St Nicolas' Church, Kings Norton
| The Parish Church of St Nicolas, Kings Norton | |
|---|---|
 St Nicolas's Church, Kings Norton | |
| 52°24′31″N 1°55′44″W / 52.40862°N 1.92892°WCoordinates: 52°24′31″N 1°55′44″W / 52.40862°N 1.92892°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www.kingsnorton.org.uk/thechurches/stnicolas |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Nicholas |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kings Norton |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Rev. Larry Wright |
St Nicolas's Church, Kings Norton is the Anglican parish church of Kings Norton, in the Diocese of Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom.
Contents
History[edit]
A church has been located on this site as early as the 11th century when the Normans built a small, rectangular chapel. It is not known if this was the result of a rebuild of a previous church.[1] A church on this site has been recorded in documents since 1213.[2] The current St Nicolas's Church dates from the early 13th century,[3] and the spire was constructed between 1446 and 1475.[2] The Norman building was demolished in the 14th century when a new nave, both aisles and the chancel arch were constructed.[clarification needed] In the 17th century, almost the whole of the south aisle was re-built, the chancel was re-roofed and the low pitched roof that covered the nave from the 15th century was replaced by a much steeper version. Both north aisle and south aisle were given four separate, high pitched roofs set side-by-side.[1] A parish was assigned to the church in 1846.[1]
The church was restored in 1863 by Ewan Christian and again in 1871 by W. J. Hopkins.[4] It is a Grade I listed building.[5]
In 1898 the church started a mission in Cotteridge which later became St Agnes' Church, Cotteridge.
The Revd W. V. Awdry, author of The Railway Series including Thomas the Tank Engine was a curate from 1940 to 1946. The church stands next to the historic buildings of Saracen's Head, recently restored and named Saint Nicolas Place.
Churchyard[edit]
The churchyard, which has been extended to the west and (across a private road) to the north, contains war graves of eleven service personnel of World War I and seven of World War II.[6]
List of vicars and rectors[edit]
|
|
|
Bells[edit]
The church has ten bells with a tenor weight of 17 long cwt 1 qr 6 lb (1,938 lb or 879 kg). The ringing chamber is accessed via a wooden staircase of 54 steps.[7]
The ringing practice takes place every Tuesday from 19:45 to 21:00, and Sunday service ringing is from 09:50 to 10:30
There is a poem "The New Bell Wake" about these bells.[8]
Organ[edit]
Parts of the organ date from 1857 by J. Halmshaw, but it has been expanded and restored several times since. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
List of organists[edit]
- 1857 Henry Halmshaw
- 1884 Charles Thompson
- 1893 Herbert Walter Wareing
- 1907 A. W. Hartland
- 1925 John Birch
- 1927 J. W. Brittain
- 1927 W. Sudworth
- 1941 W. R. Masters
- 1950 Mr. Brown
- 1950 David Gwerfyl Davies (later organist of Brecon Cathedral)
- 1953 Dennis Davenport
- 1960 Raymond Isaacson
- 1961 B. W. Purchase
- 1972 Peter Boswell
- 1976 Peter Carder
- 1993 Sylvia Fox
List of assistant organists[edit]
- 1928 W. R. Masters
- 1941 W. E. Moore
- 1950 J. Myers
- 1958 R. G. Howells
- 1961 Trevor Jones
- 1968 Reginald Hall
- 1974 Martin Schellenberg (later Assistant Organist of Bristol Cathedral and then Director of Music (Organist & Master of the Choir) at Christchurch Priory)
- 1978 Andrew Lane
- 1980 Ceridwen Evans
- 1990 Sylvia Fox
- 1998 Kevin Blumer
See also[edit]
Other Mediaeval churchs in Birmingham[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Melling, J. V. "History of St. Nicolas". The Parish of Kings Norton. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ a b Lockwood, Arthur; Barnsby, Jean. "Ink Drawing - St Nicholas Church Kings Norton - Kings Norton: The Green". Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ Douglas Hickman (1970). Birmingham. Studio Vista Limited.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Wedgwood, Alexandra (1966). The Buildings of England: Warwickshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 188.
- ^ Historic England. "Grade I (217165)". Images of England. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- ^ [1] CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.
- ^ "Bell Ringing at St Nicolas, Kings Norton". The Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringing Association. 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ "The New Bell Wake (A poem in St Nicolas Church, after installation of new bells)". c. 1783.
