Bristol Cathedral stands on College Green, just a few minutes’ walk from the historic harbour. Entry is free.

Inside, take a look at the Romanesque chapter house and the chapel with its carved animal musicians.

In the nave, you’ll find stained-glass windows featuring portraits of Bristol residents from the Second World War.

🏨 The Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel – check prices and availability – is situated right next to the cathedral on College Green. Some rooms offer views of the cathedral.

Admission and opening hours

The cathedral accepts voluntary donations. The recommended amount is 5 gbp per person.

It is open at the following times:

Day	Visiting hours	Building opening hours
Monday to Saturday	10:00–16:00	8.00–17.00
Sunday	11.30 am–3.00 pm	8.00 am–3.00 pm

The nave may be temporarily closed during services and events. Please check the current schedule of visiting hours and closures before you visit.

Allow 10 to 15 minutes for a self-guided visit.

The ‘Highlights Tour’ guided tour lasts one hour and costs 6 gbp for adults and 3 gbp for children under 16. You can find dates and tickets in the cathedral’s tour programme.

What to see in the cathedral

An Augustinian monastery was founded on this site in 1140. Its church became a cathedral in 1542 during the reign of Henry VIII.

• The nave. Look up as soon as you enter. The side aisles are the same height as the central nave, creating a single, tall, open space beneath the vault. The 19th-century nave is a continuation of the medieval section.
• Chapter House. This is the oldest surviving part of the complex. It dates from around 1160. You can recognise the Romanesque style by the semicircular arches and the richly decorated stonework.
• Elder Lady Chapel. In this Gothic chapel, dating from 1220, look out for a monkey with a flute, a ram with a stringed instrument and a face surrounded by leaves in the stone carvings.
• Post-war stained-glass windows. The bombing in 1941 destroyed the windows on the north side of the cathedral. Today, in the nave, you can see stained-glass windows from 1951 featuring portraits of real people who helped the city during the war.

How to get to the cathedral

Look for the entrance on College Green, next to Bristol City Hall. It is about a 25-minute walk from Bristol Temple Meads railway station. The nearest bus stops are right on College Green.

From the cathedral, you can walk down to the waterfront and continue your stroll along Bristol Harbourside. If you’d like to be close to the harbour in the evening too, choose accommodation in the Harbourside area around Millennium Square.

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