College Green
Route
College Green - Park Street - Great George Street - Brandon Hill - Jacob's Wells Road - Hotwell Road - City Centre
Distance
2.4 km
Map
College Green, the site of the crescent-shaped City Hall (formerly the Council House) built in 1956, is approximately 3 acres and a popular local spot. The large hotel, built in 1868, incorporates two 18th-century houses in its design. In front, there is a statue of Queen Victoria, which was erected in 1887 to celebrate her Golden Jubilee.
Overlooking College Green is Bristol Cathedral. Founded in 1142 and consecrated in 1148, it was originally St Augustine’s Abbey. It is popular has it that St. Augustine preached here in the late 6th century. According to ancient tradition St. Augustine, accompanied by St. Jordan, preached to the Christians on the banks of the Severn in 603. A chapel dedicated to St Jordan (with an open pulpit beside it) existed in the area known now as College Green (then known as St Augustine’s Green) throughout the Middle Ages and until at least 1673.
In the 15th century, the transept and central tower were added. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the nave was incomplete and was demolished in 1539. In 1542, it became the seat of the newly appointed Bishop of Bristol and the cathedral of the new Diocese of Bristol. It is a Grade I listed building. Most of the original stained glass has been replaced, some during the reign of Queen Victoria and then later as a result of the Bristol Blitz in 1942 …
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