St James' Priory, Bristol

The Priory Church of St James, Bristol (grid reference ST588734), is a Grade I listed building in Horsefair, Whitson Street. It was founded between 1124 and 1137, or more specifically c. 1129 in some sources, as a Benedictine priory by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, the illegitimate son of Henry I. Serving as the first religious house in Bristol, it was strategically located across the River Frome from Bristol Castle, where the Earl was constructing a massive new keep. The Earl endowed the priory with his large meadow, the origin of the modern Broadmead area, which the priory subsequently laid out into a planned suburb consisting of burgage plots. Furthermore, a vast lay cemetery spanning roughly 128,000 square feet was established, extending south from the priory complex to what is currently known as the Horsefair and St James' Park. The early nave from 1129 survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries because an agreement in 1374 between the Abbot of Tewkesbury and the parishioners stated that the nave would become the parishioners responsibility, and the tower was added around 1374. On 9 January 1540 the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII meant that St James Priory was surrendered to the crown. The priory buildings were demolished, keeping only the nave of the church. In 1543 the land and the right to hold a fair were sold to a London merchant-tailor. In 1604 there was concern that the national attraction of St James' Fair would increase the spread of the plague, so a royal proclamation was issued prohibiting Londoners from attending. The south aisle was widened and rebuilt in 1698. The porch dates from the late 18th century, and the north aisle was rebuilt in 1864. The traditional account, as told to John Leland, has it that every tenth stone brought from Normandy to build the Castle was set aside to build the Priory. Before the recent restoration (see below) the building was on the Historic England Buildings at Risk Register and described as being in very bad condition. However, substantial restoration and reordering work was completed in 2011 and as of 2014 St James Priory is not on the Heritage Buildings at Risk Register. Today, it is an active church within the Catholic Diocese of Clifton, which until 1996 was a Church of England place of worship.