- Joined
- May 21, 2019
- Messages
- 297
- Reaction score
- 397
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Anglia
- Website
- www.flickr.com
One from a recent weekend of "exploring" or whatever. After a few rather interesting visits earlier this was the final stop on the way home.
Side note: I've been debating weather to post this publicly or not for a while, so I'll let the admin team decide.
History
The Beginnings
The church can be dated back to its construction in 1876 accompanying a newly built suburban area of redditch, which was home to an immigrant population who mostly worked in the needle factories, designed by a locally born architect Frederick Preedy from eversham.
Costing around £3,000 funded by Reverend Andrew Smith and Mr Millward who's reasoning behind the church's construction was to separate factory staff from going to the same church as others giving it the informal name, the "Needlemakers church" along side the original name as the chapel of ease.
The church played a key role in local community life becoming one of the main social areas for gatherings as well as sport including things such as cricket. It also acted as a point for the area to grow around and change.
Architectural
The architect behind the church is noted as a stained glass artist and "prolific architect" which had heavy influence on the churches structure which shares similar architectural features to the St Stephen church in Redditch town center. The similarities of the two churches are not coincidental as St George the Martyr was built to be be a sister chapel to St Stephen.
A key architectural areas of interest, inside, is the massive pipe organ (installed 1964) surrounded by woodwork joined by pine wood pews and a series arched oak wooded roof trusses. The main church roof is also held up with a series of arched piers surrounded with stone. Its also obvious that the "stained glass artist" name given to Fredrick Preedy was given, through looking at the detail within the artwork on the windows within. The interior is unchanged since the building was first constructed even after repair works were carried out in 1937 and 62.
Building extensions
Church would be extended a few times, first in 1899 adding an organ to the north as well as an additional isle.
Again in 1904 adding a south porch for the Millard family by John Madin.
Soon after in 1908 a baptistery was constructed C F Whitcombe.
Later in 1964 Andrew Smith purchased the pipe organ, which would become a key feature, from the Queen's Collage in Oxford.
A church hall, not visible in this report due to poor lighting and laziness, was added in 1992 by architects Snell Taylor Partnership use for additional activities by social groups.
The closure
A BBC news report in April 2012 reported that, due to poor attendance, it was due for closure.
With another church in the area which could serve the remaining visitors and maintenance costs ever increasing there was no point keeping it open. It was one of the first to close in the area and with low attendance numbers it was unfeasible to continue keeping the church open.
I couldn't find when the last service was held inside but presumably it would have been shortly after this announcement.
Today, the church stands vacant and heavily boarded on the areas out of public view. The graveyard is still open for visitors by anything behind is out of bounds, for the public.
(Phone shot)
The Visit
As one of the last locations of the day I didn't really have many, if at all any, expectations for it. A circle of the perimeter made this look like a waste of time, but eventually I was able to get in.
After stumbling through the mess which was the former church hall (1992 extension) and kicking a few heroin needles out of the way, from the now evicted squatters, I was searching for a way into the main church. Yet again, all seemed hopeless for a short while until well....
Looking the other way.
Some of the back rooms
Not a clue what this contraption is.
The Organ
Some other bits
Anyway, that'll be all.
