St Chad’s Cathedral was the setting for an IgersbirminghamUK Instameet on a wet Saturday morning. Storm Antoni was passing through and the rain was non-stop.  I joked with the photographers that we had made the decision to go for the inside walkabout rather than taking pictures outside. The interior of the building is beautiful, and we had also arranged to view the extensive crypt below.  

Our two guides were Marie Louise and Angela and as soon as the introductions were done, we were provided with the background information to the Cathedral. The Roman Catholic cathedral was designed by Pugin and is a fine example of the Gothic architecture revival in England. We were shown around both the crypt and the main interior of the Cathedral.  Both Marie Louise and Angela were informative and provided historical and contemporary information about the Cathedral.  They were also very welcoming and tolerant of 20 photographers taking pictures.

Here are a few of the interesting facts supplied by our guides.  Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was the architect at the forefront of the Gothic revival style in architecture.  Pugin was hired to assist in the Gothic design of the House of Commons and Big Ben.  John Hardman, was a close friend of Pugin, and the Hardman family are buried in the crypt.  The son of a button making family, John Hardman turned his skills to metal work and stained glass windows. He designed the clock face and manufactured the hands of Big Ben.  There are many more interesting facts about St Chad’s and both Marie Louise and Angela were happy to inform us of all the details.  I have taken their photograph with the backdrop of the Cathedral Altar behind them.

One of the most interesting stories is that the Cathedral was earmarked to be demolished but was saved by one vote at the Birmingham City Council meeting.  Many other Victorian buildings were demolished around the area to make way for the motor car.  Luckily there is a sensible view prevailing these days, and the area is under improvement.

The Crypt of St Chad’s Cathedral

The crypt is a secret treasure trove with a layout of several rooms with interesting designs around the altars.  Pugin collected various ornamental religious pieces on his travels, and these are held in the crypt.  My favourites are the two wooden angels that have soulful expressions. The tiled design and ornamental altar in the Hardman family crypt is another standout feature of the extensive crypt.  On display are the vestments worn by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.  I was also fascinated by the large wooden door which provides the entrance to the crypt. A selection of my photographs are shown. I have many more and it was difficult to select the best pictures. For interest to any photographer reading this account, the majority of my pictures are taken with the iPhone13 which excels in low light. I did have my travel tripod with me which allowed some pictures to be taken with my Fujifilm x100v.

The main Cathedral floor

The Instagrammers then moved up to the main Cathedral area which provided more photographic opportunities.   There is so much to take in and the Apse of St Chad’s Cathedral with the high altar is impressive to view.  There are colourful stained-glass windows flanking the high altar.  The apse was designed by Pugin and was part of his grand plan to emphasise the Gothic revival architecture of the Cathedral.  There were many small details to see and, on this visit, the guides pointed out to me the non-religious wood carvings on the rear seats in the Choir Stall.  These were fun to photograph.  You will see from my photographs the various parts of the cathedral and I know that I did not have time to view everything.  

The cathedral has so many stories and this is another one that I find fascinating.  In the diapered design of the transept ceiling, there is a tile that has the words Deo Gratias 22 Nov 1940.  This translates to thanks be to God. During World War II, incendiary devices were dropped and caused significant damage to buildings.  The old Coventry cathedral is an example of the devestating destruction.  At St Chad’s Cathedral, an incendiary device fell through the ceiling and exploded within the central heating pipes and the water subsequently put the fire out. Hence the miracle of St Chad’s.

There are many more stories about the Cathedral. These involve St Chad, the patron saint and how his relics were transported from his shrine in Lichfield. Cardinal Newman who was such an influential figure in Birmingham, gave sermons from the pulpit.  However, the best way to learn more about these stories and the Cathedral is to visit the building yourself.  My pictures in this blog which catalogue my view from the Instameet only show a part of what is on view..  

There are many more pictures taken by the talented photographers of Igersbirmingham UK and these may be found on Instagram by using the hashtag #igbUK_meet_stchads. 

Thank you to St Chad’s Cathedral for hosting us. Thank you to my fellow IgersbirminghamUK organisers, @NickyWarwickshire and @James_never_Jim and all the photographers who came along and supported the event.

For more information about St Chad’s please vist the following webpage

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