Stop 19 - St Mary Redcliffe

South of Bristol Bridge, across Redcliffe Way, rises the tallest medieval spire in the city. St Mary Redcliffe is a parish church built on the scale of a cathedral - 292 feet to the spire tip, a full thirteenth-century nave, a fifteenth-century choir, and an exterior so encrusted with pinnacles and gargoyles that the building appears to be growing something.

What to see

Start with the north porch. It is hexagonal (unusual), three storeys tall, and dated around 1325. Inside, the choir roof is the single most photographed space in the church - fan-vaulted, heavily gilded, with over a thousand gilded bosses. The church has a full working organ (frequent free recitals on weekday lunchtimes).

Above the entrance, mounted high on the interior wall, look for the Cabot whalebone - a whale rib brought back from Newfoundland in 1497 by the Venetian navigator John Cabot, who sailed from Bristol. Elsewhere, the nave houses the tomb of Admiral Sir William Penn (father of the founder of Pennsylvania), and a set of 1708 Spanish armorial railings once owned by Queen Anne.

Outside, in the churchyard, look for the tramway section set into the path - a twisted iron rail that was displaced by a bomb on Good Friday 1941 and left in place as a memorial.

How long to stay

Ninety minutes for a thorough visit. Thirty minutes for a quick walk-through. If you only do one interior on the Bristol circuit, make it this one.

Nearby stops

• Stop 18 - Temple Meads is seven minutes east along Redcliffe Way.
• Stop 17 - Victoria Street is four minutes north.
• Stop 01 - Broad Quay is ten minutes west across Bristol Bridge.

Practical info

Step-free entry at the west door, with ramp access. Free audio guides available at the entrance. The choir is closed during services (check the noticeboard). Toilets in the visitor centre on the south side. Free parking for visitors to the church on Guinea Street, five minutes east.