St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
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St Philip's Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral, in Colmore Row, Birmingham, England, dedicated to St Philip.
It is surrounded by a churchyard with graves, which is no longer open for new burials. The churchyard is used by members of the public in the summer as a picnic area or to meet friends.[1] Owing to the large number of pigeons that frequent the churchyard and roost on the mid rise buildings surrounding it, the surrounding green space has been referred to as "pigeon park".[1] The churchyard covers an area of four acres.[2]
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[edit] History
The land on which the building is built was amongst the highest in the area and was named The Barley Close.[3] It was donated by Robert Philips, after whom the church is named, in 1710. It was said to be at the same level as the cross on St Paul's Cathedral in London.[3] Following an Act of Parliament, construction commenced in 1711.[2] It was completed in 1715 as a parish church when St Martin's was insufficient for Birmingham's growing population, designed in the then-fashionable Baroque style by architect Thomas Archer. Construction was estimated to cost £20,000, however, the final figure was only £5,012.[2] This was because many of the materials were donated and transported to the site at no cost. The urns on the parapet were not added until 1756. Until 1751, the church tower had a peal of six bells, which was enlarged to ten.[2]
The church contained a theological library which was bequeathed to the church by the Revd William Higgs. In 1792, a library room was constructed next to the parsonage house by the Revd Spencer Madan and was named the Parochial Library.
It was enlarged in the late 19th century by J.A. Chatwin. It gained cathedral status in 1905, when the Diocese of Birmingham was created (Birmingham was made a city in 1889). The first bishop was Charles Gore, Bishop of Worcester.
Built of brick and faced with stone quarried on Thomas Archer's estate at Umberslade, it has four stained glass windows by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (who was born in nearby Bennett's Hill and baptized in the church), and is the third smallest cathedral in England after Derby and Chelmsford.[4] The west window, designed by Burne-Jones, was dedicated in memory of Bishop Bowlby in 1897.
[edit] World War II
During the Second World War, The Birmingham Civic Society were responsible for saving the Burne-Jones windows of the Cathedral from exposure to bomb damage, by having them removed and later reinstalled. In the interim, most of the other windows were blown out by heavy bombing and so it may be said that the continued existence of these fine windows is due to the foresight and prompt action of the Society.
[edit] Memorials
The Cathedral is a Grade I listed building, with six other listed monuments in the churchyard, including one commemorating two men who died during the construction of Birmingham Town Hall and a memorial to the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings. A statue of Charles Gore is located at the entrance. Upon completion of the building, it was decided that monuments should be prohibited from being added to the interior.[2]
[edit] Organ
The organ underwent an extensive reparation during the late-18th century by the London-based organ builders England.[2]
Details of the organ at the National Pipe Organ Register
| Year instated | Name |
|---|---|
| 1901 | Arthur Elmore |
| 1906 | Edwin Stephenson |
| 1914 | William Frederick Dunnill |
| 1936 | Willis Grant |
| 1958 | Thomas Tunnard |
| 1968 | Roy Massey |
| 1974 | David Malcolm Bruce-Payne |
| 1978 | Hubert Best |
| 1986 | Marcus Huxley |
[edit] Gallery
 St Philip's Cathedral |
 Plan from Vitruvius Britannicus |
 Charles Gore, 1st bishop |
[edit] See also
- List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom
- St Chad's (Catholic)
- Dormition of the Mother of God and St Andrew (Greek Orthodox)
- Provosts of Birmingham Cathedral
[edit] References
- ^ a b Emo-motion in 'Pigeon Park' - BBC Birmingham, Ben Walker
- ^ a b c d e f R. Jabet; J.P.Lucas (1808). A concise history of Birmingham. R. Jabet.
- ^ a b Helen Marshall Pratt (2007). The Cathedral Churches of England - Their Architecture, History and Antiquities - with Bibliography, Itinerary and Glossary. READ BOOKS, 89. ISBN 1406757209.
- ^ [1][dead link]
[edit] External links
- St Philip's Cathedral official site
- Looking at Buildings - Pevsner Guides - Birmingham
- Images of England - details from listed building text
- 1890 Ordnance Survey map of the cathedral (a church at the time)
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