St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham |
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| Church of St Alban and St Patrick, Highgate, Birmingham | |
St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham
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| 52°27′57″N 1°53′18″W / 52.46583°N 1.88833°W | |
| Location | Conybere Street, Highgate, Birmingham |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Alban |
| Consecrated | 4 December 1899 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 25 April 1952 |
| Architect(s) | John Loughborough Pearson |
| Architectural type | Gothic revival architecture |
| Groundbreaking | before 1865 |
| Completed | 1881 |
| Construction cost | £20,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 130 feet (40 m) |
| Width | 76 feet (23 m) |
| Nave width | 26.5 feet (8.1 m) |
| Height | 170 feet (52 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Highgate |
| Deanery | Central Birmingham |
| Archdeaconry | Birmingham |
| Diocese | Anglican Diocese of Birmingham |
St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham is a Grade II* listed Church of England parish church in the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham. It is dedicated to Saint Alban, the first British Christian martyr.
In 2018, the church was on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register due to its poor condition, particularly the roof.
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History
A temporary church was established as a mission of Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley in 1865, and a temporary church was opened on 13 September 1866.
The permanent church was designed by John Loughborough Pearson and built by the contractor Shillitoe of Doncaster. Work started in 1880 and the church was opened in 1881. The formal consecration took place on 4 December 1899. The construction cost was in the region of £20,000 (equivalent to £1,565,317 in 2021).
The patron is Keble College, Oxford.
St Alban's Church took over the parish of St Patrick's Church, Bordesley when St Patrick's was demolished in the early 1970s.
Architecture
The cruciform building is in red brick, with dressings in ashlar. The tower and spire were added in 1938 by Edwin Francis Reynolds. The interior features a stained glass east window by Henry Payne and, in the south chapel, a copper Arts and Crafts triptych with painted panels, by local artists Kate and Myra Bunce and donated by them in 1919 in memory of their sisters and parents.
A Birmingham Civic Society blue plaque honouring the Bunce sisters was unveiled at St Alban's in September 2015, by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
Vicars
- 1865–1894: James Samuel Pollock
- 1895–1896: Thomas Benson Pollock
- 1897–1900: George Philip Trevelyan
- 1900–1910: Canon Alfred Cecil Scott
- 1910–1911: Mark Napier Trollope
- 1911–1923: Francis Underhill
- 1923–1953: Dudley Clark
- 1953–1981: Canon Lawrence Goodrich Harding
- 1982–1986: David Handley Hutt
- 1987–1993: Michael Hedley Bryant
- 1995–2004: Canon James G. Pendorf
- 2005–2010: Canon John Hervé
- 2011–2013: Dr Pervaiz Sultan
- 2013–2016: Dr Nicholas lo Polito
Organ
The organ dates was installed second-hand in 1870 and was by Bryceson Son & Ellis. It was overhauled in 1940 by Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool who extended the compass to C and added electro-pneumatic action. The Pedal Trombone, Great Tuba and Swell 5-rank mixture were added at this date. A new oak organ case was created by Birmingham Sculptors Ltd and Craftinwood Ltd. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
