Our first view of the Cathedral is across a busy motorway. • St Chad’s was built between 1839 and 1841 to serve the rapidly expanding Catholic population in Birmingham through the inspiration of Bishop Thomas Walsh, the Vicar Apostolic of the Central District. It replaced a Georgian classical chapel built in 1808 by William Hollins. The present Cathedral was designed in north German 13th century style by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852), the world famous pioneer of Gothic revival architecture, and was consecrated on 21 June 1841 by Bishop Walsh. INDEX
2. BOOKSHOP
It is my habit to walk right around each cathedral I photograph, but there is going to be a problem here! Passage along the South wall is blocked by the St Paul’s Bookshop. This shop contains a range of Catholic literature, but they could provide no information about the actual Cathedral. Later I was delighted to find that St Chad’s has an excellent website.
3. WEST WALL FIGURES
Across the upper West wall stands a row of six bishops, designed by Pugin and executed in George Myer’s workshop. From left we have: St Augustine of Canterbury ( – 604), St Chad of Lichfield ( – 672), St Swithun of Winchester (– 862); St Wulfstan of Worcester (1008 – 1095), St Thomas à Becket of Canterbury (1118 – 1170), and St Hugh of Lincoln (1135? – 1200). .
4. WEST DOOR TYMPANUM
The West door tympanum is of simple design with the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus at centre, and a worshiping angel on either side. Above is a delicate leafy surround. • The Cathedral is built of brick with Bath stone dressings. The South-west spire was added by Pugin’s eldest son, Edward Welby, in 1856 in memory of Canon John Moore (Administrator 1841-1848). St Chad’s was the first Catholic cathedral erected in England after the Reformation. It became the Cathedral formally in 1850 when Pope Pius IX restored the Catholic hierarchy of England and Wales.
5. GABLE CROSS AND SIGN
The interesting cross on the West gable is a budded cross with a central St George’s shield. The sign gives the Cathedral’s official title along with further information: ‘The Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St Chad. Mother Church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham. Consecrated 21st June 1841. Created a Minor Basilica 11th June 1941.’
6. NORTH ASPECT
Moving around to the North side we get some appreciation of the size of this Cathedral. At right St Edward’s Chapel extends in front of the Northwest tower, and at left is the large North transept. Just to the right of this transept is the Chapel of Oils, and to the right of that a rather curious addition which is not open to the public. The lower doors lead to the crypt.
7. TWO WALL DETAILS
Above the needle crypt door is a niche containing a sculpture thought to be of Bishop Walsh with a small boy. We note the connection of the elaborate chapel carving to Edward Ilsley (1838 – 1926). He was an English prelate who served in the Roman Catholic Church in England as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Birmingham (1911–1921), having previously been the second diocesan Bishop of Birmingham (1888–1911). Ilsley's motto was ‘Justus et Tenax Propositi’, or ‘Just and Firm of Purpose’.
8. NORTH WALL AND TOWER
The Cathedral is equipped with a beautiful set of bells hung for full-circle ringing in the Northwest tower. The eight bells form a diatonic octave in the key of F Major, with the heaviest bell (the tenor) weighing 15 cwt. 3 qr. & 6 lb. The bells were recast by Taylor Loughborough in 1940.
9. EAST WALL
From this final position in our attempted circuit we note the Cathedral sanctuary apse with its three angled windows. To the right is the Lady Chapel. • St Edward’s Chapel was added in 1933 by Sebastian Pugin Powell, Pugin’s grandson, as a memorial to Archbishop Edward Ilsley. In 1941 St Chad’s was made a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII on the occasion of its centenary. A minor basilica is a church which enjoys a special association with the Pope and is entitled to have the papal coat-of-arms above the front door.
10. ENTRY
We return to the West wall. The front door is open so we make our entrance. I am interested to see that the ‘cross potent’ on the West doors is the same design as that on the East wall of Coventry Cathedral. We also notice on the right door the curious ‘umbraculum’ or ‘big umbrella’ – historic piece of the papal regalia and insignia which denotes the status of St Chad’s as a Minor Basilica.
11. NAVE
Our first impressions of the nave? Two rows of tall slender cluster columns stretching out before us, a simple gable roof, many stained glass windows, ornate and large stations of the cross lining the side walls, the golden altar in the distance with surrounding ornamentation. This is not a large Cathedral, but we feel encouraged to explore its secrets.
12. NAVE CEILING
One of our first surprises is the elaborate and colourful nave ceiling. This ceiling, supported by blue trusses, is ornamented with monograms on a starry background inspired by the remnants of medieval decoration to be found on the ancient ceilings of Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals. The supporting beams are painted in black and red, and between is a repeated pattern of three symbols. The symbols are the script M for Mary, the cross potent, and the well known ‘ihs’ Christogram – the first three letters of the name ‘Jesus’ in Latinized Greek.
13. WEST WALL AND ORGAN
Looking back we are impressed by the pipes of the large Cathedral organ. As part of the Cathedral’s 150th anniversary restoration the firm of J W Walker & Sons was commissioned at the end of 1990 to build a new organ for St Chad’s Cathedral. The organ case and gallery were designed by David Graebe in late medieval style, with decoration by Gordon Foster. Since its installation, the organ has won plaudits from organists all over the world and is considered to be one of the finest in the country. Specific details are given on the Cathedral website.
14. WEST NAVE SIDE VIEWS
Standing under the organ gallery, there are similar views to left and right. On the South side a door leads through to the St Paul’s Bookshop. On the North is the entry to St Edward’s Chapel. An informative sign – one of many useful signs in this Cathedral – tells us about the Chapel.
16. CHAPEL WEST WINDOWS
These windows tell the story of the rescue of the relics of St Chad from Lichfield Cathedral at the Reformation, and their preservation by Catholic families. The relics were brought to St Chad’s Cathedral when it was opened in 1841, and are enshrined above the High Altar. The windows were designed by Donald Taunton of John Hardman and Co.
17. WINDOW OUTLINE
On the West wall next to the altar is this sketch of all the Chapel windows. The central two small windows are behind the altar.
18. CHAPEL ALTAR
This is a view of the rather elaborate altar in St Edward’s Chapel. We note the windows outline at left, the paintings on either side of the altar, and the tabernacle and Crucifix on the altar. The altar was designed by Gerald Hardman, and given by Mgr Canon Charles Wheatley, Cathedral Administrator 1908 – 1921.
19. ALTAR DETAILS
In this compound figure, starting at the top we notice King Edward the Confessor, the arms of Bishop Edward Ilsley under the canopy, the Crucifix and tabernacle, and the little birds (martlets) on the altar. The attributed arms of Edward the Confessor contain five martlets. The paintings show at left St Gregory the Great and at right St Ambrose.
20. CHAPEL ALTAR WINDOWS
These windows are situated at an angle left and right of the Chapel altar. They appear to show the final handing over of the relics of St Chad to the Birmingham Cathedral.