St Mary’s Handsworth, the Cathedral of the Industrial Revolution

St Mary’s Church, Handsworth, also known as Handsworth Old Church, is a Grade II listed Anglican church in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. Its ten-acre grounds are adjacent to Handsworth Park. It is noteworthy as the resting place of famous progenitors of the industrial age, James Watt, William Murdoch and Matthew Boulton and has been described as “the Cathedral of the Industrial Revolution”.

Despite the strong Industrial Revolution profile, St Mary’s parish register deposited at the Library of Birmingham commences in 1558, and the first stone church building (the tower) was erected on the site around 1160, on the site of a wooden structure built in 900. The church’s few surviving Norman features can be seen at the lower stages of the sandstone tower at the original church’s east end.

In its long history, St Mary’s has undergone successive and opinionated reconstruction, especially in 1820 and 1870. As a Staffordshire country church placed at the convergence of several cross-country tracks, St Mary’s became a significant part of the largest industrial city in Britain.

Date & Time Fri 17 Sept & Sat 18 Sept: Guided tours at 11am & 2pm. Church open 10am-3.30pm Location St Mary’s Anglican Church, Hamstead Road, Handsworth (next to Handsworth Park) Cost Free to visit the church. Refreshments will be on sale. Tours are charged at £3 pp or £5 per couple. Booking To visit the church booking is not required. To join a tour, booking is advised but not essential. Book Tour here Access There is smooth and even access to the Church via the main door. We have wide aisles and a disabled toilet. There is no designated parking so visitors should park in nearby side streets or the main road. Website Twitter  Facebook