Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church stands in the village of Westbury-on-Trym, a short distance north of Bristol city centre. The first church on the site dates from the 8th century, when a minster was founded by King Offa. A Benedictine priory followed in the 10th century, though it moved to Ramsey after only a few years. The present building began in the early 13th century and has been altered many times since. It is recognised as a Grade I listed building by Historic England. The church was once the collegiate church for Westbury College, though only the gatehouse remains of the college buildings. The church contains the tomb of John Carpenter, Bishop of Worcester, who planned to make it a joint cathedral for the Worcester diocese. John Wycliffe served as a canon here from 1362 until his death in 1384. William Canynge, a prominent Bristol merchant, was dean of the college from 1469 until his death in 1474. The nave and aisles are early 13th century, while the chancel and north chapel were rebuilt in the 15th century. The tower was restored in the 19th century, and the reredos showing the Last Supper is also from that period. Inside, the chancel has a polygonal apse, a rare feature for late Gothic work. Bishop Carpenter’s cadaver tomb lies in the chancel, with a Purbeck marble canopy added in 1853. The churchyard holds war graves from the First World War. Parish records dating back centuries are kept at Bristol Archives. The building remains an active parish church, its history visible in every stone and monument.