| St Alban the Martyr, Birmingham | |
| Fullname: | Church of St Alban and St Patrick, Highgate, Birmingham |
| Coordinates: | 52.4658°N -1.8883°W |
| Location: | Conybere Street, Highgate, Birmingham |
| Country: | England |
| Denomination: | Church of England |
| Churchmanship: | Anglo-Catholic |
| Dedication: | Saint Alban |
| Consecrated Date: | 4 December 1899 |
| Heritage Designation: | Grade II* listed |
| Designated Date: | 25 April 1952 |
| Architect: | John Loughborough Pearson |
| Architectural Type: | Gothic revival architecture |
| Groundbreaking: | 31 January 1880 |
| Completed Date: | 3 May 1881 |
| Construction Cost: | £20,000 |
| Length: | 130feet |
| Width: | 76feet |
| Width Nave: | 26.5feet |
| Height: | 170feet |
| 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.[1] It is dedicated to Saint Alban, the first British Christian martyr.[2]
A temporary church was established as a mission of Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley in 1865 and opened on 13 September 1866.[3] The permanent church was designed by John Loughborough Pearson and built by the contractor Shillitoe of Doncaster.[4] The foundation stone was laid on 31 January 1880 by Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp[5] and the church opened for worship on Tuesday 3 May 1881[6] The formal consecration took place on 4 December 1899.[7] The construction cost was in the region of £20,000 (equivalent to £ in).
The tower and spire were added in 1938 by Edwin Francis Reynolds.
St Alban's Church took over the parish of St Patrick's Church, Bordesley when St Patrick's was demolished in the early 1970s.
In 2016 a grant from the Heritage Lottery permitted the renewal of the roofs of the South Transept, St Patrick's Chapel, the Organ Loft and the Ambulatory. However, despite this, by 2018 the church was on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register due to its poor condition, particularly the remainder of the roof.[8] However, a programme of restoration took place in 2020-21, the remainder of the church roof was repaired and high-level repairs to the windows and walls were carried out. As a result Historic England removed the church form the list of "Buildings at Risk".[9]
The patron is Keble College, Oxford.
St Alban's Church stands in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England. The parish had passed Resolutions A and B of the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993, meaning they rejected the ordination of women, but these expired in 2016.[10] They also voted on Alternative Episcopal Oversight, but this was rejected. In 2017, they voted on the replacement of Resolutions A and B, the Resolution under the House of Bishops' Declaration: "This was not carried, with equal votes for and against."[11] This means that the parish would now accept a woman priest.
The cruciform building is in red brick, with dressings in ashlar.
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.[12] [13]
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.[14] A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.