St Andrew's Churchyard
With the consecration of the new St Andrew’s church in August 1822, Clifton gained not only a parish church that could comfortably seat up to 1600 people, but also a new churchyard, which by the early twentieth century would be recognised as one of the most beautiful in the country.
The churchyard was developed during the nineteenth century burial ground boom, which was influenced by garden writer John Claudius Loudon and his book On the Laying Out, Planting and Managing of Cemeteries (1843). Today, its most celebrated feature is the lime tree avenue that runs from the church site to Victoria Square. Loudon believed that trees should neither impede good ventilation nor take up space that could be used for graves, so the avenue was planted along both sides of the churchyard path. As the trees grew, weeping branches were trained on wires, tubes and iron supports to create a shady canopy.
Loudon disapproved of planting that suggested a pleasure garden, but he was in favour of single shrubs or trees. This approach was followed by Dr Arthur Prowse, churchwarden of St Andrew’s from 1888 to 1915 and a keen botanist. Dr Prowse worked closely with knowledgeable amateur gardener Edric Hopkins, who lived at Worcester Terrace in the early 1900s and who donated many of the flowering shrubs and trees - magnolias, lilacs, hydrangeas, eucalyptus and ornamental pear trees.
Although the church was bombed in the 1940 Bristol Blitz, the churchyard remains and is looked after by a group of volunteers. Working closely with Bristol City Council and organisations specialising in wildlife and cemetery care, we aim to respect the graves, protect the wildlife and maintain a peaceful green space for everyone to enjoy.
