Bristol possesses no less than nineteen parish churches, with a population—not including the suburbs—considerably under sixty thousand. The cathedral, an ancient and most venerable pile, was founded about the middle of the twelfth century by the mayor of Bristol, and, till the reign of Henry the Second, it served as a priory of Black Canons. It was then converted into an abbey, and subsequently, on the dissolution of monastic establishments, under Henry the Eighth, it underwent the further change into a cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. A bishop, dean, six secular canons or prebendaries, one archdeacon, six minor canons or priests'-vicars, a deacon and subdeacon, six lay clerks, six choristers, two grammar-schoolmasters, four almsmen, and others, were endowed with the site, church, and greatest part of the lands of the old monastery. The various changes it has undergone exhibit the finest specimens of English architecture peculiar to the several periods at which they took place. All the ornamental work is of the purest design, and elaborately executed, but on which our limited space will not permit us to enlarge. Several of the lateral chapels are in fine taste and preservation, containing monuments of the founder, of several abbots, and bishops; also those erected to the memory of Mrs. Draper—the "Eliza" of Sterne, Mrs. Mason, and Lady Hesketh, which awaken feelings of deep interest in every mind imbued with the literary history of the last century.
On the east bank of the Avon is Redcliff Parade, affording a beautiful prospect of the city, shipping, and surrounding country. The quay, which extends from St. Giles's to Bristol Bridge, exceeds a mile in length, and is known by the quaint names of the Back, the Grove, and the Gib. On the banks of the river below the city are numerous dockyards, as well as the merchants' floating dock. The several squares in Bristol are handsome: Queen's-square has a spacious walk, shaded with trees, and an equestrian statue of William III., by Rysbrach, in the centre; King's-square is well built on an agreeable slope; on the north-west side of the city is Brandon-hill, where the laundresses dry their linen, as they profess, in virtue of a charter from Queen Elizabeth.
Clifton, two miles west of Bristol, is charmingly situated on the summit of the northern cliffs above the river Avon; many of the houses are occupied by invalids, who seek the aid of Bristol Hot Wells, situated at the western extremity of Clifton, near the stupendous rock of St. Vincent. From its summit above the banks of the Avon there is a fine prospect of the river and its environs, embracing some of the most fertile land in Somersetshire, as well as the western part of Bristol.
REDCLIFFE CHURCH AND BASIN, BRISTOL.
The church of St Mary Redcliffe's, Bristol, was founded in 1249, and not completed till 1375, an interval of a hundred and twenty-six years. The founder was Simon de Burton, mayor of Bristol. It is pronounced by Camden as "on all accounts the first parish church in England." It has, of course, undergone, in the long lapse of generations, many changes, repairs, and perhaps improvements. In the middle of the fifteenth century, after having been seriously damaged in a storm, it was repaired by William Cannynge the mayor; and, owing to the extent of these repairs, he has established a just claim to the gratitude of posterity as the second founder, and to commemorate the restoration thus effected, two beautiful monumental statues were erected to the memory of himself and his wife in the church. This patriotic and pious individual was five times mayor of Bristol, and makes a prominent figure in the Chatterton controversy. It is to be regretted, however, that the spire was never restored, which, with the tower, was originally two hundred and fifty feet high. So great was the beauty of this sacred edifice, that it was celebrated over the whole country as a masterpiece of art, and attracted numerous visitors; nor has that admiration diminished with the lapse of time, for there are very few individuals, curious in the mystery of ecclesiastical architecture, who have not visited or studied the specimen here preserved.
The church is built in the form of a cross; and the nave, which rises above the aisles in the manner of a cathedral, is lighted by a series of lofty windows on each side, and supported by flying-buttresses. The tower is large and richly ornamented, like the remaining part of the spire, with carved work, niches, and statues. The principal entrance is from the west front; but there are porches both to the northern and southern sides. Of the first of these the interior is very beautiful; and it was over this porch that the room was situated in which Chatterton, whose father was sexton of the church, pretended to have found the poems which he attributed to Rowley. The length of the church is two hundred and thirty-nine feet, that of the transept one hundred and seventeen feet. It is remarkable that the transept consists of three divisions or aisles, like the body of the church; and the effect thus produced is fine and striking, when the spectator places himself in the centre and looks around him. The breadth of the nave and aisles is fifty-nine feet; the height of the nave is fifty-four feet, and that of the aisles twenty-five feet. The roof, which is nearly sixty feet in height, is arched with stone, and ornamented with various devices. Although externally this church has all the appearance of a massive structure, it has nevertheless, from its loftiness and the peculiar beauty of its masonry, a light and airy appearance both within and without; and justifies the high eulogium, which we have already quoted, as pronounced upon it by Camden. Among the sepulchral treasures contained in this church, is the tomb of Sir William Penn, father of the celebrated founder of Pennsylvania.