About

The Lord Mayor’s Chapel is the only remaining building of the Hospital of Saint Mark. When it was built in about 1230 it was connected to the Abbey of St Augustine, known today as Bristol Cathedral.

The hospital provided food and care for 100 people every day. Along with the Abbey of St Augustine, it closed in 1539 when Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church to form the Church of England. The Hospital of Saint Mark was bought in 1541 by the organisation that became Bristol City Council for £1,000 (around £700,000 in today’s money).

Over the next 200 years the hospital site including the Chapel was used by many organisations including Queen Elizabeth Hospital School for Boys, Redmaids’ High School, and the Society of Merchant Venturers.

In 1722 The Lord Mayor’s Chapel became the official place of worship of the Lord Mayor of Bristol and has remained so ever since. Since 2023 Bristol Cathedral has cared for the Chapel, and an active community participate in worship every Sunday.

 

Visiting information

Opening hours
10.30am - 4.00pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday (for more information: www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk/visit-us/lordmayorschapel/index.html)

Price for entry
£3.00 for adults, £2.00 for NHS and Armed Forces, £1.00 per child under 16. Tickets are valid for a full year for unlimited return visits.

Language guides
Information about the chapel is available in multiple languages including: English, English in a Dyslexia friendly font, Dutch, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Ukrainian.

Access
The main entrance to the chapel has seven steps down into the chapel. There is a handrail on one side. Visitors who require level access should ring the doorbell outside the chapel and someone will come to assist them through an alternative side entrance. We know this isn’t a good solution and are working towards a long term solution to give level access to the chapel.

 

Services

Worship at The Lord Mayor’s Chapel is free and always will be. A service takes place at 10.30am every Sunday and everyone is welcome.