St James the Less' Church, Ashted

St James the Less’ Church once stood in the Ashted district of Birmingham. The building began as a private house in 1780 for Dr Ash. In 1791 it became a chapel of ease called Ashted Chapel. The church had a nave, chancel, two vestries, two porches and a circular baptistry. A cupola tower held Harrington’s tubular bells. George Simcox and J.L. Green bought the chapel in 1809 and spent £1,500 rebuilding it before its consecration in 1810. The church played an active role in parish life after 1853 when Aston Parish Church gave it its own parish. The first vicar, Revd Josiah Allport, arrived in 1829 to find the building roofless. Repairs cost £860 under Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson. In 1887–88 another £2,500 restored the roof and rearranged the interior. The organ, installed by Banfield, was moved from the gallery during this work. The church survived until the Second World War when an air raid caused damage. It was demolished in 1956. Only the memory of its nave, chancel, vestries and cupola bells remains. The site now belongs to the past, but the story of its vicars, repairs and music still draws interest.