Update April 2018
St Michael on the Mount Without Church will join a tradition of former places of worship being transformed for alternative uses in Bristol – from St Paul’s Church in Portland Square, now home to Circomedia, to St Werburgh’s church, the HQ of Undercover Rock. The project will be led by Ian Johnson, the man behind the recent restoration of the Clifton Observatory. Ian explains, “As a local Bristol resident, born here, I was delighted to be chosen by the Diocese of Bristol to undertake such a sensitive project.”
Background
St Michael the Archangel on the Mount Without had been boarded up since 1999 when it closed due to dwindling congregations. Rebuilt in 1775-77 in a Gothic style but retaining a mid-15th century tower, St Michael’s is Grade II*-listed. The Diocese still owns the church and a number of possible new uses have been considered over the years, including as an addition to the adjacent school and as a running shop. In October 2016 a deliberately-started fire partially destroyed the building and the Diocese failed to erect a false roof to protect the interior from the weather. The Church has now put the building on the market.