he Decorated
and Perpendicular periods. The church of St Mary Redcliffe, for grandeur of
proportion and elaboration of design and finish, is the first
ecclesiastical building in Bristol, and takes high rank among the parish
churches of England. It was built for the most part in the latter part of
the 14th century by William Canyng or Canynges (_q.v._), but the sculptured
north porch is externally Decorated, and internally Early English. The fine
tower is also Decorated, on an Early English base. The spire, Decorated in
style, is modern. Among numerous monuments is that of Admiral Penn (d.
1718), the father of the founder of Pennsylvania. The church exhibits the
rare feature of transeptal aisles. Of St Thomas's, in the vicinity, only
the tower (15th century) remains of the old structures. All Hallows church
has a modern Italian campanile, but is in the main of the 15th century,
with the retention of four Norman piers in the nave; and is interesting
from its connexion with the ancient gild of calendars, whose office it was
"to convert Jews, instruct youths," and keep the archives of the town.
Theirs was the first free library in the city, possibly in England. The
records of the church contain a singularly picturesque representation of
the ancient customs of the fraternity.

Among conventual remains, besides those already mentioned, there exist of
the Dominican priory the Early English refectory and dormitory, the latter
comprising a row of fifteen original windows and an oak roof of the same
date; and of St Bartholomew's hospital there is a double arch, with
intervening arcades, also Early English. These, with the small chapel of
the Three Kings of Cologne, Holy Trinity Hospital, both Perpendicular, and
the remains of the house of the Augustinian canons attached to the
cathedral, comprise the whole of the monastic relics.

There are many good specimens of ancient domestic architecture--notably
some arches of a grand Norman hall and some Tudor windows of Colston's
house, Small Street; and Canyng's house, with good Perpendicular oak roof.
Of buildings to which historic interest attaches, there are the Merchant
Venturers' almshouses (1699), adjoining their hall. This gild was
established in the 16th century. A small house near St Mary Redcliffe was
the school where the poet Chatterton received his education. His memorial
is in the churchyard of St Mary, and in the church a chest contains the
records among which he claimed to