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St Phillips Church Cathedral

A familiar view of the Church/Cathedral. But what's the tower to the right? Never noticed it before. Viv

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Looking at Streetview and the c1950 OS map, I would say that it was the building which was replaced by the Bank of england on the corner of Cherry St. According to the map thia was 45-47 Temple Row, which in 1939 was the Midland Bank
 
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Thanks Mke. Looks about right. The tower must have been on the corner of Cherry Street then. Viv.
 
Can't make my mind up as to exactly what this is. Is it an entrance to the Cathedral crypt? Or is it an entrance to a family tomb? Or something else?
Viv.

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That was a monumental head stone with the spiral it was a square block on a slightly built step up on to it
With a inlaid stone written plaque this was very early years in brum of a person with gold writing
Obvisious it was a Birmingham member of the society possible 1800/1900 hundreds
It was an up right building as you can see it was about three meters square block
And very high built possible a member of the st Phillips church of high cannon,in sh postion
And there built within it was a tap with a metal deep cup on a heavy chain and a little troth for the cup
Or if you like I would say in those days a chalice type metal cup that was there from the early years right up until about
The mid 1950,s when it was removed as some of the graves of the 1800.s was removed and replacing and placing of the walk way
I believe the ground slab of the littliest person in Birmingham was buried on the approaching of the church patches before redeleoping the pathway was removed from the ground and taken away what happen end to the remains I do not know
But that to we you call it was the during tap for the people I recall this and drank from it as a nippe . Best wishes Astonian,,,,
 
I remember the grave of the little person. My Dad remarked on it but I thought the stone was still there. I think it used to be over towards the corner by the Joint Stock. Or am I dreaming again?
 
its a pumphouse for a sprinkler system for the grass area, but I don't know if it has always been used for that purpose.
 
I went through St. Philips Churchyard yesterday, it would be nice to have the building cleaned up like the Grand Hotel.
The grounds could do with some attention too, as so much of the grass has worn away at the Cherry St. side.
rosie.
 
Extracts from a discussion about the structure in the photo below in the gardens of Highfield House, Selly Park have been copied to this and the three subsequent posts below. This structure is believed to have been constructed using stones and carvings from the apse of St Phillips Church. The full discussion is here.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...s-arch-in-selly-park.47601/page-3#post-588370


SPF4EVER. this may be a better photo G'
 

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I've had a look at images of St Philip's and can see a tenuous resemblance on the shapes of the balustrade uprights, but the ones on St Philip's are on the roof. Perhaps as far as we can get on this !
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Below is a comparison of the church image included on Wesley's 1732 North Prospect of Birmingham map and a 20th century view. It originally had a very shallow apse and was definitely subsequently enlarged. Viv.

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This is an architectural drawing of St Phillips in 1887 which appeared in an American architectural journal. Viv.

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Vivienne that's a fantastic further confirmation of where the arch came from. Clearly the rear elevation was transplanted to Highfield in Selly Park - or the majority of it at least. Nice one. SPF4EVER
 
I wonder why they decided to remove it from St Philips?
I think it looked rather good.
Great to know they found a home for it though, instead of just destroying it.
 
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Must have been a fair expense too to take it apart and rebuild it somewhere else. I also wondered if the old stones would have been 'dumped' if Highfield hadn't stepped in. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Must have been a fair expense too to take it apart and rebuild it somewhere else. I also wondered if the old stones would have been 'dumped' if Highfield hadn't stepped in. Viv.
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Viv - indeed the question that remains in my mind too - why ? Just because it looked good ? Being from a (then) church, for spiritual reasons ? Like you say - must have been a fair expense to take it apart and rebuild it somewhere else (?) Very intriguing. May be we'll never know - may be it was all in the greater scheme of 'second city celestial serendipity' in Selly Park ? :-) SPF4EVER.
 
I have found there is a company up in Durham (Harrison & Harrison Ltd, St John's Rd, Meadowfield, Durham, DH7 8YH, Telephone: 0191 378 22 22, office@harrisonorgans.com) whose founder was no less than Thomas Hugh Harrison (born 1839.) Could this be the very Thomas Harrison who was registered as living in Highfield 1890 to 1905 ? He would have been 51 - feasible. SPF4EVER
 
The Thomas Harrison who was a music seller is listed in the 1891 census as being 72, so does not look the same man
 
I'm not sure where the records are for St Philip's are. Some church records are in the archives and others with the Diocesan Office. I'm sure they would have had to apply for a faculty to make any alterations to the building (you have to have one just to knock a nail in a C of E church wall) and this would be with the records. I wonder where Mr Harrison went to church?
 
Is it Saint Phillip's Church 0r Cathedral ?, I have heard it called both, I have painted it a few times and always titled it Cathedral
 
Hi Eric. It was a church until 1905 after which it was made a cathedral. This is an extract from the Cathedral website

"St Philip's remained a church until 1905 when the new Diocese of Birmingham was created with Charles Gore as the first Bishop. Rather than fund a new cathedral building Bishop Gore decided to use an existing church as the cathedral and seat of the Bishop. As a Christian Socialist Gore was acutely aware of the poverty and social problems facing many ordinary citizens. It was at this time that a Bishop’s throne and canon’s stalls were installed as well as electric lighting"


Viv.
 
Julie St Philips.JPG Vivienne, Thanks for explanation, have attached my first attempt, now with a member in Tamworth. Eric
 
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Lovely Eric. Very much how I remember it when walking past it to and from work. I think it was a good decision to keep this as the Cathedral when it was changed from a church rather than build anew. Viv.
 
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