St Michael on the Mount Without Church
September 2016
St Michael on the Mount Without earned its odd name by being located ‘without’ (outside) the city walls. Its earliest remaining part is the tower, which was built around the 15th century. At this time the church served a growing suburb of merchants’ houses on St Michael’s Hill and, apart from the tower, consisted of a nave and south aisle. By the 18th century the parish needed a larger church but St Michael’s was recorded as being in poor condition, except for the tower (repaired in 1739). The church’s body was therefore destroyed and architect Thomas Paty built a new nave with a crypt beneath and aisles either side (1775–7).
The tower is still the most interesting feature, with a stair turret at one corner topped, Bristol-style, with a spirelet (small spire). In the graveyard lie ‘Marian martyrs’ executed at the top of St Michael’s Hill – persecuted for their faith in Queen Mary’s reign (1553–8). The church was damaged during the Bristol Blitz of WW2 war-time bombing raids (1940–1) and not fully restored until 1962. Its congregation dwindled and in 1999 the church was declared redundant. The Diocese of Bristol is actively looking for new users and have also submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to carry out repairs as it's listed on Buildings at Risk Register.
St Michael on the Mount Without earned its odd name by being located ‘without’ (outside) the city walls. Its earliest remaining part is the tower, which was built around the 15th century. At this time the church served a growing suburb of merchants’ houses on St Michael’s Hill and, apart from the tower, consisted of a nave and south aisle. By the 18th century the parish needed a larger church but St Michael’s was recorded as being in poor condition, except for the tower (repaired in 1739). The church’s body was therefore destroyed and architect Thomas Paty built a new nave with a crypt beneath and aisles either side (1775–7).
The tower is still the most interesting feature, with a stair turret at one corner topped, Bristol-style, with a spirelet (small spire). In the graveyard lie ‘Marian martyrs’ executed at the top of St Michael’s Hill – persecuted for their faith in Queen Mary’s reign (1553–8). The church was damaged during the Bristol Blitz of WW2 war-time bombing raids (1940–1) and not fully restored until 1962. Its congregation dwindled and in 1999 the church was declared redundant. The Diocese of Bristol is actively looking for new users and have also submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to carry out repairs as it's listed on Buildings at Risk Register.
