Church of St. John the Baptist | Bristol, England

On a fairly warm afternoon, I was having a stroll around the Old City, looking for a coffee shop that supposedly has the best coffee in town (a post on that to come). I accidentally made a turn onto the wrong street, only to realize that St. John the Baptist Church was open. I had been inside once before, only because I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time. Run completely by volunteers, St. John the Baptist Church is only open when a volunteer is able to take some time out of their day to watch over it. 

During the construction of the medieval wall, five churches were built to act as gates for the city of Bristol. St. John's Gate is the only remaining gate today. It is believed Queen Elizabeth I entered Bristol through this gate during her visit to Bristol. 

Because I was the only visitor (besides a very chatty man who knew 'absolutely everything about medieval Bristol'), the volunteer showed us the bell tower and the crypt. The bell tower is still in use today, despite the fact there are no longer church services held in St John. The crypt is home to tombs of famous medieval Bristolians, such as the mayor of Bristol in 1479. 

Happy Thursday!
xoxo

Medieval Church | Broomfield, Somerset

On my visit to Somerset, I was lucky enough to be accompanied by one of my history professors and a fellow history MA student. Knowing my speciality is medieval history, my professor made us stop at St. Mary with St. Leonard, a medieval church located in Broomfield, Somerset. 

The church was first built by the Romans. A small portion of the church still stands from the original Roman building. Major additions to the church were made in the 12th, 14th, and 15th century. Unfortunately, due to the uneasy years of the Commonwealth in the 17th century, the church began to crumble and fall. By 1870 however, the church had begun a restoration process, returning to its full glory.

I couldn't get over the tranquility I felt while wandering around the grounds.
Broomfield was the polar opposite of Bristol. There were no cars, no buses, and no kids running around screaming. I'm a city girl, and although I found rural Somerset to be relaxing, I was happy to come back to the hustle and bustle of Bristol.

My trip to Broomfield was the first of a few day trips I have planned out before Christmas. If you have any suggestions of places I just have to visit, let me know!

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo