Our History

Our history takes us back to before the Second World was and starts with Holy Trinity Church in Horfield, who opened a daughter church on Dovercourt Road which was dedicated to St Francis of Assisi in 1939.

Whilst the Lockleaze estate was being built, St Mary Magdalene church hall was constructed on the corner of Gainsborough Square and Brangwyn Grove and was completed in 1949. In the mid-50's, St Francis church was closed and they joined with St Mary Magdalene.

Designed by Thomas Burrough in the 1950's, St Mary Magdalene church was constructed using prefabricated concrete. It was finished in 1961 and towered over Lockleaze with a dramatic spire and distinct gothic features. The church was embellished with a window in the Lady Chapel by Margaret Trahearne depicting the Fifteen Mysteries and a figure of Christ over the entrance by Ernest Pascoe. There was also an engraved window by J.Hutton.

Throughout it's life, the church building developed 'concrete cancer' and the repairs were deemed too expensive to fix by the congregation in 1994. It was demolished in 1997 and the land was sold to raise money to renovate the church hall that still stood. It was renovated and completed in 2000. A sloped roof was added, the boiler was removed to create an office, the kitchen was relocated, a wooden floor was put down and the toilets were renovated. Houses were built on the site of the church that was demolished.

St James was established in ... by Dave Jeal as a fresh expression of church in Lockleaze, meeting in the Old St James building on Romney Avenue. They were made a BMO in 2017, when Dave was licenced and made a Pioneer Minister in the parish.

St Mary's and St James was established in 2020, when the St Mary Magdalene with St Francis and St James' BMO amalgamated. Rev Rob was made the curate in church, bringing the two churches together as one. In 2025, the BMO was officially brought to a close and Rev Rob was installed as Incumbent in 2026.