BRISTOL
Quite a large but very plain church, typical of the design of Franciscan churches. This view shows the façade and main entrance from Egerton Road. From the porch the interior comes as a surprise, being several steps lower than the entrance.
This view shows the church from the (ritual) north, the large buildings nearest the camera being the friary domestic buildings. The friary closed in the ?1980s and the buildings are now home to the Clifton Diocesan Offices.
Built 1900-1909 to the designs of the firm Pugin and Pugin, the design shows none of the flair of the founder of the company, Augustus Welby Pugin.
The nave has an aisleless west bay and side aisles five bays long, with tall slender arcades, the piers somewhat unusual in having a further fatter upright section above the capitals. Another odd feature is that the East and West windows are groups of three lancets all the same size but the centre one stepped not only above but below as well. The architect J Bevan made alterations in 1922, and by him the side altars. Is he also responsible for the higher walls of the centre bays of the south aisle with their tall three light windows?
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