St Paul's Church, Balsall Heath

St Paul’s Church, Balsall Heath is a parish church in the Church of England in Birmingham.[1]

St Paul’s Church, Balsall Heath
52°27′27.98″N 1°53′31.5″W
LocationBalsall Heath
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipLiberal Anglo-Catholic
History
DedicationSt Paul
Architecture
Architect(s)Hinton Brown Langstone
Groundbreaking1979
Completed1980
Administration
ParishBalsall Heath and Edgbaston
DeaneryMoseley
ArchdeaconryBirmingham
DioceseAnglican Diocese of Birmingham

History

The foundation stone for the first church building was laid on 17 May 1852 by Mrs Taylor,[2] and construction started to designs by James Lyndon Pedley. The building opened for worship when it was consecrated on Tuesday 17 May 1853[3] by the Bishop of Worcester, and cost £5,500 to construct. A parish was assigned out of St Nicolas' Church, Kings Norton in 1853.[4]

The church was enlarged in 1856 and again in 1865 by Edward Holmes.

From St Paul’s parish, land was taken to form other new churches in Birmingham, including St Thomas in the Moors, Balsall Heath in 1884, St Patrick's Church, Bordesley in 1900, St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook in 1902 and St Barnabas' Church, Balsall Heath in 1905.

In the 1970s the congregation were unable to afford the upkeep, and together with the Church of Christ United Reform Church,[5] built a new building. In 1979 construction started on a new church by architects Hinton Brown Langstone[6] and this was consecrated in 1980 by Bishop Hugh Montefiore.

Organ

The church contained an organ by Henry Willis which was installed 1880. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[7] When the church closed in 1979, the organ was sold to St George’s Church, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania.

References
  1. The Buildings of England. Warwickshire. Nikolaus Pevsner. Penguin Books. ISBN 0140710310 p.153
  2. Aris's Birmingham Gazette - Monday 24 May 1852. p.1. St Paul's Church, Balsall Heath
  3. Aris's Birmingham Gazette - Monday 23 May 1853. p.1. Consecration of St Paul's Church, Balsall Heath
  4. London Gazette. 1853. p.2358
  5. Balsall Heath Through Time. Val Hart. Amberley Publishing. 2013
  6. "BIRMINGHAM, Balsall Heath Church Centre". Church Plans Online. Lambeth Palace Library. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  7. "NPOR N07368". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
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