Bristol - Elsie Briggs House

Elsie Briggs House of Prayer

Bristol's Oldest House

This house in Westbury is reputed to be Bristol's oldest house. Elsie Briggs, a university lecturer, owned this 15th century house from 1958 until her death in 1988. She left the house to trustees to be kept as an ecumenical house for contemplative prayer. Although always open by appointment on 24th June 2000 it had an "open day" to help raise funds for its repair and restoration.

Elsie Briggs House

Westbury-on-trym was in the diocese of Worcester until the creation of the Bristol diocese in 1542. It was home to a Benedictine monastery from the eighth century until it was replaced by a secular college in 1194. Bishop John Carpenter, 1444 to 1476, with the aid of the Bristol merchant, William Canynges set about a building project in Westbury, and this house dates from that time.

The walls of the house have never been rendered but are covered in layers of whitewash which reveal the stones beneath.

The main hall was once open to the roof with two rooms off of it, a parlour to the east and a service room or kitchen to the west. Beyond the screen passage - the screens helped prevent draughts from the doors - was another room, either a buttery or a pantry. The word buttery derives from the French "bouteillerie" which means bottle store and was where drink was stored in barrels and bottles. The pantry comes from the French "pain" for bread and was where dry food was kept.

The house was first altered in the late 16th century when a fireplace and chimney stack were built in the hall. The end wall of the house follows an old property boundary which means that the parlour is an irregular shape. In the 17th century one of the internal walls was moved to make the hall larger and the parlour smaller.

The house is exactly how I imagined a house this old should be. It has the thick, uneven, whitewashed walls that have the wood beams showing through.

The garden is a delight, it was remodeled in 1992 and is registered with the Quiet Garden Trust. This Trust was set up to "initiate and resource a network of local opportunities for prayer, silence, reflection and the appreciation of beauty; for learning about Christian life and spirituality; and for experiencing creativity and healing in the context of God's love".

Tucked away in odd spaces in the garden are all manner of surprises, such as this relief of a mother and child carved into a living tree.

Attached to the back wall of the house is a modern sculpture of the crucifiction. The figure of Jesus flanked by Mary and John was originally made in the late 1950's for the Barn Church in Winterbourne. This church fell into disuse and the sculpture was moved to Westbury. The original sculpture was made of wood but the outdoor location started to make them deteriorate and so it was copied in cement resin.

The crucifiction

The Crucifiction

As the guide book to this wonderful house and garden says "Many people have few opportunities for contemplation, creativity, or uninterrupted prayer. Jesus said "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31); Elsie Briggs House provides the chance to do just that."

More of this house and the neighbouring Holy Trinity Parish Church can be found at the Parish Church site

This page created 30th July 2000, last modified 5th May 2005

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