St Alphege Church, Solihull facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Alphege Church, Solihull
St Alphege Church, Solihull
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
Website	Parish Website
History
Dedication	St Alphege
Administration
Parish	Solihull
Diocese	Birmingham
Province	Canterbury

St Alphege Church in Solihull, West Midlands, is a very old church that belongs to the Church of England. It has been an important part of the town for many centuries.

History of St Alphege Church

This church is from the Middle Ages, built in the 13th century. That's over 700 years ago! The church is named after St. Alphege.

The Church Spire and Bells

The church once had a tall spire, about 59 meters high. This spire fell down in 1757. A new spire was built soon after. The current spire is a bit shorter, standing at 57.34 meters (about 188 feet).

The church has a set of 13 bells. These bells were all remade and put back in 1932. This work was done by a company called John Taylor & Co in Loughborough. The church also has very old records, called registers, that go all the way back to 1538.

Church Community and Celebrations

St Alphege Church is part of a group of churches. This group includes St Helen's Church and St Michael's Church, both in Solihull.

In 2012, the church celebrated a special anniversary. It marked 1,000 years since St Alphege died in 1012. In 2020, the church also celebrated 800 years. This was 800 years since St Alphege Church was first built. This also marked 800 years of Christianity in Solihull.

About the Church Building

St Alphege Church has a special shape called a "cruciform" plan. This means it looks like a cross from above. It has a main area called the chancel and a central tower. There are also parts sticking out on the sides called transepts. The main part where people sit is the nave, with side areas called aisles.

How the Church Grew Over Time

There was a church on this spot even earlier, in the late 1100s. We can still see small signs of this first church. It was smaller than the church we see today.

The church was made bigger by a person named Sir William de Odingsells. He added the chancel and a special room for St Alphege. Later, in the 1300s, more parts were added. These included the transepts and wider side aisles. The church kept growing and changing over many years. The current south aisle was added in 1535.

Changes and Repairs to the Church

The top part of the church tower was built in 1470. This was much later than the lower part. As mentioned, the first stone spire fell down in 1757. It was rebuilt to be a bit shorter.

The south side aisle of the church had problems. It collapsed in 1751 because of a weak structure. It was rebuilt right away. But even after that, it struggled to hold up the roof. In 1939, wooden supports were put in place. This was done until more repair work could be finished.

The church has been repaired many times. In 1879, the large window at the west end was replaced. Other repairs were also done to the roofs. An architect named Edward Holmes oversaw this work. The chancel roof was fixed in 1933 because of damage from deathwatch beetles. At the very top of the spire, there is a weather-vane.

Chapels Inside the Church

Inside St Alphege Church, there are five chapels that are still used today.

• At the very east end, there is a crypt chapel. This chapel was rededicated to St Francis in 2004.
• Above the crypt is the Upper Chapel, dedicated to St Alphege. This is where the Blessed Sacrament is kept.
• Near the central tower, there is a chapel for St Katherine of Alexandria.
• On the north side of the nave, you will find the chapel of St Thomas Becket.
• On the south side, there is the Chapel of St Antony of Egypt.

Music at St Alphege

St Alphege Church has a very active music program. There are choirs for boys, girls, ladies, and men. They sing during church services, sometimes separately and sometimes all together. There are three sung services every Sunday. They also have regular evening services called Evensongs during the week. Larger concerts are held once a month.

Choir Achievements and Organ

Many young singers from St Alphege have done very well. Some have won "Chorister of the Year" awards. Many also go on to get special scholarships to sing in cathedrals or at famous universities like Oxford and Cambridge. The church also hosts weekly music performances on Wednesdays. These performances feature musicians from both the local area and around the world. The church also works with local schools on music projects.

The church has a large pipe organ that dates back to the 1600s. It has been repaired and updated many times over the years. The beautiful wooden case for the organ came from St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham around 1820. More work was done on the organ in 2014. This included a new control panel and other improvements. You can find more details and pictures of the pipe organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.

List of Organists

Church Bells

The church tower holds a set of 12 bells. Ten of these bells, including the largest one (called the tenor), were made in 1932. The two smallest bells were made in 1968. All of these bells were cast by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough.