Broadmead Baptist Church

Broadmead Baptist Church in Bristol has now been Grade II listed. The following was written by Tom Spooner for the zine BRUTAL Bristol.

A procession of double buses, giant photoshopped fruit and veg, a greasy spoon, Poundland: the Broadmead Baptist Church is in a part of Bristol’s centre where you’re more inclined to stare at your feet than look up to discover remarkable architecture.

So many people have passed by oblivious to Broadmead Baptist Church – they’ve never seen the dramatic exterior of ribbed concrete and distinctive roof ziggurats. Even fewer have witnessed the stunning interior. A potential architectural salvation missed every second of every day. 

For those that do enter inside and make their way up to the chapel, there is much to inspire awe. You can find rapture in these daring but considered spaces. 

In the mid-1960s, Bournemouth architect Ronald Hubert Sims was given the opportunity to design a new baptist chapel as part of a revolutionary overhaul of the city centre. The ground floor had already been sold off for shops but the space above was all his. In 1969, Sims’ masterpiece was complete.  

The main chapel remains a celebration of bold shapes and dramatic juxtaposition. The concrete is geometric, solid, and structural. It is not a symphony of angles like the Clifton Cathedral – it is minimalist and measured, each element given space to breathe.  

There is a sense of calm that pervades – the carefully-aligned and reassuringly robust concrete is complemented and softened by sculptural wood that curves its way around the pulpit like wings opening, angelically spreading to embrace the worshippers. These wings can carry you away from your earthly toil, no matter how far you’ve fallen. As you cast your eyes up towards the heavens in thanks, the striking trapezoidal timber roof reveals itself.  

Even on the greyest of days the mere hint of light is enough to illuminate the west wall of the church, bringing to life four stained glass panels, salvaged from the original Baptist chapel that was founded on the site in the late 17th century.  The concrete supports that frame the stained glass are the foundations of belief: the wooden panels, the undulating course of faith. Ronald H. Sims’ vision remains in all its glory and is captured in this zine. Amen to that.

Further reading:

Thanks to Tom Spooner for providing the words to accompany my photos. You can follow him on Instagram.

Broadmead Baptist Church featured in BRUTAL Bristol, a collaborative zine created to showcase the unique architecture of Bristol from the perspective of photographers, writers, creatives and enthusiasts. Money raised from the sale of the zine has helped FareShare SouthWest provide over a thousand meals for families in need!

Hidden’ Church Above the Shops Granted Listed Status by Bristol 24/7

I have highlighted the incredible Broadmead Baptist Church and other Brutal architecture in BRUTAL Bristol.