St Nicolas' Church, Kings Norton
St Nicolas' Church, Kings Norton, is the Anglican parish church of Kings Norton, in the Diocese of Birmingham, West Midlands, England.
| The Parish Church of St Nicolas, Kings Norton | |
|---|---|
 St Nicolas' Church | |
| 52.40862°N 1.92892°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Nicholas |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
| Parish | Kings Norton |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Rev. Larry Wright |
History
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. 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. On 11 October 2021 a plaque was unveiled inside the church bearing an engraving of Thomas.[6]
Churchyard
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.[7]
List of vicars and rectors
- 1313 Roger Notte,
- ???? Richard de la Fielde,
- ???? John Le Tournour
- 1325 Robert de Clyve
- 1344 William Paas
- 1346-75 Reginald Newton
- 1476 John Shyngler
- 1496-1512 William Dowell
- 1504 Machell Thomas
- 1513 Humphrey Toye
- 1523 Thomas Heregreve
- 1540 Edward Alcock
- ???? Henry Locock
- ???? William Gardefielde
- 1547 Richard Dewhurst
- 1552 John Butler
- 1609-11 Henry Kempster
- 1616 Nathaniel Bradshaw
- 1623-39 Tobias Gyles
- 1640-62 Thomas Hall
- 1662 William Collins
- 1663-70 John Horton
- 1673-75 Timothy White
- 1676-78 John Guest
- 1678-84 John Birch
- 1686-96 John Barney
- 1696-98 Thomas Wilmot
- 1699-1717 John Birch
- 1718-21 Thomas Gem
- 1722-23 John Birch
- 1726-30 Joseph Benton
- 1730-34 John Hancox
- 1735-39 Richard Carpenter
- 1741-43 John Waldron
- 1744-49 S. Collins
- 1752-61 James Hemming
- 1762-70 John Hodges
- 1771-83 Thomas Edwards
- 1784-1824 Hugh Edwards
- 1824-59 Joseph Amphlett
- 1859-80 J. M. L. Aston
- 1880-93 Digby Henry Cotes-Preedy
- 1893-1909 Charles William Barnard
- 1909-23 Hugh Price
- 1924-48 Thomas Shelton Dunn
- 1949-65 Edward George Ashford
- 1965-79 Anthony James Balmforth
- 1979-92 William Beadon Norman
- 1992-99 Martin Leigh
- 1999-2015 Rob Morris
- 2016–present Larry Wright
Bells
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.[8]
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.[9]
Organ
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
- 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
- 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
Other Medieval churches in Birmingham
References
- Melling, J. V. "History of St. Nicolas". The Parish of Kings Norton. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- Lockwood, Arthur; Barnsby, Jean. "Ink Drawing - St Nicholas Church Kings Norton - Kings Norton: The Green". Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- 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 (1075549)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
- "Plaque unveiled in Kings Norton marking the birthplace of Thomas the Tank Engine stories". ITV News. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.
- "Bell Ringing at St Nicolas, Kings Norton". The Worcestershire & Districts Change Ringing Association. 3 March 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- "The New Bell Wake (A poem in St Nicolas Church, after installation of new bells)". c. 1783.