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St George's Church Newtown

Astoness

Astoness

TRUE BRUMMIE MODERATOR
Staff member
Hi all. would anyone out there have any photos of the old st georges church that was in newtown. my mom and dad got married there in 1949. sadley it was demolished years ago. all thats left is part of the archway and all the old grave stones have been left just resting against the outer walls. cant understand why it was demolished. it was a sturdy church and nothing at all has been done with the ground. mom and dad only live a minute from there and it saddens them every time they walk past what they call "their church" many thanks wales.
 
Are These They ?
 

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Hi Postie, I went to St Georges J&I school and the main playground ran adjacent to the church I think what you have posted looks far too big, but hey I was only a kid at the time. It was at the top of Upper Tower St, and the corner of a road that ran parallel with Summer Lane, I lived in Ward St at the time so it was a straight walk down from school. I can't think what the name of the rd was that divided the main school from the annex's just across the way! Just two prefabed buildings with their own playground!
 
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My apologies Postie on closer inspection of the thumb nail it looks like it is St Georges, good grief I dont remember it being that big! Amazing how ones brain plays tricks, I think the school was built on the other side of the church.
 
Me again, it was the corner of Upper Tower St and Great Hampton Row!!!!!!!!!:D I knew I'd get there in the end !!!!!!!!
 
st georges church

many thanks postie for the photos i will confirm it with mom and dad tomorrow. it certainly looks like the chuch as the railings and original wall have been left intact. wales
 
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hi wales again. it definately is st georges as i have just read the info written next to the first photo. the archway i refered to in my 1st post is where the architect thomas rickman is buried. what a waste to demolish such a splendid building. if i can get the hang of it i will try to post a pic of my mom and dad outside the church after they got married. thanks again they will love these wales
 
st georges church

i will be doing some research into the architect of st georges but in the meantime would anyone have any knowledge as to when it was built and when and why it was demolished. it wasnt due to bomb damage as it was still there well after the war ended. wales
 
Found this on internet.

The original St. George's was consecrated in 1822 and became a parish church in 1830. Despite extensive renovation, dry rot had damaged the building beyond repair and it was demolished in 1960.

The congregation held their services in the old parish hall of St. Edwards church until the new church was completed in 1972.
 

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thanks ever so mike. that explains a lot. i could not see it being demolished without very good reason. shame though. always looking for pictures. wales.
 
I think these are images of the arch you were on about, all the whole grave stones are set against the outer walls and make very very interesting reading.
 

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many thanks dibb 44. brillient photos. im taken my lap top down mom and dads tomorrow. the photos you all have kindly put on for me will surely bring a tear to their eyes. they will be happy and sad i would think. many thanks to you all. wales
 
St Georges Church

Hi Dibb 44. I Was A Year Out As To When Mom And Dad Got Married. It Was 1950 Not 49. Showed Them The Photos This Morning. They Were So Happy To See Them. But Like I Thought They Wished The Old Church Was Still There. They Were Very Interested To Know The History Of The Archictect And Like Me Thought That The Arch Thats In The Middle Of The Churchyard Was A Piece Of The Church. Not As Its Turns Out The Headstone Of The Architect Thomas Rickman. As They Live Only A 1 Min Walk From It They Are Going Round Tomorrow To See If They Can Read The Inscription Although I Dont Think Its Very Visible These Days. Thanks Again To Everyone. Wales
 
Mike - are you able to date the map that you have posted? My ancestors lived in Upper Tower St for a while.
 
The book it came from is 1945 edition of Bartholomews atlas and guide Birmingham
 
Thanks to all who posted photos of St George's I have quite a few rellies who married there! However, how do I snag pics off the site I am a real numpty when it comes to techie stuff !

Kaz
PS I have an apple mac if that helps
 
Dont know if it works with a Mac but right click on the photo and a menu comes up go to save as and left click. It should then ask where to save.
 
Thanks Mike! I have just worked out that all I have to do is click on photo and drag to my desktop :blush:

Am off now to sit in a corner with a pointy 'D' hat on my head :(

Kaz
 
Hi. Reading all your posts with interest. Can anyone tell me if there is a war monument in the grounds of demolished church. I have a vague memory of being told as a child that my grandads name was on a memorial in St. George's church. He didn't die in the WW1 but is on a list of names to honour the boys of St. George's who went off to war.
 
hi jules. i walked through what is left of the churchyard last week and as far as i can see there is no memorial. maybe there was one and it was demolished along with the church. im afraid in the 60s they had no thought for our history. when i see mom and dad next (they got married there) i will ask if they can recall one. best wishes wales.
 
Hi Jules: I don't know about St. George's, Jules. There is a rebuild of that church and they have a website https://www.robkj.btinternet.co.uk/ with lots of links which you may be able to send an e-mail to with regard to the War Memorial from the original church. There are a couple of other people involved in tracking down Church Memorials for the World Wars one is a fellow called Christopher John who runs a site related to local memorial for soldiers www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/castlebrom.htm and the other one is at https://warmemorialsbham.co.uk/1.html

I would try the church website first.
 
Thanks jennyann for the website info. I will check them out. I am hoping here that I have got the right church but I know that when we used to catch the 69 bus into town we went past a derelict church yard and there was a stone column monument in the graveyard and this was where I was told my grandfather's name was enscribed. The 69 bus route used to go down Wheeler Street, past Lucas's and before you turned onto Colmore Row and before you got to a pub (I think it may have been the Mitre) there was this church yard. I am sitting here trying to visualise the bus journey and I know I have missed a section out - so forgive me. I haven't caught that bus in probably 20 years! I wouldn't be surprised if the monument was in a bad condition, the whole site was in decay and you couldn't really see much from the bus. Wish I had taken more notice when I was younger and my dad was still alive. Oh to ask him questions about the times when he was a boy. I know he used to race the tram down Wheeler Street.

Thanks again for your help.
 
Moving slightly away from the church itself but picking up the reference to Thomas Rickman, in 1993 the Metro newspaper carried a short article by Peter Leather on Rickman who he describes as one of the most important architects ever to work in Birmingham. At that time conservationists were calling for restoration of his arched tomb in St George's churchyard. His tomb was erected in 1845 and appropriately was on the site of the first Birmingham church he designed in 1821.

He then went on to design Erdington parish church, All Saints Hockley, St Thomas's in Bath Row and St Peter's Dale End. He also designed the old Midland Bank in Bennetts Hill (now Bennett's pub?).

The final part of the article caught my eye - he coined the terms 'Norman', 'Early English', 'Decorated' and 'Perpendicular', terms which will be very familiar to anyone with an interest in church architecture.

He wasn't a true brummie, having been born in Maidenhead but seems to me that here is another man whose contribution to the development of Birmingham's architectural heritage should not be overlooked.

p.s. was his tomb restored or has it been allowed to continue its decay?
 
the last time i walked through the churchyard i could hardly read the inscription on his tomb. i shall be going to see mom and dads tomorrow so i will have a look and take a photo to post. wales
 
hi all. paid a visit to st georges this morning and as promised i have taken a few photos. as i said the inscription is not at all clear now on thomas rickmans tomb but ive taken a couple of shots anyway. all of the remaining headstones are now leaning against the original walls on both sides of the churchyard. it just didnt feel right not having a chuch to look at. wales.the 1st is of thomas rickmans tomb the 2nd some of the inscription which is not very clear
 
the church would have been looking towards the avenue of trees.

st geos church 063.JPG
 
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