'Ding dong merrily on high' at All Saints' Church, Old City

As part of this year's Christmas Adventures light trail, 'Ding dong merrily on high', is being projected at All Saints' Church, Old City

Scroll down for some fun facts about the song and for our special #MerryBristmas fact to get you in a festive mood!

Location

All Saints' Church is in the historic Old City, near to Bristol Bridge from which the city gained its name (Brigstowe, place of the bridge in Anglo Saxon). A church was first built here in the 12th Century and its distinctive north-east tower was added in 1716. This is a designated grade II* listed building.  

The church is a stone’s throw from Bristol's oldest and most popular market. Known locally as St Nick’s, discover over 60 stalls here as well as independent shops nearby like the Bristol Blue Glass Outlet Shop.  

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The market is a favourite lunchtime hangout, with offerings ranging from creative Asian dishes at Woky Ko, to Pieminister’s award-winning pies. Not too far away on Broad Street, you can also sample superb crepes at Chez Marcel or a fantastic selection of beers at The Strawberry Thief. Just in the other direction, some of the best steak in the city is served at The Ox. 

If you’re planning an overnight stay, this part of the city is home to beautiful accommodation too, including the Harbour Hotel, Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel and Brooks Guesthouse Bristol. With accommodation in high demand over the Christmas period, especially at weekends, we suggest booking your accommodation as far ahead as you can.  

Swap the busy and bustling streets for a more relaxed shopping experience by planning a midweek visit. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit when you can enjoy the same festive atmosphere with fewer people around. 

Song fact

The tune for ‘Ding dong merrily on high’ originally comes from a secular dance song written by a French composer way back in the 16th century. The lyrics we sing today were written by George Ratcliffe Woodward, an Anglican priest with an interest in church bell ringing, which explains the inspiration behind the song theme! This version was first published in Woodward’s 1924 carol book – one of several he wrote together with his collaborator, composer Charles Wood.  

Bristol's Gurt Lush Choir performing Ding Dong Merrily on High at St Alban's Church in Westbury Park 

We've used Spotify to put together a Christmas Adventures playlist for you, the perfect accompaniment to the trail. Each song contains lyrics found illuminated in the city. You might discover a version you haven't heard before or reminisce listening to some old favourites.

#MerryBristmas Fact of the day

From ding dong to the tick tock of Bristol time – there’s something special about the clock on the Corn Exchange building of St Nick’s Market. It has two minute hands just over ten minutes apart, one in red showing Greenwich Mean Time and one in black showing Bristol local time.  

The clock with two minute hands on the Corn Exchange, St Nicholas Market 

Before the railways were introduced, it was the norm for different places to be on their own time. Bristol was historically ten minutes behind London because it’s west of the capital and the sun rises and sets later here.

But for trains to run smoothly, there needed to be a set time across the country and so GMT was adopted in 1847. Resistant to the change, the council in Bristol simply added an extra hand to the clock rather than abandon local time completely. The city didn’t officially adopt standard time until 14 September 1852.  

Even though the clock was refurbished in the 1980s, the extra hand was kept as a reminder of the time the city had kept to for centuries in the past.  

Did you know that Bristol used to be 10 minutes, 22.3 seconds behind London? Our scientific compensation clock has an extra hand which shows 'Bristol time' as well as GMT. The clock is wound weekly but still manages to run slightly behind time. #differenceMW #MuseumWeek pic.twitter.com/T42MseKNyy

— Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (@bristolmuseum) April 29, 2018

Other Christmas Adventures illuminations nearby:

• 'Hark! The herald angels' sing at Bristol Beacon
• We kissed on a corner then danced through the night' at Revolution, St Nicholas Street
• 'Sleigh bells ring, are you listening' at Bella Vista Restaurant, Victoria Street, Redcliffe

Please make sure that you adhere to government covid-safety guidance when visiting the Christmas Adventures illuminations. 

- Find out more about all the Christmas Adventures illuminations throughout Bristol city centre

- Find out what else is going on this Christmas in Bristol

- Listen to the Spotify playlist

The project is part of Bristol City Centre BID’s #LoveBristol campaign which promotes the recovery of the city, bringing together 100s of businesses to help create the festive trail. New to this year is the partnership with Redcliffe and Temple BID, adding many new and iconic locations to the attraction.

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