Calls to create slavery museum in empty Bristol church

The church has been shut since 1987

A group is calling for a derelict church to be turned into a slavery museum.

The former Seamen's Mission Church and Institute in Bristol recently went on the market for £500,000.

The Abolition Shed Collective said turning it into a museum would "heal divisions" that "repeatedly arise" whenever the issue of slavery is raised in the city.

The stone church next to Queen's Square was built in 1880, but closed in 1987.

The Gothic-styled church was damaged during a raid in 1940 during World War 2.

In a statement, the collective said recent campaigning and the toppling of the Edward Colston statue during anti-racism protests in the UK made it apparent there was a "perceived need in Bristol for a national memorial to the victims of enslavement".

The church presented an "opportunity for a unique museum telling the story of both African resistance and of unsung Bristol abolitionists who combined to end the trans-Atlantic trade," it added.

"This would be a dedicated space in the heart of where the history actually happened."

Bristol councillor Nicola Beech said it was "difficult to say" if this would be possible.

The former church has been derelict for three decades

She told BBC Radio Bristol she was aware of calls for a "legacy" building such a slavery museum but added "whether or not that's possible in that building is a totally different question".

"I don't think anyone, even the owner, truly understands the condition of that building," she added.

"Until you actually look under the brickwork and get our head round it I don't think anyone actually knows the cost.

"We just need to understand it more and get a bit more information on the condition."