St Gabriel's Church, Deritend

St Gabriel’s Church stands in Barn Street, Deritend, a former parish church built in the 19th century. The foundation stone was laid in 1867 by Frederick Elkington and the Bishop of Worcester. J A Chatwin designed the building and Wilson and Son of Soho, Birmingham handled the construction. Blews and Sons supplied gas fittings, a communion table, brass lectern, reading desk and chancel chairs. The church was consecrated in 1868 by the Bishop of Worcester and a new parish was created the following year. The church’s history reflects the growth of Birmingham in the 19th century. It was enlarged in 1939 by taking land from St Bartholomew’s parish. During the Second World War, in 1941, the building suffered damage in an air raid. It closed in 1945 and its parish was merged with St Basil’s Church, Deritend. Visitors find a brick church with simple Gothic details. Inside, the chancel chairs, lectern and reading desk remain from the original furnishings. The gas fittings and communion table show the care taken in the church’s early years. The building stands as a quiet reminder of Deritend’s past and the changes that shaped modern Birmingham.