Jim Hellyer

please do post any interesting bit you see - I’m always keen to learn of new artists too

late 14th century Tree of Jesse on the Dean’s stall at Chester Cathedral

Jesse lays at the bottom and a vine populated by many figures (& grapes) grows all the way to the Coronation of the Virgin at the top. The dove as Holy Spirit in the apex

Thanks for that. Here's an even more rustic version at Long Melford, Suffolk.

Several times in East Anglia she's paired on screens with St Lawrence (though not at Barton Turf), two important household saints, familiar and useful for toothache and household fires.

I went in with Oxford Open Doors...but that was definitely NOT included!

Maybe that's where they keep their collection of Pelicans in their Piety? (Corpus Christi "Welcoming Pelican", left, and altar frontal Pelican, right).

marvellous, both! I’ve never seen them before

Wonderful images. Really must visit Barton Turf this summer when in Norfolk - been keen to see the screen for years!

Here’s an example from Gresford nr. Wrexham

c. 1500 but heavily repaired after the glass was disastrously cleaned with detergent in 1966, destroying much of the work

That’s it! Quite something. Still, get that window in view from as many places as possible I say

There’s a room with a lovely plaster ceiling in Corpus Christi tower, but try as I might they’d never let me see it. Who know what they keep in it…

Lovely isn’t it - I saw this mid-1920s work by him at St Barnabas, Franche (Kidderminster) fairly recently. Warren also trained under Stubington at the Birmingham School of Art & that influence shows a bit here (I think). Especially in the surrounds and backgrounds

Anyway there’s some lovely glass of 1914-15 by Benjamin Warren (who I really like) at Sparkhill

Worked with AJ Davies early in his career and you can tell

Arches and space above reminded me a little of Giles Gilbert Scott’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Kensington (1957-60), which I saw in the summer

Inside it opens out into the huge wide space

To quote Pev again “an evangelical preaching plan in uncompromising gothic”. It’s so cavernous they unfortunately don’t use it in the winter, as they can afford to heat it!

Fourth top: out of Small Heath and to Sparkhill. Specifically St John the Evangelist by Martin & Chamberlain (1888-95)

Looked relatively standard (if quite spiky) from outside, but…

Little is left inside but these bits all original (I’ve checked old photos)

Not how I’d furnish it, but one of the friendliest welcomes I’ve ever received in a church. They even offered to show me the original ceiling by taking down the polystyrene tiles! I refused out of politeness but regret it

Third stop: St Gregory the Great, Coventry Rd (Bethel United Church since late 90s)

Nave by JL Ball (1911-12) and west front by H Hobbiss (mid-1920s)

shame about the Perspex over the windows but some lovely detailing, esp on the apse. Orig. planned to be larger -‘a magnificent fragment’ - Pevsner

Ah yes the Payne one is especially good isn’t it? I’m a big fan of his so would struggle to be very objective, but I remember really liking it

I was on a tour and I think you can also see it from the Library? most unusual arrangement (hopefully not my memory playing tricks on me)

Buckland an early meeting with Holiday for me too. who can forget those whales?!

interesting comparison with the work at Small Heath. Thank you for that

apologies for garbled reply. I only have access to my phone at present & have fat fingers, clearly

Yes, I agree. your photos have. encouraged me to return. I last visited during a push to see all of the college chapels. Took quite a while but was a very enjoyable pastime!

Haha - perfect! That would have made a better post to be fair

quite surprised that the pine facing was installed 1880s. still have my doubts about that date for the chancel arch though

Can’t be denied the highlight is the east end though, with a huge scheme by Henry Holiday no less

A grand interior with contemporary fittings (like that parclose screen)

Next up is St Benedict, Hob Moor Road

An interesting church of 1908-9 by G Salway Nicol (of Nicol & Nicol)

‘an experiment’, apparently - early Christian detail with high Gothic proportions

Chequer patterning the main tell that Lethaby was an influence

Sadly subdivided in 1999 so not much left to see inside

The baptistery the best bit with original stained glass and font

Oddly it’s egg-shaped (fits in next to concave-sides tower). Quite liked it I must say

Baptistery squeezed in between tower and nave

finally stopped raining so off out to explore Birmingham

Today: Small Heath (sort of inner SE). Picked at random as it tradition

First stop St Paul, Bordesley Green. Late 1960s by JP Osborne &Son

Unusual concave tower & spire that looks a tad Scandinavian. Not sure about that west front though…

Also this, in case of interest

Diamond jubilee effort

Thank you for that information - most helpful.

a few more benchends

That’s interesting

the interior came as quite the surprise as the the nave was rebuilt in 1790s in this purplish brick. I was expecting light & airy

Apparently it was faced with pine in 1888 (although chancel arch looked like it was modified later to me)

Unusual chancel arch at Milwich, Staffs…

Ah the old Pevsner misdates it - new revised edition corrects that