St Paul's Church, Hamstead Explained

St Paul's Church
Coordinates:52.5419°N -1.9287°W
Location:Hamstead, Birmingham
Country:England
Denomination:Church of England
Dedication:St Paul
Heritage Designation:Grade II listed
Architect:William Davis
Groundbreaking:27 July 1891
Completed Date:1892
Construction Cost:£3,400
Capacity:450 persons
Length:95feet
Width:40feet
Materials:Brick
Parish:St Paul Hamstead
Deanery:Handsworth
Archdeaconry:Birmingham
Diocese:Anglican Diocese of Birmingham

St Paul's Church, Hamstead is a Grade II listed Church of England parish church in Birmingham, England.

Location

The church sits west of the A34 Walsall Road, near its junction with Old Walsall Road, on top of a hill overlooking the suburb of Hamstead, a former mining village, and not far from the border of Birmingham and Sandwell. At the time of the church's construction its site was part of Staffordshire. In 1928 it was incorporated into Birmingham, and thus also Warwickshire, and, from 1974, the West Midlands county.

The church's community hall sits a few yards further south along the A34.

History

The church originated as a mission church in 1865. Eventually funding was found for a permanent church and the foundation stone was laid on Friday 27 July 1891 by Augustus Gough-Calthorpe, 6th Baron Calthorpe.[1] The church was built to the designs of the architect William Davis.[2] It comprised nave, north and south transepts, north and south aisles and a chancel. It was built of red brick with Bathstone dressings. The contractors were Harley and Son of Smethwick. It was consecrated on 29 September 1892 by Augustus Legge, the Bishop of Lichfield.[3] Pevsner and Wedgwood (1966) describe the building as "A pleasant country church in a Dec[orated] style".

In 1894 a parish was assigned with land taken from the parishes of St Mary's Church, Handsworth and St John the Evangelist's Church, Perry Barr.

Hamstead War Memorial stands next to the church. Erected by public subscription in December 1920, it commemorates 22 men of the parish who died in World War I. It has the shape of a Celtic wheel-cross and is also Grade II listed.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: . The New Church at Hamstead . Lichfield Mercury . Lichfield . 31 July 1891 . 19 March 2015 . subscription.
  2. 181.
  3. News: . Consecration of St Paul's Church Hamstead . Birmingham Daily Post . Birmingham . 30 September 1892 . 19 March 2015 . subscription.
  4. Web site: Hamstead War Memorial, Non Civil Parish - 1442623 Historic England . . 20 February 2020 . en.