All Saints' Church, Small Heath (II) explained

All Saints’ Church, Small Heath
Coordinates:52.4705°N -1.8666°W
Pushpin Map:United Kingdom West Midlands
Location:Small Heath, Birmingham
Country:England
Denomination:Church of England
Churchmanship:Anglo-Catholicism
Website:allsaintsonline.co.uk
Former Name:St Aidan’s Church, Small Heath
Dedication:All Saints
Consecrated Date:14 October 1896
People:Alec Vidler
Heritage Designation:Grade II* listed
Architect:Thomas Frederick Proud
Groundbreaking:2 September 1893
Completed Date:1898
Bells:1
Parish:All Saints Small Heath
Deanery:Yardley and Bordesley
Archdeaconry:Aston
Diocese:Anglican Diocese of Birmingham
Province:Province of Canterbury
Vicar:Father Julian Sampson

All Saints’ Church, Small Heath is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Birmingham, which until 1998 was known as St Aidan's Church, Small Heath.

History

The church was designed by the architect Thomas Frederick Proud.

The foundation stone was laid on 2 September 1893 by Lady Mary Wood.[1] The first portion of the church opened on Sunday 2 September 1894.[2]

It was consecrated as St Aidan's by the Bishop of Worcester on Wednesday 14 October 1896.[3] The font came from St Stephen's Church, Bristol. A parish was assigned out of All Saints’ Church, Small Heath in 1897.

During the 1990s a protracted re-organisation was undertaken, and four churches in Small Heath (St Aidan's, St Gregory's, St Andrew's and St Oswald's) were amalgamated. The new parish decided to retain only St Aidan's Church building, and in 1998 this was renamed All Saints, taking the dedication from a previous church All Saints' Church, Small Heath (I).

Organ

An organ dating from 1871 by Taylor of Leicester was installed in 1999. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. The instrument was removed from the church in 2012 and moved to Holy Trinity, Sutton in Somerset. The blower was not moved with the organ, but was donated to the Leicester Museum service who wished to maintain what was an outstanding example of Taylor's work.

Notes and References

  1. News: . New Church for Small Heath . Birmingham Daily Post . Birmingham . 4 September 1893. 18 March 2015 .
  2. News: . St Aidan’s Church, Small Heath . Birmingham Daily Post . Birmingham . 1 September 1894 . 18 March 2015 .
  3. News: . Consecration of St Aidan’s Small Heath. Leamington Spa Courier . Leamington Spa . 17 October 1896 . 28 February 2015 .