Trail:

Broadmead Baptist Chapel

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Bristol, Broadmead Baptist Chapel

BROADMEAD BAPTIST CHAPEL, Union Street.

  • Opening: weekdays 9.30am - 4.30pm, and Sunday services
  • Access: lift and staircase to chapel on first floor, level access throughout.
  • Map

 

The Baptists previous Broadmead chapel on this site was founded in the late 17th century, and survived the heavy World War II bombing of this area. In the mid-1960s the Broadmead redevelopment was almost complete. Seizing their chance, they sold the lease of the ground for shops and built a new chapel above, designed by Bournemouth architect Ronald Sims and opened 1969. A thoughtful design; exterior with large glazed panels at first floor, and sculptural cantedGlossary Term rooflines. Staircase approach leading to hall and meeting rooms, large chapel seating 720. Sprayed concreteGlossary Term wall surfaces, cantilevered N and W galleries, and battened curved panels as backdrops to the baptisteryGlossary Term and altar. Four 19th century stained glass panels from the old chapel hang against the fully glazed west wall. Timber-clad ceiling, ridged and cantedGlossary Term with four full-width lights running east-west. The ministry includes a chaplaincy to Broadmead shopping centre.

Glossary

Baptistery

Division of a church designed to house the font; also a separate building for the same purpose.

Canted

With an angled edge or sides.

Concrete

Composition of cement (calcined lime and clay), aggregate (small stones and rock chippings), sand and water. It can be poured into formwork or shuttering (temporary framing of timber or metal) on site (in-situ concrete) or pre-cast as components before construction. Reinforced: incorporating steel rods to take the tensile force. Pre-stressed: with tensioned steel rods. Finishes include the impression of boards left by formwork (board-marked or shuttered), and texturing with steel brushes (brushed or bush-hammered), picks or hammers (pick-hammered or hammer-dressed).