Church of St Paul
52°33′45.78″N 2°00′18.69″W / 52.5627167°N 2.0051917°W / 52.5627167; -2.0051917
OS grid referenceSO 99745 96098
LocationWednesbury, West Midlands
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationChurch of England
Websitepaulandluke.co.uk
History
Consecrated1874
Architecture
Heritage designationGrade II
Designated29 September 1987
Administration
DioceseLichfield

St Paul's Church is an Anglican church in the Wood Green district of Wednesbury, West Midlands, England. The parish of Wood Green is part of the Wednesbury Deanery in the Diocese of Lichfield.[1] The building is Grade II listed.[2]

History and description

The church was built in 1874, by the Elwell family, owners of Wednesbury Forge, at a cost of £5.000. The company was interested in the welfare of its workforce, also converting former workshops into housing, and developing sports facilities. The parish of Wood Green was formed in 1875. The Church of the Good Shepherd at The Delves, built in 1850, a chapel of ease formerly for St Bartholomew in Wednesbury, was transferred to St Paul; it closed in 1936.[3][4][5]

The foundation stone was laid on 1 May 1872 by Alfred Elwell, head of the company since 1869, and the completed church was consecrated by the Bishop of Lichfield on 21 August 1874. The tower and spire were added in 1887, and eight bells were cast for the tower in that year by Taylor's of Loughborough.[3][4]

The church is built of red sandstone, and is in Decorated style. There is a chancel, a nave with a clerestory, and north and south aisles, each of three bays.[2]

Interior

There are stained glass windows given in memory of people connected with the church in the late 19th and early 20th century. The east window, presented in 1883, is a memorial to Edwin Richards, a local factory owner. A window in the north aisle was presented in 1919 by Edward Elwell Ltd, in memory of employees killed in the Great War. The font, of Caen stone and Irish marble, dates from 1888. There is a stone reredos, by Bridgeman of Lichfield, installed in 1903 in memory of Alfred Elwell. The wrought iron rood screen is a memorial to Rev. George Tuthill, vicar from 1875 to 1902.[4][5]

St Luke's Church

St Luke's Church

St Luke's Church, in Alma Street, Mesty Croft (52°33′16.6″N 2°00′21.6″W / 52.554611°N 2.006000°W / 52.554611; -2.006000), is also in Wood Green parish. Originally an elememtary school belonging to Edward Elwell, it was formed in 1879 as a mission church to St Paul's. It was rebuilt in 1894, and was replaced by a new church in 1973.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ "About us" Wednesbury St Paul's. A church near you. Retrrieved 6 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of St Paul (1279023)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Edward Elwell Ltd" Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "History of St Paul's and St Luke's" www. paulandluke.co.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Wednesbury St Paul" GENUKI. Retrieved 4 June 2023.

Media related to St Paul's Church, Wood Green at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.