News / Castle Park
Vision to bring Castle Park’s bombed-out church back to life
If walls could talk, the remains of St Peter’s Church in Castle Park would no doubt have a tale or two to tell.
But the story of the Grade II-listed, bombed-out building in the heart of Bristol city centre has gone largely untold – until now.
One man has a vision to pay a fitting tribute to the historic ruins with proposals that could see it transformed into an immersive educational experience by day and a stunning illuminated landmark by night.
is needed now More than ever
Russ Leith hopes to transform the remains of St Peter’s Church
“I thought it was a bit of a waste, all we have is a skeleton of a building and that’s it,” says Russ Leith, chair of the Friends of Castle Park and brains behind the idea to transform the area thought to be the site of Bristol’s oldest church.
His ideas include using LED lighting to illuminate the majestic ruins at night, install internal lighting and soundscapes activated by motion sensors, create a sculpture gallery and record audio so visitors can learn more about the history of the church.
A retired boat builder, Russ moved to Bristol with his wife, Lucy, just over a year ago after falling in love with the city some 35 years earlier. The couple live close to the park and Russ started off as a “serial litter picker” before forming the friends group.
“I felt it needed something,” he explains. “It’s one of the few parks that’s not a destination park only – it’s also a busy thoroughfare.”
Work is currently being done to secure the walls and make it safe for people to go inside
Supporting structures have been installed to make the tower safe and secure
Russ also volunteers with St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots gardeners, who maintain the Physic Garden in from of the church.
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“There was nothing that told the story of the church, yet when we are working in the gardens here, there are so many people who come up to us and ask about it,” continues Russ.
“People just want to know about this. It’s important to the city – and to the Old City. It’s sad that the church got bombed of course. But given that it did, it only took the roof off and the walls remain intact. That makes it really quite special.”
He stresses that it’s important to ensure any transformation respects the church for what it was, and he is proposing having choral music play as visitors enter.
The aim is to make the site into an immersive, education experience. Russ believes this would also help boost the area overall, deter anti-social activities and enhance the city’s identity and attractiveness.
He is open to feedback on the proposals that are still at an early stage and is hopeful that funding will be available through CIL or Section 102 – levies paid by developers to the local community – with the major new development at the Old Market end of Castle Park.
The church ruins are now a memorial to those who lost their lives at war, but there is little else to indicate the history of the building
The foundation of St Peter’s Church can be traced back to 1106 when it was endowed on Tewkesbury Abbey, with a 12th century lower tower built during the reign of Henry 1st. The rest of the building was built in the 15th century.
Excavations in 1975 suggest that it sits on the site of Bristol’s first church.
The church ran St Peter’s Hospital, a workhouse located between the church and floating harbour, which was destroyed by bombs during World War II. The roof of the church itself was hit during the Bristol Blitz in November 1940.
Russ also works on SS Great Britain. It was the popular visitor attraction that gave him the inspiration for an immersive experience and he hopes to see QR codes created so people can listen to audio about the church in many languages.
This would also ensure that those enjoying the tranquility of the park aren’t disturbed by voice-overs.
“It’s entertaining and educating people about the building,” adds Russ.
Read more: 22 things you didn’t know about Castle Park
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