St Mary's Church, Aston Brook Explained

St Mary’s Church, Aston Brook
Coordinates:52.4965°N -1.8851°W
Country:England
Denomination:Church of England
Dedication:St Mary the Virgin
Architect:James Murray
Completed Date:1863
Demolished Date:1970s

St Mary's Church, Aston Brook is a former parish church in the Church of England in Birmingham.[1] The church was demolished in the 1970s.

The church was built in 1863 to designs of the architect James Murray. It was consecrated by Henry Philpott, Bishop of Worcester, on Thursday 10 December 1863.[2] The tower was added in 1882. The church was equipped with a two manual pipe organ by Norman and Beard. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

In 1864, a parish was formed out of the parishes of St. Peter and St. Paul, Aston, St Silas’ Church, Lozells, and St Matthew's Church, Duddeston. The church opened a school for Girls and Infants in 1868.[3]

Aston Brook St Mary's

The church is noted for having a rugby club which played a match against a team from Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in Handsworth. For the team from Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel, this was their first match as Aston Villa Football Club. As a condition of the match, the Villa side had to agree to play the first half under rugby football rules and the second half under association football rules.[4]

Notes and References

  1. The Buildings of England. Warwickshire. Nikolaus Pevsner. Penguin Books. p.149
  2. News: . St Mary's Church, Aston Brook . Birmingham Daily Post . Birmingham . 11 December 1863 .
  3. News: . Opening of St Mary's New School, Aston Brook . Birmingham Journal . Birmingham . 18 April 1868 .
  4. Book: Ward, Adam . Griffin, Jeremy . The essential history of Aston Villa . 30 September 2002 . Headline book publishing (2002) . 0-7553-1140-X.