St Andrew’s Parish Church St Andrews Close Whitmore Reans Wolverhampton WV6 0QZ
As Wolverhampton expanded rapidly in the 19th century due to industrialisation, the once rural area of Whitmore Reans to the north west of the town began to be urbanised. To serve the religious needs of this new community, on 23 May 1865 the foundation stone of a new parish church dedicated to St Andrew was laid.
The new building was designed by local architect Edward Banks in Early English Gothic Revival style.
Bank’s church would serve the community for almost 94 years.
However, tragedy struck on 31 May 1964 when the building was ruinously damaged by fire. Such was the destruction that the decision was taken to completely demolish the church and rebuild on the same site.
The commission for reconstructing the church was awarded to local architect Richard Twentyman in 1965. Without funds to rebuild on same grand scale, and in response to contemporary liturgical developments, Twentyman’s brick-built modernist design for the new church was radically different to what had preceded it.
Photo: Express and Star 1967
Reconsecration took place on 15 September 1967 at a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of Lichfield, Stretton Reeve.
The foremost decorative element of the church is the expansive stained glass west window designed by John Piper and manufactured by Patrick Reyntiens. Installed in 1974, it is formed of seven individual rectangular glass panels that combine to depict a semi-abstract representation of the Sea of Galilee, representing St Andrew the Fisherman.
Lady Chapel
Many thanks to my good friend and fellow Modernist for guiding the way.
