| Church of St John the Baptist, Halesowen | |
|---|---|
| Parish Church of Halesowen | |
 St John the Baptist Church, Halesowen | |
 Church of St John the Baptist, Halesowen | |
| Location | Halesowen, West Midlands, England |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Central Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St John the Baptist |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Worcester |
| Archdeaconry | Dudley |
| Deanery | Dudley |
| Parish | Halesowen |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar | Hazel Charlton |
TheChurch of St John the Baptist, Halesowen, is a Grade I listed Anglican Parish Church in theBlack Country town ofHalesowen, in theWest Midlands, England. It is part of theChurch of England and lies within theAnglican Diocese of Worcester. Dedicated toJohn the Baptist, the Church has stood at the centre of Halesowen's religious and civic life for over 900 years. Its 160-foot spire, a prominent landmark rising from the valley of theRiver Stour, can be seen for miles around.[1]
The Church is first mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1086, by which time it was likely to be the remains of an originalAnglo-Saxon building. It states "InClent Hundred, Earl Roger holds of the King a manor called HALAS, it contains ten hides. There are in the demesne four carucates and thirty six villeins and eighteen boarders and four radmen. A church with two priests."[2]
"Roger" refers toRoger de Montgomery who was granted the title ofEarl of Shrewsbury from his actions atThe Battle of Hastings and is the original founder of the oldest parts of the current building.[2]
Exact founding dates of the current building are difficult to establish. The Church is notable for its Norman arches, Nave and font being the oldest parts of the building dating to the early 12th Century.[1] The west doorway was constructed soon afterwards and once served as a right of way through the Church. The Church originally was part of the endowment ofHalesowen Abbey in the early 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, St John's grew in importance as the centre of a wide parish covering what is now the Black Country. Its clergy were appointed by the Abbey until itsdissolution in 1538, after which responsibility passed to the Crown.[1] The parish continued to expand with the industrialisation of the town in the 18th and 19th centuries, culminating in the building of the large outer south aisle in the 1880s.
In the Victorian period, major restoration was carried out underRichard Brindley Hone, vicar from 1836 to 1881. He introduced schemes of church refurbishment, a new Rectory, and oversaw the division of the ancient parish into five ecclesiastical districts in 1841.[1]
The plan of the church is cruciform, consisting of a Nave, Chancel, Aisles, Cloisters, and a west tower. The south Cloister is among the largest in the traditional county Worcestershire and features fineNorman masonry.
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The sanctuary includes an east wall dating from the Norman church (c. 1130–35). The tower, begun around 1390,[3] was completed in 1440[3] and rises above 114 steps to the parapet, with a spire soaring a further 72 feet. The spire was restored in 1978 when its golden weathercock was regilded.[1]
Externally, the church is notable for its lancet windows, Norman arcading which date to around 1320,[3] and a 1901–02 restoration of the porch. The town's war memorial of 1921, designed bySir Harold Brakspear, stands nearby.
As well as the Victorian work undertaken by Richard Howe, Lady Lyttleton of theLyttelton family commissioned renowned Gothic-revival architectGeorge Gilbert Scott to carry out restoration work on the south aisle and east window in 1875.[4]
The interior contains a wide range of monuments, fittings, and stained glass spanning several centuries. Features include:
Numerous memorials commemorate local figures, such as:
The organ has a long history, with records dating to 1487. A modern digital organ replaced earlier instruments in 1987, following a fundraising appeal. The present organ was dedicated in 1991.[1]
The tower holds a ring of eight bells. The earliest record of bells dates to 1282, when "Peter the Bellinger" appeared in documents. The present ring includes recast bells from 1864 byJohn Warner & Sons and earlier examples from 1707.[1] Inscriptions includeJesus be our speed 1707 andGod bless the town of Halesowen 1707.
The tower clock faces, dating from 1895, mark theDiamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. AWorld War I memorial window in the tower was installed in 1919.
St John the Baptist Church is part of the Halas Team Ministry, which also includes the parish churches ofCradley, Halesowen,Hasbury,Lapal, andRomsley. The parish stretches from the countryside of theClent Hills to the industrial hinterland of the Black Country andBirmingham.[1] Theoriginal parish has changed much over its existence, having previously been an exclave ofShropshire.
The list of clergy at St John's is continuous from the 13th century. Early Vicars included Richard de Crowle (first Vicar, 1282) and John Poole (Canon, 1385). Later rectors include Richard Brindley Hone (1836–81), whose tenure saw major parish reforms, and Canon John Everest, rector from 1993.[1]