St. Alphege's Church, Solihull
Encyclopedia
St. Alphege's Church, Solihull is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Solihull
, West Midlands.
The Church, dedicated to St. Alphege, is a large cruciform structure, partly in the later and partly in the early styles of English architecture, the tracery mouldings and corbels in the interior are extremely elegant; there are also some fine specimens of tabernacle and screen work: it consists of nave, chancel, aide aisles, and gallery, with embattled tower, surmounted by an octagonal spire, and contains a peal of eight good bells; the vestry was formerly a chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas Becket.
It is part of a group of parishes which includes
Birmingham
around 1820.
A specification and pictures of the pipe organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, West Midlands.
History
The church is medieval. The previous spire was 59m and collapsed in 1757: the current spire is 57.34mThe Church, dedicated to St. Alphege, is a large cruciform structure, partly in the later and partly in the early styles of English architecture, the tracery mouldings and corbels in the interior are extremely elegant; there are also some fine specimens of tabernacle and screen work: it consists of nave, chancel, aide aisles, and gallery, with embattled tower, surmounted by an octagonal spire, and contains a peal of eight good bells; the vestry was formerly a chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas Becket.
It is part of a group of parishes which includes
- St Catherine’s Church, Catherine-de-Barnes
- St. Helen's Church, Solihull
- St. Michael's Church, Solihull
Organ
The church has a historic pipe organ dating from the seventeenth century. It has had substantial restoration work by Elliot, Brosswood, Hill and Nicholson. The organ case came from St Martin in the Bull RingSt Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
around 1820.
A specification and pictures of the pipe organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register
List of organists
- 1773 Mr Joseph/Joshua? Weston
- 1804 Mr Moore
- 1820? Miss Jane Fletcher
- 1847 Dr Stephen Hatherley
- 1856 Mr Thomas Anderton
- 1879 Mr Bond
- 1880 Mr DeLancy
- 1886 Mr Courtenay Woods
- 1936 Mr Monk
- 1942 Dr Richard Wassell (formerly organist of St Martin in the Bull RingSt Martin in the Bull RingThe church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
) - 1949 Mr O'Feeley
- 1951 Mr Colin Mann
- 1970 Mr Paul Hammond
- 1971 Mr Peter M Gregory
- 2002 Mr Nigel A Stark