St Mary's Church, Temple Balsall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Temple Balsall |
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St Mary's Church, Temple Balsall
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| 52°22′54″N 1°41′51″W / 52.3816°N 1.6974°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo Catholic |
| Website | [1] |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Temple Balsall |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church in Temple Balsall is a special old church in the Church of England. You can find it in Temple Balsall, which is part of Solihull in the West Midlands, England. It's a place where people have gathered for hundreds of years.
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Discovering St Mary's Church History
This church looks like it was built in the 1200s, which is called the 13th century. However, it was greatly updated in 1849 by a famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott. This type of update is known as a Victorian restoration, where older buildings are repaired and changed to fit the style of the Victorian era.
A Special Grade I Listed Building
St Mary's Church is a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered a very important historic building. It has special protection to make sure it stays preserved for many years to come. Only the most important buildings get this high rating.
The Knights Templar and the Church
Many people believe that the church was first built by the Knights Templar. These were a famous group of Christian knights from the Middle Ages. They were known for their bravery and for protecting pilgrims. It's even thought that St Mary's Church might be the main church for both the Knights Templar and another group called the Knights Hospitaller. You can see pictures of knights from both groups in the church's altar window.
The Church Organ
St Mary's Church has a small but beautiful pipe organ. It was made by a company called Porritt in Leicester. The organ was carefully fixed and improved between 2012 and 2014 by Peter Collins. An organ's "voice" can be changed to make different sounds. You can find more details about this organ on a special website called the National Pipe Organ Register.
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