Features / religion
Inside a city centre chapel usually hidden from view
One theory as to why Christmas Steps has its name is because of the Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne at its top; one of only a very few chapels in the world dedicated to the three wise men who gave gifts to the baby Jesus.
It was founded by former mayor of Bristol, John Foster, in 1484 and, according to Pevsner’s Architectural Guide to Bristol, “comprehensively refaced to a new design of 1872 by Foster & Wood but executed in simplified form”.
The chapel is just one part of the Foster’s Almshouses, described by Pevsner as “fanciful Burgundian Gothic”, which was founded in 1483 and rebuilt from 1861 modelled loosely on the Hospices de Beaune in France.
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Usually only accessible by residents of the almshouses, the chapel was open over the weekend as part of Heritage Open Days which gave Bristol24/7 photographer Rob Browne an opportunity for a rare look inside.
The Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne is usually only accessible by residents of Foster’s Almshouses – photo: Rob Browne
The chapel’s east window by Patrick Pollen was installed in 1960 – photo: Rob Browne
Pevsner calls the interior “a simple rectangular plan with a collegiate arrangement of facing stalls” with the woodwork mostly 19th-century – photo: Rob Browne
Ernest Pascoe’s statues of the three wise men were installed in 1960 – photo: Rob Browne
The Chapel of the Three Kings is one theory as to why Christmas Steps has its name – photo: Rob Browne
Discover more about John Foster’s home on Small Street on a tour of the Old City and Castle Park with Martin Booth: www.yuup.co/experiences/explore-bristol-s-quirkiest-corners
Main photo: Rob Browne
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