St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol is considered to be one of England’s finest and largest Church of England parish churches and an outstanding example of English Gothic architecture.
The church has a Grade I-listed status, the highest possible category, by Historic England, and was claimed to be “the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England” by Elizabeth I during her visit to Bristol in 1574.
A short guide in multiple languages is available for visitors inside the building. Visitors are encouraged to “walk around this lovely building, enjoy its peace and space, pray if you wish and use [the short guide] to point out some of the building's features.” More detailed guides and a children's trail are also available.
St Mary Redcliffe is currently running the Mythical Beasties family trail, which encourages participants to explore the church and its stone-carved architecture in search of the many hidden mythical creatures.
The trail is free, and trail maps are available inside the church, near the entrance. Keep your eyes peeled, not all creatures are included on the map (as noted on the map trail).
St Mary Redcliffe is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.
Here are the 25 creatures we were able to spot during our visit. Did you spot any that we missed? Email us at [email protected]
1. Winged hoofed beast
2. A couple of faces
3. A pair of beasts
4. Angels