St Matthew's Church, Walsall

St Matthew's Church (formerly All Saints' Church) is a Church of England parish church in Walsall, West Midlands, England. It was rebuilt in 1820-1821 by Francis Goodwin, but includes remains of the earlier church built around 1220 and dedicated to All Saints. It is a Grade II* listed building,[1] and on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.[2] The church was rededicated to St Matthew when rebuilt.[3] The church is the oldest building in Walsall and serves as the main parish church of the town. It sits at a high elevation above the town on a hill and can be seen when entering the town.[4][5]

St Matthew's Church
St Matthew's Church, Walsall
St Matthew's Church, Walsall
52.5825°N 1.9772°W / 52.5825; -1.9772
LocationWalsall
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
Websitewww.stmatthewswalsall.co.uk
History
StatusParish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Architect(s)Francis Goodwin
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseLichfield
ArchdeaconryWalsall
ParishWalsall

The first Rector, Magister Serlo De Sunning, was appointed by King John in 1211.[6] From 1248 until 1538 appointments of Rector were given to Halesowen Abbey. Since then, appointments were made by the Earl of Bradford and transferred to the Bishop of Lichfield in 1945.[6]

An ornate church ceiling with stone ribs on a red ground
The nave ceiling

The east window commemorates Sister Dora and the stained glass is the work of Burlison and Grylls.

References
  1. Historic England. "Church of St Matthew (1116151)". National Heritage List for England.
  2. "Church of St Matthew, Church Hill, Walsall - Walsall". Heritage at Risk. Historic England. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  3. Halifax, Justine (30 July 2015). "Walsall church a landmark of the town's skyline since ancient times". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  4. "The Story of Walsall". www.historywebsite.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  5. "St. Matthew's Walsall". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  6. "A History of the County of Stafford". British History Online. 1976. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Matthews Church, Walsall.


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