Church Of St Joseph (Roman Catholic)

BIRMINGHAM THIMBLE MILL LANE SP 08 NE 7/10000 CHURCH OF ST JOSEPH Roman Catholic Church and Presbytery II Roman Catholic cemetery chapel enlarged as church. 1850 mortuary chapel by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin; enlarged in 1872 by Edward Welby Pugin; restored 1945 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Ashlar with 1872 works in red brick with stone dressings. Slate roofs with coped gable ends. PLAN: Chancel and Lady Chapel are the 1850 mortuary chapel to which was added in 1872 the nave, north aisle, west porch, north west mortuary chapel and south presbytery. Decorated style 1850 work and free High Victoria Gothic 1872 enlargement. EXTERIOR: The ashlar chancel and Lady chapel have 3-light decorated style geometric and reticulated tracery east windows with -small quatrefoils above and 2 2-light north windows with reticulated tracery; buttresses with set-offs, moulded plinth, moulded eaves and gable copings with apex cross. The red brick and brick-dressed nave has 3 tall south windows, each with foiled light over pair of lancets. West end has gabled bellcote, gabled porch with carved tympanum 2 lancets above with foiled light above flanked by statues in niches with corbel colonnettes and canopies. North gable of mortuary chapel has foiled light above 3 small lancets. North aisle has 4 3-light depressed 2-centred arch windows. The presbytery attached to north side is of red brick with stone dressings of 2 staggered gable-ended ranges with gable crosses, 2 storeys, mainly sash windows, those on first floor of gable ends have stone relieving arches. INTERIOR: 2-bay arcade between chancel and Lady Chapel with compressed foliated capitals and 4 shafts. 5-bay north arcade with unusual reeded piers, the reeding rising as mouldings in the scalloped capitals. Painted timber roofs, the nave and north aisle have braces on small corbels, the nave arched; chancel roof by Giles Gilbert Scott. Mensa of Lady Chapel altar by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and wooden reredos of circa 1950 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Circa 1850 stone high altar with wooden frontal; wood and gilt reredos of 1902 with five circa 1900 Birmingham Arts and Crafts tabernacle with chased silver doors. Edward Welby Pugin pulpit. Circa 1850 chancel east window by Pugin/Hardman. Good circa 1900 Stations of the Cross in late Gothic German style. Giles Scott benches and decorative schemes.

Note: In circa 1850 Nechells began a separate Catholic cemetery amidst financial difficulties. The 1870 expansion of the cemetery was partly financed by Birmingham Town Council and the separate mortuary chapel was built because of concern of leaving coffins in churches overnight (a requirement of Catholic burial liturgy). Source: Buildings News 1872, P.342.

Listing NGR: SP0885289024