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The church of St Martin,Birmingham
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring is a parish church in the Church of England.
It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bullring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building.
The present Victorian church, built on the site of a 13th century church which was documented in 1263. The church was enlarged in medieval times and the resulting structure consisted of a lofty nave and chancel, north and south aisles and a northwest tower with spire.
In 1547, although no record is kept to indicate when the first clock appears in Birmingham, during this year the 'King's Commissioners report that the Guild of the Holy Cross are responsible 'ffor keeping the Clocke and the Chyme," at a cost of four shillings and four pence a year at St Martin's Church. The next recorded mention of a clock is in 1613, the earliest known clock makers in the town arrived in 1667 from London.
In 1690, the church-wardens "dressed the church in brick." All was cased in brick with the exception of the spire.
John Cheshire rebuilt 40 feet of the spire in 1781 and was strengthened by an iron spindle running up its centre at a length of 105 feet. It was secured to the sidewalls at every ten feet by braces.[1] In 1801, several metres from the top of the spire and were replaced after they were found to have decayed. The tops of the four pinnacles surrounding the main spire were also rebuilt.By 1808, the spire had been struck by lightning three times.
In 1853, the brick casing was removed from the tower by Philip Charles Hardwick, who added the open-air pulpit. The church also consisted of an organ, the reedwork of which had been done by John Snetzler. However, the pipes were found to be ineffective due to their proximity to the church roof and walls.
In 1873, the church was demolished and rebuilt by architect J.A. Chatwin in 1873, preserving an earlier tower and spire. During the demolition, medieval wall paintings and decorations were discovered in the chancel, including the charity of St Martin dividing his cloak with a beggar, and two painted beams were discovered behind the plaster ceiling. The exterior is built of rockfaced grimshill stone. The interior is of sandstone and an open timber roof.
The roof shows the influence of the great hammer beam roof of Westminster Hall. The beams are decorated with fine tracery and end in large carvings of angels. The roof weights 93 tons (94.5 tonnes), spans 22ft (6.7m) over the 100ft (30.4m) long nave and is 60ft (18.2m) high.
The floor tiles are Victorian Minton and display the quartered arms of the de Bermingham family.
From east to west the length of the church is 155ft., including the chancel, the arch of which rises to 60ft.; the width, including nave (25ft.) and north and south aisles, is 67ft.; at the transepts the width is 104ft.
The South Transept has a Burne-Jones window, made by William Morris in 1875. This window was taken down for safe keeping the day before a World War II bomb dropped beside the church on April 10, 1941, destroying all remaining windows.The West window is a 1954 copy of the Henry Hardman 1875 window destroyed in the Blitz.
As part of the Bull Ring development in 2003, the church was cleaned and repaired.
The church of St Martin,Birmingham
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring is a parish church in the Church of England.
It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bullring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building.
The present Victorian church, built on the site of a 13th century church which was documented in 1263. The church was enlarged in medieval times and the resulting structure consisted of a lofty nave and chancel, north and south aisles and a northwest tower with spire.
In 1547, although no record is kept to indicate when the first clock appears in Birmingham, during this year the 'King's Commissioners report that the Guild of the Holy Cross are responsible 'ffor keeping the Clocke and the Chyme," at a cost of four shillings and four pence a year at St Martin's Church. The next recorded mention of a clock is in 1613, the earliest known clock makers in the town arrived in 1667 from London.
In 1690, the church-wardens "dressed the church in brick." All was cased in brick with the exception of the spire.
John Cheshire rebuilt 40 feet of the spire in 1781 and was strengthened by an iron spindle running up its centre at a length of 105 feet. It was secured to the sidewalls at every ten feet by braces.[1] In 1801, several metres from the top of the spire and were replaced after they were found to have decayed. The tops of the four pinnacles surrounding the main spire were also rebuilt.By 1808, the spire had been struck by lightning three times.
In 1853, the brick casing was removed from the tower by Philip Charles Hardwick, who added the open-air pulpit. The church also consisted of an organ, the reedwork of which had been done by John Snetzler. However, the pipes were found to be ineffective due to their proximity to the church roof and walls.
In 1873, the church was demolished and rebuilt by architect J.A. Chatwin in 1873, preserving an earlier tower and spire. During the demolition, medieval wall paintings and decorations were discovered in the chancel, including the charity of St Martin dividing his cloak with a beggar, and two painted beams were discovered behind the plaster ceiling. The exterior is built of rockfaced grimshill stone. The interior is of sandstone and an open timber roof.
The roof shows the influence of the great hammer beam roof of Westminster Hall. The beams are decorated with fine tracery and end in large carvings of angels. The roof weights 93 tons (94.5 tonnes), spans 22ft (6.7m) over the 100ft (30.4m) long nave and is 60ft (18.2m) high.
The floor tiles are Victorian Minton and display the quartered arms of the de Bermingham family.
From east to west the length of the church is 155ft., including the chancel, the arch of which rises to 60ft.; the width, including nave (25ft.) and north and south aisles, is 67ft.; at the transepts the width is 104ft.
The South Transept has a Burne-Jones window, made by William Morris in 1875. This window was taken down for safe keeping the day before a World War II bomb dropped beside the church on April 10, 1941, destroying all remaining windows.The West window is a 1954 copy of the Henry Hardman 1875 window destroyed in the Blitz.
As part of the Bull Ring development in 2003, the church was cleaned and repaired.