The ‘Leaning Tower of Bristol’ aka Temple Church dates back to the 12th century. Though nowhere near as iconic as the Italian tower it derives its nickname from, it has a long and strange story that’s no less fascinating. The original circular church was founded by the Knights Templar, a sort of medieval military, that was later replaced with a more spacious rectangular one – and you can still see its outline marked in the grounds.
Construction on the tower of this now-ruined church (which was bombed to bits during the Bristol Blitz) didn’t begin until the 1390s, however. The lower three sections were all completed when a giant lean was noticed and further work was halted. Work resumed in 1460 to add the top section and deliberately correct the lean, but today the bell tower still tilts one degree less than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Fast forward to 1778, Temple Church was the scene of the controversial exorcism of George Lukins. The Yatton-based tailor was alleged to be possessed by a demon, who sang and screamed in various non-human sounds – he himself even said that he was possessed by seven demons that could only be driven out by seven clergymen.
On Friday, June 13, these seven clergymen took George Lukins to Temple Church where they performed an exorcism and the demons were allegedly cast out. Some claimed that George actually suffered from epilepsy, while others called George an imposter. Even so, he was said to be both calm and happy following the exorcism. The story has attracted a lot of interest as a modern success story of the controversial practice.
The Grade II* listed building was later largely destroyed in the Bristol Blitz, however, completely gutted, along with three other churches and thousands of houses. Coming under the guardianship of English Heritage in 1958, it remained closed to the public for nearly 30 years. That is until the historic church reopened to the public in 2023 – coinciding with Bristol Light Festival.
Its grand restoration took over two years to make safe, costing more than £1 million, and involved stabilising the masonry and re-securing thousands of pieces of stone. The church is open 10am to 4pm daily between April and January, however, the former graveyard is now a public garden and perfect for a picnic all year round. It’s also right behind one of Bristol’s best pubs, The King’s Head, that’s worth checking out…