St Philip's Cathedral

St Philip's Cathedral in Birmingham stands on Colmore Row, in the heart of the city centre. It is a Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. One of the smallest cathedrals in England, it combines a Baroque, domed profile with stained glass that ranks among the finest of the Victorian era.

Who designed the cathedral and when was it built?

The building began life as a parish church, not a cathedral. Its architect was Thomas Archer, who worked in a Baroque style shaped by Borromini and more Italianate than the churches of Christopher Wren. Construction ran from 1711 to 1715, with consecration in 1715. It was Archer's first church design; he was not a church architect by trade and later left architecture for a post in the customs service.

From parish church to cathedral

The church became a cathedral in 1905, when the Diocese of Birmingham was created, with Charles Gore as its first bishop. In the Victorian period it was enlarged: J. A. Chatwin extended the chancel and added Corinthian columns and a stepped entablature in white and gold, set against Archer's square piers and round arches.

Why see the Burne-Jones windows?

The finest treasures inside are the windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones, the Pre-Raphaelite painter who was baptised in this very church. The chancel windows show the Ascension (1885), and the Nativity and the Crucifixion (both 1887). The west window depicts the Last Judgment (1897) and was given in memory of Henry Bowlby. The Ascension was commissioned first, and the artist proposed the two side windows afterwards. The glass was made in the circle of William Morris's Arts and Crafts workshops.

How did the cathedral survive the Second World War?

On the night of 7 November 1940 the building was bombed and gutted. Fortunately, the Burne-Jones windows had been removed early in the war by the Birmingham Civic Society. They returned unharmed when restoration was completed in 1948, with the work carried out by Philip and Anthony Chatwin.

Is the cathedral a listed building?

Yes. It is Grade I listed, the highest level of protection in England. The east and west windows of 1885-97, designed by Burne-Jones, are among its principal listed furnishings.

Practical information

• Address: Colmore Row, Birmingham, in the city's business district.
• Coordinates: 52.4812 N, 1.8990 W.
• Visiting time: 30 to 60 minutes is usually enough to see the interior and the windows at an easy pace.
• Best for: fans of Baroque architecture, Pre-Raphaelite art and wartime history.

Frequently asked questions

Is St Philip's a Roman Catholic cathedral? No. It is a Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham.

Who made the stained glass? Edward Burne-Jones designed the windows, and the glass was made in the circle of William Morris's workshops.

Was the building damaged in the war? Yes. It was bombed and gutted in 1940. Restoration finished in 1948, and the windows removed for safety were put back.

When did it become a cathedral? In 1905. Before that it was a parish church.