All Saints' Church, Small Heath (I) facts for kids

All Saints’ Church in Small Heath, Birmingham was once a parish church for the local community. It belonged to the Church of England.

History of All Saints’ Church

Early Beginnings and Construction

In 1875, a temporary church made of iron was opened in Small Heath. This was a "mission church," meaning it was set up to serve a new area. It helped create a new church area, or parish, separate from Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley.

The building of a permanent church began a few years later. The first stone was laid on September 15, 1882. This new church was built on Cooksey Road. A.E. Dempster designed the church, and a company called Barnsley and Sons built it.

The main parts of the church, including the nave (the central part where people sit), the north transept (a section that sticks out like an arm of a cross), and the north aisle (a side passage), were ready and opened on July 28, 1883.

Changes and Challenges

Over time, the church community grew. In 1924, a part of All Saints’ parish was used to create a new parish for St Gregory the Great's Church, Small Heath. This helped serve more people in the area.

Sadly, All Saints’ Church faced a big challenge during the Second World War. It was severely damaged by bombs during an air raid. Because of the damage, the church building had to be taken down shortly after the war.

A New All Saints’ Church

Even though the original building was gone, the name "All Saints" returned to Small Heath. In the 1990s, several churches in the area, including St Aidan's, St Gregory's, St Andrew's, and St Oswald's, decided to join together.

The new combined church community chose to keep only the St Aidan's Church building. In 1998, this building was renamed All Saints. This means the name lives on, even though it's a different building than the original.