St Edward's Church, Selly Park, Birmingham

St Edward’s Church stands in Selly Park, a quiet suburb in Birmingham’s West Midlands. The Roman Catholic parish church was designed in decorated Gothic style by Henry Thomas Sandy of Stafford. Its nave opened in 1902, blessed by Bishop Edward Ilsley and Bishop Samuel Webster Allen. William Bishop of King’s Heath built the original structure. Between 1925 and 1926 the sanctuary and side chapels were added under designs by George Bernard Cox of Harrison and Cox. John Bowen and Sons of Balsall Heath carried out this later work. The church is worth the journey for its fine Gothic craftsmanship and the story of its gradual completion. It shows how a local parish grew from a nave in 1902 to a full church by 1936. The decorated Gothic style gives the interior a sense of height and light. The work of three architects—Sandy, Cox and the builders—can be seen in different parts of the building. Edward Ilsley and Samuel Webster Allen played key roles in its early history. Inside, visitors find a spacious nave with pointed arches and stained glass. The sanctuary and side chapels, added in the 1920s, contain altars and furnishings in matching Gothic style. The western end, completed in 1936, closes the plan and gives the church its full form. The quiet Selly Park setting makes it a peaceful place to stand and look at the craftsmanship.