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The parish of St Agatha, Sparkbrook and St Barnabas,
Balsall Heath is a Forward in Faith parish. To find out more click here
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The Buildings
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The Church of St Agatha, designed
by W H Bidlake, was begun in October 1899, in the same year that the
church it replaced - Christ Church, New Street -was demolished. It
was consecrated by the Bishop of Worcester (in whose diocese this
area of Birmingham stood in 1901). It is now a Grade l listed building.
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The
style of the building is a modified form of the later Gothic style,
built in red and blue brick with stone dressings on the outside
and buff brick on the inside. The building consists of the sanctuary
(the whole of the chancel) a nave of six bays with brick piers,
a clerestory and north and south aisles.
The
interior beauty of the church is due to its lightness and simplicity
achieved by its height, colour and large clear windows. The large
east window was designed and executed by Mr .L C Evetts in 1961.
It replaces a window destroyed in the last World War, and depicts
scenes from the Book of Revelation.
The
interior of the church is as Bidlake designed it, in spite of severe
bomb damage in 1940 and even more severe fire damage in 1959. The
church was reconsecrated by the Bishop of Birmingham in 1961 and
for the first time in 20 years was completely restored and looking
rnuch as. it does today.
There is an extensive documentary history of the Church held in
the city archives:- for example, the original architects drawings
and letters from John Betjeman.
In addition the Church owns an extensive collection of "Arts
and Crafts Movement" silver by Omar Ramesden which unfortunately
has to be kept in secure premises.
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Dominating
this part of Birmingham, the graceful tower stands 120 feet high.
It contains one bell which came from Christ Church. The tower of
red and blue brick is of logical and simple construction, though
taller than on the architects original drawings. The focal points
of the west front are the richly formed ornaments in stone. Above
the south door St. Agatha is depicted with Quintianus, her persecutor.
Above the north door she may be seen chained and imprisoned with
the figure of St. Peter holding a chalice, comforting her. Above
the west window a massive arch upholds a canopied niche enclosing
angels of justice and pity beside a figure of Christ the King.
Below
the west window the baptistery projects from the tower. The large
crucifix is from the now closed Church of St Jude which stood near
the city centre. It was placed in its present position in 1971.
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The
church is entered via the Baptistery. The wood panelling and font
came from Christ Church together with the foundation stone, which
is dated 1805 and is set in the base of the south wall.
The
tower clock is by Gillett & Johnston dated 1900 and a plaque
on the Baptistery wall commemorates the fitting of the electric
winding mechanism by the makers in 1984. It strikes the hours on
the church's single bell, cast by Rudhall of Gloucester in 1813
which came from the old Christ Church.
On
the western pillar of the nave at the south side stands the statue
of Our Lady of Walsingham, carved in the Norfolk village of the
same name. It was installed and dedicated in 1978.
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Further
along the south side of the nave is the statue of St. Agatha, dedicated
in 1931, restored.in 1961 when the church was rededicated and again
in 1977. She is seen holding her instrument of martyrdom - a pair
of pincers, which. is her symbol in art.
The
statue of St Joseph in the south aisle near the organ console is
a restored. antique, hand carved image from Bavaria. It was dedicated
in 1991 in memory of a member of the congregation and given by her
family.
The present organ installed by Nicholson of Malvern in 1960 incorporates
parts of the original organ which survived the bombing and the fire
and also second hand parts of the Harrison Organ from Oundle School.
It sounds magnificent in the splendid acoustics of St. Agatha's.
It was fully cleaned and restored in the mid 1980's, and further
restored in 2006.
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Under
the organ, at the east end of the south aisle is the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel, originally dedicated in 1919 as a Memorial Chapel to those
from the Parish who gave their lives in the 1914-1918 War.
The
Blessed Sacrament Chapel opens out in to the Sanctuary which takes
up the whole of the Chancel. The large stone altar of Westmorland
Green Stone was consecrated on Sunday 4th October 1964. The six
candlesticks were given in 1979. The Crucifix on the east wall survived
the bombing, as did the pulpit which has stood in the church since
its opening in 1901.
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