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Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill facts for kids

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Church of St Peter and St Paul
Coleshill Parish Church
Coleshill Church.jpg
52°29′57.4″N 1°42′18.6″W / 52.499278°N 1.705167°W / 52.499278; -1.705167
Location Coleshill, Warwickshire
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Previous denomination Roman Catholic
Churchmanship Low Church
Website coleshillparishchurch.org.uk
History
Dedication Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Architecture
Heritage designation Grade I listed
Designated 8 September 1961
Architectural type Decorated Gothic
Completed 14th - 15th century
Specifications
Nave length 26 m (85 ft)
Nave width 5.6 m (18 ft)
Height 52 m (171 ft)
Number of spires 1
Bells 8
Administration
Parish Coleshill Parish
Deanery Coleshill
Archdeaconry Aston
Diocese Birmingham
Province Canterbury

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, also known as Coleshill Parish Church, is a historic Church of England church in the town of Coleshill, Warwickshire, in England. This beautiful old building is very important, so it is protected as a Grade I listed building. This is the highest level of protection a building can get! Most of the church you see today was built a long time ago, between the 1300s and 1400s. Its tall, pointy spire was rebuilt in the 1860s.

History of the Church

The church we see today is very old, but there was likely a church on this spot even earlier. The area used to be covered in woods, so historians think the very first church here was probably made of timber.

Clues from the Past

Although the main parts of the current stone church were built in the 14th and 15th centuries, there are signs of an even older building. Records show a priest was in Coleshill as far back as 1086. During digging work, workers found foundations from the Norman era (the time after 1066).

Inside the church, there is a special bowl for baptisms called a font that was also made by the Normans. These clues tell us that people have been worshipping on this site for almost a thousand years!

St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill, Warwickshire, South View
A view of the church from the south.

Building and Rebuilding

The church's tall, pointed spire is one of its most famous features. It was first built in the 15th century. Hundreds of years later, in the 1860s, the church had major repairs. Workers put on a new roof and replastered the walls. During this time, they also rebuilt the spire.

Coleshill, Warwickshire skyline
The church spire stands tall over Coleshill and can be seen from miles away, even from places like Chelmsley Wood.

A Special Landmark

In 1961, the government made a list of important historic buildings in the United Kingdom to protect them. Because of its long history and beautiful architecture, the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was given a Grade I Listed status. This is the highest and most important ranking a building can receive.

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