On Tuesday 2 June, the Reverend Dr Brutus Green, who joined St Mary Redcliffe earlier this year, will undertake a remarkable charity climb to the top of the church’s iconic spire in support of an ambitious new sustainability project.
Standing at 274 feet (84 metres) to the top of the weathervane, St Mary Redcliffe is the second-tallest structure in Bristol and the sixth-tallest parish church in the country. The ascent marks the first known time a vicar has climbed the spire since 1872, when the newly completed spire was ascended during a thunderstorm.
The sponsored climb comes as the church moves forward with plans to install solar panels on its roof, a major step towards achieving its net zero ambitions. The panels are expected to provide all the church’s energy needs during the summer months and significantly reduce reliance on external energy sources during winter. This forms the first phase of a longer-term project to replace the church’s ageing and unreliable gas heating system with a modern Air Source Heat Pump system.
Although recently arrived in post, Brutus is no stranger to heights. Before entering ordained ministry, he served with 2 PARA and completed parachute training. This time, however, he will be making the ascent without the reassurance of a parachute. At the summit, he will bless the church’s weathervane as a symbolic act marking the church’s future reliance on energy from the sun. After arriving in Bristol following an exceptionally wet winter, the vicar admits he is still building confidence in the reliability of West Country sunshine.
Funds raised from the climb will support the installation of the solar panels and help secure a sustainable and affordable energy future for the Grade I* listed church building.
More information can be found at the St Mary Redcliffe website.