down. There is a west gallery with the organ works and below it is the baptistry. |  |
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Your eyes are drawn to the high altar, and the huge figure behind of "The Exhalted Christ" by John Hoskins. This work raises the church beyond the pedestrian works of this period. |
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(Previously this site erroneously credited Ernest Pascoe with this reredos sculpture too but research by Andy Foyle has corrected this mistake and attributed the architect)
There is also a small SE chapel. The font at the west end is also of some merit in my opinion.
Page updated 8th November 2005 (thanks to personal Email from Rev. John Hall)
