The United Reformed Church in Bedminster comprises multiple small buildings in varying styles. What is probably the newest, and what might be considered the Church's "flagship", is a building of red brick, facing West Street, which has "United Reformed Church Bedminster" in white lettering across the front, and above it, a cross. This is attached at the rear to another building, again of red brick, facing Stanley Street South. On first sight it looks older, but the bricks match, so it is probably of similar age. Behind that again, and joined to it by an arched entrance, is the main body of the Church. It has a tall central stained-glass window, with two smaller windows on either side, and is finished in stucco, on a red brick base, and is evidently much older.
The Church was originally Congregational, founded, according to Phil Draper's ChurchCrawler website, in the 17th century. However, I'm not sure whether this is correct as other sources I have found state that it was built in the 1880s. This more closely aligns chronologically to information within parish registers, held by Bristol Record Office, which cover baptisms 1906-1914 & 1921-1957; marriages 1908-1956; and deaths (or burials) 1906-1935 & 1939, suggesting there may have been a burial ground. However, that burial ground no longer exists.
The following notice in The London Gazette of 30th August 1907 covers its registration for marriages:
In all likelihood, the church was built on the corner of West Street and Stanley Street South in Bedminster back in the 1880s as the town boomed with as many as 18 coal mines in the area. Miners set up their own non-conformist churches, and built the Congregational Church on the main road in West Street. In 1984, when the nearby Zion church closed, the congregations merged and formed the United Reformed Church.
The church's main hall served as a default town hall and community centre for this part of Bedminster, but the church closed in 2023, and the URC nationally sold the building to developers, who put forward plans for its conversion to... (drumroll please)... student flats.
Sources:
United Reformed Church Bedminster, Bedminster, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Church History
Genealogical research information for United Reformed Church Bedminster, Bedminster, Bristol in Gloucestershire Places of Worship Database
Bedminster Reformed Church parsonage, 1895
rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu
Victorian miners' church can be converted to student flats
The community backed the scheme so planning officers have given permission
The church as seen from the outside, on West Street.
As you might be able to imagine by this image, and the image above, access was practically impossible:
The church was sold just over 2 years ago and has mostly been cleared out on the bottom floor. The top floor has essentially rotted and now there are only the wooden structural support beams to tight-rope walk across if you want to navigate up there.
Once you walk inside, you're met with a relatively empty congregation place, covered with the customary bird shit that seems to be nature's abandoned carpet.
Someone (either the building contractors or the y00ts who initially gained entry to this place) clearly started work on the electrical equipment and quickly got bored.
Bird shit in all its glory. I know that's the real reason you're reading this.
Despite the shite everywhere, there are some beautiful stained glass windows.
The stained glass and its spiritual messages are almost as profound as the philosophy tidily scribbled on the walls.
(Where were u when u were deep at 13 x)
Talk about shitting bricks...
There was a non-majestic (but still cool) organ wrapped and ready to be... destroyed? Transported?
Heater next to a heater next to a heating space.
An empty safe lying on the floor. Really like the George Parsons writing design. Looks like the kind of thing you'd see in a Pirates of the Caribbean film (I imagine - I've never actually seen any of them).
RIP to the big homie Rev. H. C. Allen!
Hope he didn't die by falling through the ceiling.
Thanks for checking out the report. Short and sweet. Wasn't much point putting too much into this one as there really isn't all that much to see.
I'm a stained glass enjoyer, and a safe enjoyer, so I had a good time. Other than that, pretty standard bird shit derp. Would recommend having a poke around if you're in the area, but probably not worth making a trip >30 mins for!
