St Paul's Church, Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Jewellery Quarter |
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| 52°29′07″N 1°54′21″W / 52.4853°N 1.9058°W | |
| OS grid reference | SP064874 |
| Location | St Paul's Square, Birmingham |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Inclusive Church |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1779 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 10 |
| Tenor bell weight | 12 long cwt 2 qr 13 lb (1,413 lb or 641 kg) |
St Paul's Church is a Church of England church. It stands in the beautiful St Paul's Square in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England. The church is famous for its Georgian style.
Contents
History of St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church is a very important building. It is a Grade I listed church, which means it's one of the most important historic buildings in England. The church was designed by Roger Eykyn from Wolverhampton. Building work began in 1777. The church was officially opened in 1779.
The land for the church was given by Charles Colmore. He owned the Newhall estate nearby. In its early days, the church was a place of worship for Birmingham's important business people. Famous inventors like Matthew Boulton and James Watt had their own special seats here. These seats could even be bought and sold back then!
The church building is shaped like a rectangle. The tall upper part of the tower and the spire were added later. This happened between 1822 and 1823. Francis Goodwin designed these additions.
In 1841, St Paul's Church became a parish church. This meant it had its own area to serve. Later, in 1947, another church called St Mark's was taken down. Its parish then joined with St Paul's.
During the Second World War, the church was damaged by bombs. Repairs took place from 1949 to 1951. A lot of the roof had to be replaced. The church had another big restoration project between 1985 and 1994. In 2005, a set of 10 new bells was put into the church tower.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
The east window of St Paul's Church is very special. It has an important stained-glass window made in 1791 by Francis Eginton. This window shows a scene called The Conversion of Paul. It was inspired by a painting by Benjamin West.
In the south-east part of the church, there is another window made around 1880 by Ward and Hughes. Other windows were created by Pearce between 1900 and 1907. There is also a modern window in the north aisle. This one was made by Rachel Thomas in the year 2000.
The Church Organ
The first organ at St Paul's was built in 1830 by James Bishop. It was placed on a balcony at the west end of the church. The organ was made bigger in 1838 by Banfield.
Later, Bevington and Sons rebuilt and made the organ larger in 1871 and again in 1897. In 1927, the organ was moved to where it is now by Conacher Sheffield & Co. The organ case had to be changed to fit its new spot. Parts of it were even used to make a screen!
After the war damage, the organ was in poor condition by 1953. A company called Hill, Norman & Beard rebuilt the organ in 1964. This is mostly the organ you see today. Some parts of the original Bishop organ pipes are still used.
Organists of St Paul's
Many talented people have played the organ at St Paul's Church. Here are some of the organists who have served the church:
- James Kempson (around 1780)
- Jeremiah Clark (around 1800)
- William Ward (1820s)
- Thomas Munden (until 1838)
- George Hollins (1838 – 1841)
- James Stimpson (from 1842)
- Mr. Evans (around 1852)
- Frederick Barnby (1857–1859)
- John Pearce (until 1870)
- Frederick Harrod (from 1870)
- Bernard Farebrother (1873 – 1884)
- Edward Percival Oxley (1908 – 1956)
- George John Halford
- Cyril Raymond Mapstone (1961 – 1986)
- Howard Chapman (1986 – 1988)
- Andrew Hudson (1988 – 1991)
- Andrew Burling (1991 – 1992)
- John Pryer (1992 – 1995)
- Dr. Stephen Lansberry (1995)
- Gareth Perkins (1995 – 1997)
- David Griffiths (1997 – 2001)
- Kevin Gill (2001 – 2003)
- Paul Carr (2003 – 2016)
- Anne Michael (2017 – 2018)
- Joshua Hughes (2018 – 2020)
- Dylan McCaig (2021 – 2023)
- Darren Hogg (2023–present)
The Church Bells
The church got its first set of ringing bells in 2005. Before that, it only had three bells used for services and clock chimes. A new set of ten bells was put in to celebrate a special anniversary. This was for the 250th birthday of the St. Martin's Guild of Church Bell Ringers. The bells were officially opened on November 25, 2005. The heaviest bell weighs about 12 and a half long tons.
Images for kids
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The east window, showing The Conversion of Saint Paul.
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An inside view of the church, showing the balcony and ceiling.
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The church pews where people sit.
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The church seen from the south, with St Paul's Square in front.
Notable Burials
- William Hollins (1763–1843), an architect and sculptor, has a monument inside the church.
See also
- List of works by Francis Goodwin
