St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston
We are a diverse and friendly congregation seeking to serve Christ in our community with biblical teaching and traditional Anglican faith, practice and worship. Our parish falls within the Diocese of Birmingham and our Patron is the Bishop of Birmingham.
Our amateur choir of exceptional ability sings twice every Sunday, maintaining a choral repertoire that extends from Palestrina to Oliver Messiaen.
Our church, which is open daily for prayer, is a Victorian landmark with a sumptuous interior, and is situated in the heart of Birmingham's main hotel district.
Following an open competition, the design by J. A. Chatwin was chosen. Chatwin had suggested "forming an island site a short distance from the Hagley Road which should be approached by a straight road from that thoroughfare". This site was offered to the ecclesiastical authorities for a new church as existing church accommodation was inadequate for the population of 18,000. A Subscription Account raised £9,000 (£600,000 as of 2012), for the building of a church dedicated to St Augustine of Hippo.
The body of the church, its chancel, nave and aisles were consecrated in 1868 by the Bishop of Worcester.
The tower and spire, 185 feet high and the tallest in Birmingham, were added in 1876 at a cost of £4,000 (£280,000 as of 2012). The body of the church is in the Geometric Gothic style and has a striking painted chancel ceiling representing chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation and some very good stained glass by Hardman & Co. There is a wealth of stone carving inside, much of it by John Roddis, including a reredos with its representation of the Last Supper based upon Leonardo da Vinci's design, and unusual capitals on the nave pillars representing the four seasons and twelve months of the year.
