When it comes to #MouseFavouritePhoto from #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol you could pick any one of hundreds. But this is the very essence of the church. You need do no more than look up to see the glory of Heaven

What of the church of #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol? Part III of III (a thread). Mouse has to agree with Elizabeth I, this church is both beautiful and intriguing. It's one for casual visitor and expert alike. Mouse award a very rare 5/5 #MusVisit🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭

What of the church of #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol? Part II of III (a thread). Queen Elizabeth I no less, seen here in effigy in St. John's chapel under the tower called it "the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England". Quite the commendation.....

And as #FontsMeanFarewell and Mouse move on, what of the church of #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol? Part I of III (a thread). This church is a surprise in every way. It's located in perhaps not the loveliest part of Bristol but from some aspects it seems to sit calmly in a rural setting

Vault and clerestory....

No visit to #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol would be complete without one last lingering upward look. Beautiful.

(Also the name of a public house frequented by gymnasts and window cleaners)

Decorated C15 font, much neglected and abused over its long life but now at peace in the north aisle of #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol #FontsOnFriday

Canopied tomb in north aisle #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #FridaysFacesInStone

Small similar but not identical faces sit at the base of each pinnacle. Anyone know whether there is any significance to the symbol on the headwear?

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol. All of the bits and pieces Mouse didn't get to share in the week: The south porch has one of those rare parvis rooms and with it a rather lovely polygonal stair turret with obligatory #TinyWindow

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol. All of the bits and pieces Mouse didn't get to share in the week: From Lady Chapel through parclose pierced with 3-light pointed windows, #Ogee lights, Perpendicular tracery, escutcheon spandrels and brattishing

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol. All of the bits and pieces Mouse didn't get to share in the week: Crocketed stellate niche with frankly oversized finials. Similar to those found at #HolyTrinityBristol (the Cathedral), but otherwise Mouse has never seen another example

Mouse's #FridaysBitsAndPieces from #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol. All of the bits and pieces Mouse didn't get to share in the week: About as Gothic as it gets; the north transept, pierced parapets, pinnacles, carved panels and the most fabulously fine flying buttresses

Lady Chapel. South elevation #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #AdoorableThursday

The door and flanking blind arcade set under the window is either a very clever piece of C15 design to maintain the symmetry of the elevation, or a later addition curtailing the original window

The north-south divide?

The church of #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol seems to occupy a liminal space between noisy urban sprawl (north, left) and the tranquility of a green space fringed by fine old buildings. It's a strange sensation stepping from one to the other #DoorwayThursday

North aisle #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #AdoorableThursday

Surmounted by beautifully lit niches bearing angels a crocketed #Ogee with foliate finial and fleuron carved cavetto moulding housing a late planked and studded door. Mouse say "Nice"

Interior north porch. Entrance to north aisle #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #AdoorableThursday

More for the lovely (but now unoccupied) niches, C15 multifoil #Ogee arch and intricate carvings in the cavetto moulding than the Victorian door

North porch #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #DoorwayThursday

Dated to early C14 the geometry and intricacy of carving is remarkable. It feels redolent of Islamic architecture and decoration or at least as seen through the lens of Southern Spain. Anyone got similar English examples?

Through quire to High Altar #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #TilesOnTuesday

Understated but high quality monochrome tiling and marble. In Mouse's view this is one of the churches that the Victorian era got right and thank goodness, this is a very special place

Faithful #FootBeast

Effigies from chest tomb, south aisle #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #TombTuesday

".... I've got a thingy shaped like a turnip..." (niche)

Particularly piously posed pair, these two were perhaps not that much fun at parties. Effigies from chest tomb, south aisle #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #TombTuesday

Central bay, south transept #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #TraceryTuesday

Although this is primarily a Perpendicular church and although this is a panel window it is in the Decorated curvilinear (flowing) style with cusped #Ogee, daggers and quatrefoil in the tracery

These views through the crossing to the north (left) and south transept perhaps show how vast #StMaryRedcliffe is. Made more remarkable by the fact that this is and always has been a parish church rather than a former abbey church or cathedral. The proportion of glass is amazing

The #MouseEyeView of #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #TowerTuesday

The 'west tower' is actually set to the north west and so is aligned with the north aisle rather than the nave. The large Perpendicular window to the right is really the west window of the nave.

West tower #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #TowerTuesday

A 3-stage tower. Lower portions date to C13, upper stage to C14. Very Gothic is all Mouse can say and have to admit that she prefer the comparative simplicity of the Somerset towers

The gift that just keeps on giving....

From east of ambulatory through chancel, crossing and nave to west window #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol

There was bound to be one lurking around somewhere to spoil Mouse's day and this one look seriously cross. Probably because this particular #PeckyMouseBotherer has been burdened by a sound system (speak up Vicar) #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #AllMetalMonday

Chancel from east to crossing #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #StonemasonryMonday

The church is illuminated by a clerestory of vast Perpendicular pointed windows. The ribs of the vault seemingly erupting from the thinnest shafts between the windows

Nave from west to crossing #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #StonemasonryMonday

A vault like this has an eternal beauty from every angle you view it. It makes you want to photograph it from everywhere in the church. Which Mouse did

A particularly perky #FootBeast watches over this couple's peaceful sleep
#StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #MemorialMonday

Beautifully carved canopied tomb decorated with finialed #Ogee separated by crocketed pinnacles. Probably one of the most common motifs in medieval church carving. Eternal light for eternal life
North aisle, eastern end #StMaryRedcliffe Bristol for #MemorialMonday

One of Mouse's many ongoing gripes is that beautiful church interiors are more often than not ruined by glaring and poorly directed lighting. Not so at #StMaryRedcliffe which is consistently very artfully lit even down to the memorials and tombs #MemorialMonday. Take a bow....