St Chad’s Cathedral

St Chad’s is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Birmingham. Located
prominently (and slightly unfortunately) on the city’s inner ring road, the striking
Germanic twin towers of its façade are matched by an impressive interior.
The building was designed by Augustus Pugin (1812 – 1852),
most famous for his decorative work on the Houses of Parliament. The church was
built to replace a chapel erected in 1808, and provide more accommodation to
service Birmingham’s burgeoning Roman Catholic population. Construction began
in 1839 and it was substantially complete by 1841. It became a Cathedral in
1850, making it the first Catholic Cathedral erected since the Reformation in
England.
The church is designed in a north German 13^th
century style, executed in red brick with Bath stone dressings. The most
prominent features are the two slender towers which frame the main façade,
topped with tall broach spires. The interior is a revelation: although the plan
is conventional, with transepts and an apsed sanctuary, Pugin designed a ‘Hall
church’, with very tall arcades and aisles of similar height to the nave. This
delivers scale and spaciousness on an otherwise restricted site. The ceilings
are beautifully decorated throughout, illuminated by wide expanses of plain
glass.
The principal interest of its furnishings is the reliquary behind
the High Altar, which houses some of the bones of St Chad, rescued from the cathedral
in Lichfield after the Reformation. Recent archaeological investigation has
confirmed their likely authenticity (several date from the 7^th
century). In the ‘north’ aisle is the impressive tomb chest to the first Bishop
and instigator of the Cathedral, Bishop Thomas Walsh, executed in Decorated
gothic style.
The Cathedral has a reputation for excellent music in its
worship. It is open every day for services, visitors, and private prayer.

I always thought that Chad was an American name. I was wrong. St Chad’s is known across the world as a beautiful building with a remarkable history and a rich heritage. But it is first and foremost a House of God. St Chad’s is the Mother Church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham which covers five counties. It is a place for worship and prayer.
Saint Chad of Mercia was a 7^th Century Anglo-​Saxon church man; he was also the abbot of several monasteries. He was later canonized as a Saint.
The building is very grand and overpowering, like most Catholic churches. It was built in 1841, another stone time machine in the middle of a big city. The gothic architecture makes this Cathedral one of the most interesting in the country in terms of architecture.
I have not been inside, but I have always admired this building from a distance. Next time I’m in the Jewelry Quarter, I’ll pop in to have a look inside.

I’ve had so many conversations about whether this is actually a cathedral or not. I was convinced that it wasn’t, as otherwise Birmingham would have two cathedrals — which is just plain greedy.
As it happens, I was wrong and it is indeed a cathedral. It’s a rather imposing looking building — quite gothic in style. That’ll be because it was designed by one of England’s most renowned Gothic Revival architects, Augustus Welby Pugin. It’s extremely tall, so when you’re inside there’s an immense feeling of space. Adding to the height are the twin spires over the entrance, which bears a large arch-​shaped stained glass window. The ceiling is wooden, and contains blue curved trusses and decorated with monograms and floral patterns.
All in all it’s pretty dramatic, and pretty striking. It’s a little out of the way of the main drag, so it doesn’t get the footfall that St. Philip’s cathedral gets. It’s also considerably more imposing.