St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook

St Agatha’s Church stands in Sparkbrook, a densely populated inner-city ward of Birmingham. Designed by W. H. Bidlake, it is built of brick with stone dressings and was begun in October 1899. The church was consecrated in 1901 by Charles Gore, then Bishop of Worcester, and a separate parish was created the following year. Its font and bell came from the demolished Christ Church, together with a foundation stone dated 1805. The building suffered serious damage in 1940 when a German bomb destroyed the sanctuary end, and again in 1957 when fire took the entire roof. The church is notable for its Anglo-Catholic tradition and its place in the so-called ‘Biretta Belt’ of similar churches that once ringed central Birmingham. Despite standing in a ward that is now almost entirely Muslim, St Agatha’s remains open and active. It shares its priest with St Barnabas’ Church in Balsall Heath and is served by a three-manual Nicholson organ that has recently been restored. The Archbishop of York, David Hope, celebrated Mass here for the centenary in May 2001. Inside, the seven-light east window by Leonard Evetts shows Christ enthroned with saints and angels, and includes a figure of St Agatha kneeling in prayer. The church hall houses the Birmingham City Amateur Boxing Club, founded by Frank O’Sullivan. Restoration work between 2002 and 2005 stabilised the tower and returned the interior to its former lightness. The building was reopened in January 2005 by Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex.