Healing, heritage and

hospitality in the heart

of Bristol
St James Priory is a charity that provides residential
support and treatment for people with addictions
through its work in Walsingham House and St James
House (see separate leaflets).
St James Priory underwent major restoration and
refurbishment from 2009 to 2011. This involved a
massive fundraising effort, the support of many
donors, and a 3.2 million Heritage Lottery Fund
grant. The historic fabric of the building has been
conserved, and new visitor facilities have been
created. The ancient spirit of St James Priory lives
on in our modern mission healing, heritage
and hospitality.
Visit www.stjamespriory.org.uk for more information
and to download our MP3 audio trail (wireless internet
access is provided in the caf).

Church all welcome

Open from 9.00am 5.00pm (Monday to Saturday)

Sunday Mass 8am weekly all welcome

St James
Priory

Welcome to
St James Priory
the oldest building in Bristol

Centuries at the Heart

of the Community
You are standing in the western part of St James
Priory, the only surviving part of the original medieval
Priory Church. Used as a place of worship for 900
years, Robert Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate grandson
of William the Conqueror, founded the Priory of
St James in 1129.
From the early 12th century to 1540, St James Priory
was home to Benedictine monks. They lived here
as a community of brothers, devoting their lives to
worshipping God and caring for the poor and the
sick. The Priory was dissolved during the reign of
Henry VIII, and many of its buildings were demolished.
Now, St James Priory is open to everyone and offers
a sanctuary of peace in the heart of the city. It also
provides residential support and treatment for people
with addictions.
We hope that you enjoy the special atmosphere of
this historic place. To discover more, please download
a free MP3 audio trail from our website wireless
internet access is available in the cafe.

1 Oculus
8

Look out for a small, round

window high up on the wall.
This is possibly the earliest
surviving oculus window
in England (from the Latin
word for an eye). It dates
from around 1170.

Meeting
room
Kitchen

7
Seminar
room 1

North aisle
entrance

Seminar
room 2

2 West Door
For almost 900 years, this
is where the general public
have entered the Church
to worship, to take part in
community life, and to
seek help and healing.

3 Nave

Organ
loft
Inner north aisle

1
Main
entrance

Nave

Sanctuary

Toilets

2
4

The central nave of the

Church dates from the
12th century. In the middle
ages the walls were brightly
painted, and the floor was
paved with colourful tiles.

4 Corbels
(chancel roof)

Caf

Exhibition

South aisle

Tower

South
Porch

If you look up, you can see a

cast of colourful characters
who support the roof timbers
on corbels.

5 Sanctuary
This is the holiest part of
the Church. The original
sanctuary, where the
monks worshipped, lay
beyond the current wall
in the now destroyed east
section of the building.

6 The Tomb of
the Knight
Can you find a mysterious
man in armour? This was once
rumoured to be Robert Earl of
Gloucester, the Priorys founder,
but he was buried in the east
end of the Church, in a sepulchre
built of costly green jasper.

7 The Somerset
Monument (1598)

8 Church House

This memorial shows Charles

Somerset and his wife, Emilithys.
In 1580 they inherited the
mansion of St James, built on
the site of Priory buildings that
had been demolished during the
dissolution of the monasteries.

This town house was built

in the 17th century for
Thomas Ellis, a wealthy
sugar refiner. Regrettably,
some of the house was
demolished in the
19th century.