The St Mary Redcliffe Chaotic Pendulum in Redcliffe, England

Among the plethora of things to see and do in Bristol, a visit to St Mary Redcliffe is without a doubt right at the top. According to Queen Elizabeth I, this church was, “The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England.”

A pendulum is usually a symbol of predictability and regularity, but this one exhibits chaotic behavior due to its sensitive dependence on initial conditions. The chaotic pendulum at St Mary's is believed to be unique in design, as water is continually pumped into the crossbeam, causing it to tip one way or the other to let it flow out again.

Even if a completely accurate mathematical model could be built, any readings taken from the real pendulum would contain errors.