Plan to turn the closed church into a huge nursery for children

Plans have been unveiled to turn one of Bristol’s largest Catholic churches into a large nursery with space for more than 160 children. Nursery chain Snapdragons is proposing to turn Holy Cross RC Church in Bedminster into a new nursery which would become one of the largest in South Bristol.

The proposal would see the 1960s vicar’s house next door – also empty – demolished to make way for a car park and an extension to the church building. The plans have been revealed by architects Studio Lime, who are holding an open day to showcase their plans on Friday afternoon, May 10.

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Holy Cross RC Church closed in 2018 after it was discovered that the building needed £1.75 million spent on making the structure – particularly the roof – future-proof. The church had a congregation of less than 100 and was said to be the last place in Bristol to have weekly service entirely in Latin.

The church and vicarage next door have been closed, but the adjoining Holy Cross RC Primary School remains open and continues to thrive on Dean Lane. The Diocese of Clifton put the property up for sale in May 2023, just over 100 years since the church was first consecrated in 1922.

Studio Lime said the Snapdragons’ proposal would see the building restored, with two new floors installed within the grand church. The priest’s house next door will be demolished and a new, smaller extension built to the side of the church, along with a car park in what is now the front garden of the house.

Snapdragons Nursery already has four nurseries in Bristol – at Cribbs Causeway, Horfield, Redland and Shirehampton – along with a further six in Bath and Wiltshire. “The proposal breathes new life into the existing church building to preserve the building for years to come, while providing a much-needed community facility,” said a spokesperson for Studio Lime.