St Gabriel's Church, Bristol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| St Gabriel's Church | |
|---|---|
| Church of St Gabriel with St Lawrence | |
 An early 20th-century postcard produced by Viner & Co. of Bath, depicting the church prior to the removal of its spire | |
 St Gabriel's Church | |
| 51°27′43″N 2°34′10″W / 51.461957°N 2.569414°W | |
| Location | Easton, Bristol, England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Tradition | Evangelical |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 14 March 1870 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | J. Neale |
| Style | Gothic Revival Bristol Byzantine |
| Years built | 1868–1870 |
| Construction cost | £3,000 |
| Closed | 1 November 1974 |
| Demolished | August 1975 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 619 |
| Administration | |
| Division | Archdeaconry of Bristol |
| Diocese | Diocese of Bristol |
| Parish | St Gabriel with St Lawrence |
St Gabriel's Church was a Church of England parish church located in Upper Easton, Bristol. It was designed by the architect J. Neale in an adaptation of the Early English Gothic style using polychrome brickwork characteristic of the Bristol Byzantine style. The church was consecrated in 1870 to serve the growing industrial population of east Bristol.
Following a period of redundancy and severe vandalism, the church was the subject of a planning controversy in 1975 when it was demolished by Bristol City Council days after being listed as a building of architectural interest by the Department of the Environment.
Redundancy and demolition
St Gabriel's was established to serve the district of Upper Easton, an area described at the time as a "poor neighbourhood" with an almost entirely working-class population. Prior to the church's construction, services were held in a school room of the Trinity branch, with a congregation of approximately 200 people. The new district was carved out of the parish of Holy Trinity, St Philip's, with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners apportioning a population of approximately 6,000 to the new parish.[1] The parish was deeply rooted in the industrial character of east Bristol as the church was situated adjacent to the Easton Colliery (owned by Messrs. Leonard, Boult, and Co.), and many parishioners were miners or industrial labourers.[2]
The foundation stone was laid in 1868. The initial estimate for the design was £2,129, but the discovery that the ground required excavating to a depth of 18 feet (5.5 m) to reach solid foundation entailed significant extra expense for concrete infill.[3] The church was consecrated on the morning of 14 March 1870 by Charles Ellicott, the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. While contemporary reports cited the cost at £3,000, later records indicate a total building cost of £4,400 raised by public subscription, which included a £200 grant from the Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Association. The patronage of the living was held by the Bristol Church Trustees.[1][4]
Education soon became a focus of the new parish. In February 1872, the foundation stone for a new school adjoining the church was laid. Like the main church, it was designed by J. Neale and was made to accommodate 600 children. The school was built by Messrs. Wilkins of St Paul's at a cost of £1,550.[5] By 1892, the Sunday School had 1,000 attendees, and the day school educated 870 children.[6]
To accommodate the growing parish, a temporary mission hall was opened in Goodhind Street in 1905 at a cost of £675.[7] This was eventually replaced by a permanent church hall, dedicated in February 1915 and built at a cost of £1,150.[8]
In 1954, following the closure of the nearby St Lawrence's Church on Lawrence Hill, the two parishes were united to form the parish of St Gabriel with St Lawrence.[9][10]
By the 1960s, the church fabric required significant maintenance. A restoration project costing £3,000 was launched to strengthen the foundations, which had been affected by underground mine workings, and to install a new lighting system.[11] The church celebrated its centenary in March 1970 with a service attended by the Lord Mayor and preached by Hugh Gough, the former Archbishop of Sydney.[12] However, the construction of new tower blocks as part of the Easton Comprehensive Redevelopment Area and the construction of the Outer Circuit Road left the church isolated,[13] and in the same year plans were announced to replace both St Gabriel's and Holy Trinity Church with the new Easton Christian Family Centre, a move supported by the diocese to create a modern community centre.[14]
The church was officially closed for worship on 1 November 1974 and declared redundant.[10] Following its closure, the building suffered from extensive vandalism: thieves stripped lead flashing from the roof,[15] stole the brass lectern,[16] and removed the church bell by lowering it through a trapdoor.[17][18] In August 1975, a man was convicted of stealing 25 organ pipes to sell as scrap metal.[19]
Due to the building's rapid deterioration, Bristol City Council issued a Dangerous Structure Order in July 1975. However, on 8 August 1975, the Department of the Environment listed the church as a building of architectural interest, creating a legal standoff.[20][18] Despite the listing and opposition to the demolition plans from the public and the Bristol Civic Society, the Planning Committee voted 10 to 1 to proceed with demolition in the interest of public safety. The church was demolished in late August 1975.[21][22] The site was subsequently redeveloped for a low-rise council housing complex known as Hilton Court.[23] The Easton Christian Family Centre is now the sole remaining church of what is now known as the Parish of Holy Trinity with St Gabriel St Lawrence and St Jude.[24]