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Commentary from the The Graphic

By far the finest ecclesiastical edifice in Birmingham is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of “St. Chad.” It is situated in Bath Street, rather a shabby and dirty part of the town, with factories and workshops in every direction. The church was built about thirty years ago from the designs of the late Augustus Pugin. The exterior of this church has been admirably adapted to the site, and is excessively plain, in fact, almost without ornament. The walls are carried to a great height, and a vast roof of slate covers the nave and aisles without any break. The material used is red brick, except for the windows, which are of stone. All is so simple, plain, and severe, yet so thoroughly picturesque, that it is difficult to imagine that one is gazing upon the work of a modern architect. The interior of this noble church is even superior to the exterior. The treatment is as simple as possible, two rows of pointed arches nearly 80 feet high divide the nave from the aisles, there is no clerestory, and the whole is covered with an open timber roof. The furniture is exceedingly rich. A very elaborate and beautiful rood screen divides the choir from the nave. The High Altar has a “baldacchino” over it, beneath which is a shrine containing the bones of St. Chad, Bishop of Lichfield (circa 670). The body of this bishop appears to have been concealed by some of the old Roman Catholic families from the time of the Reformation until some thirty years ago, when it was placed in this church.

Related Material

• Augustus Welby Pugin (homepage)
• Modern photograph of the exterior of St. Chad’s
• Modern photographs of the interior of St. Chad’s

Bibliography

“Birmingham: Its Buildimgs and Industries.” The Graphic (7 May 1874): 441-42, 445, 448. Hathi Trust online version of a copy in the New York Public Library. Web. 3 July 2021.

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