St Bartholomew's

St Bartholomew’s stands in Allen’s Cross, a quiet suburb of Birmingham. The church was built in the late 1930s to replace an older St Bartholomew’s whose structure had failed. Councillor R. Canning laid the foundation stone in April 1937 and the Bishop of Birmingham, Ernest Barnes, consecrated it the following May. Designed by architect Samuel Nathaniel Cooke, the building followed Romanesque lines. In 1998 it was badly damaged by arson and demolished in 2006. Services now take place in temporary buildings while a new church is planned. The church once housed an organ built in 1888 by Walter James Bird. Originally installed in the earlier Birmingham church, it was moved and adapted for the new building in 1938. The organ’s specification survives in the National Pipe Organ Register. The instrument was destroyed in the 1998 fire and has not been replaced. Its loss remains a notable event in the church’s history. Visitors today find a modern brick church on the same site. The interior is plain and functional, designed for practical worship. The surrounding Allen’s Cross area is residential, with mature trees and wide pavements. The churchyard is small and well kept, offering a calm space in the suburb. The temporary hall nearby holds services and community events.