When I first came to Birmingham, I didn't know who St Martin was or that this was a church, all I…read moreknew was there was certainly a magnificent church facing me as I drank my coffee at Starbucks, across the way with glass windows with great views of this church, as a building it is spectacular and really livens up Birmingham and makes the "City core" nicer as a whole, and it is amazing to see just a thing within meters of The Bullring, Birmingham's rather large shopping center. I class myself as Roman Catholic, yet I wouldn't class myself as extremely religious but still this Church is a really nice place to spend some time around while in Birmingham, with it being a nice, old building to the point where it actually is a Grade II listed building and has 16 bells. The current church has been there since 1873, since the old one was demolished, however 143 years on, it is ironic to be still calling this the "New" church, but still history goes back into the 1500's, where it still stood with 4 bells in 1552. They isn't much to say other than this is a really nice building and makes Birmingham city center as a whole, due to this great church and piece of history being on the door-step of Birmingham city center, which helps make Birmingham stand out, and to me is one of the things that makes Birmingham what it is today, an answer to London's Buckingham Palace perhaps? UPDATE: When I visited Birmingham, I run out of superlatives to describe this church but still I can't help but feel I only gave it such a high rating because of location, and in my opinion I feel I was too generous and location focused in my rating, I don't think this church has done enough to deserve 4 stars yet and I feel St Martin's in the Bullring deserves a high three star rating.

This place is pretty beautiful...if you are a tourist in Birmingham I would definitely say its…read moreworth a look. Located right by the Bullring this almost gothic looking building has been amazingly restored as the new buildings have been built around it. For any locals check the church website as there is sometimes vintage sales and other events in the main hall. Obviously worth a look.

RIverside Church is a great, friendly, local church that I have been attending pretty much since I…read morearrived in Birmingham 15 years ago. The thing that attracted me to it initially was the fact that it was full of people my age, rather than just being old grannies. Not that there is anything wrong with old grannies - it's just nice to meet people you can connect with who are at a similar life stage to you. It meets in a school (Queensbridge) - which is good for people who are a bit scared of church buildings, but has a building on the Alcester Road in Moseley, which can also be hired out for events, and their performing arts training school runs from there. Riverside has a good outward-looking, community ethos: running various stay & play groups, youth groups, sports groups and courses so there's plenty to get stuck into during the week - it's not all about sitting on pews on Sundays.

Versitile building. Served well by local tranpsort. Good…read morerooms for hire, church, cafe and a separate counselling centre.

I have been to Carrs Lane Church on more than one occasion for work training sessions…read more It's location is very convenient for me as I was familiar with the bulding but had never entered it. The Church provides a large hall and smaller conference type rooms and catering was part of the deal. The service was friendly and the conference room was ample. The larger congregation room was full when I visited and a band played with full PA. Best seats in the house were up on the balcony!

One of the smallest cathedrals in the country apparently. Still quite big actually. It's called St…read morePhillips cathedral. It's a barque church. Queen Elizabeth has been here. It has a lot of greenery and benches around it, right in the city centre. Nice place to relax, but always remember going to church doesn't make you religious any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Birmingham Cathedral is an impressive Cathedral in the Snowhill area of Birmingham, it is fairly…read moreclose to the train station on Colmore Row. Also referred to as St Philip's Cathedral, it was built over 15 years starting in 1710 and is also surrounded by some nice gardens where there are benches, although the benches could have been better maintained in terms of appearance (paint, cleanliness etc) I was surprised to hear this is the third smallest cathedral in England - with only Derby and Chelmsford being smaller, but it still carries about that charm and grand structure so it does look good within the city and it's surrounding gardens, with even some information about the Cathedral too. It did suffer bombings during the second world war but was restored its current condition shortly after. A small but stunning church in the city centre of Birmingham, and one of my favourite Cathedrals in the UK despite it being one of the smallest. 4*

To be honest, I've not been inside this church for years, but it's not the inside that I'm…read moreconcerned with. St. Peter's is a picturesque old church on the Sutton landscape and situated in the tiny part of the town which goes under the little-used name of Maney (pronounced may-knee). The small grounds are always well-tended and it's a beautiful location to get married at (as my parents did in 1981). When I was a stroppy teenager, one of my favourite places to hang around and think was the public path at the side of St. Peters (but on their land) which runs from Maney Hill Road up to Pilkington Avenue. In summer, the path is in bloom and covered in all shades of green and lots of different flowers. By winter, it's sparse but still a nice place to pass, especially in the snow. My friend and I used to sit on the step of the church tower playing our guitars too. St. Peter's has a small hall at its rear which I once believed to be the St. Peter's Church Hall where the Beatles famously played in early 1963. It's not and it turns out that Church Hall has long since been demolished to make way for the maisonettes which stand on the corner of Maney Hill Road and Birmingham Road. So even though I ended up a disappointed Fab Four devotee (the amount of times I looked into the newer hall and thought 'the Beatles played there!'...) this still a lovely hidden corner of Sutton Coldfield that I've just given away.

This is a really lovely friendly welcoming church..very Traditional with a church choir,organ,pews…read moreetc.I was surprised how friendly everyone was and was made to feel at home.Everyone goes out of their way to speak to you and make you feel welcome.I highly recommend St Peters if you like me are looking for a warm & welcoming family friendly cofe church that has kept to Traditional church services and has not gone Evangelical with Contempory worship. The services are 8am said communion and the main service is at 10.30 till 12.15 followed by refreshments in the main church hall. The church has childrens groups and activities whilst parents can enjoy the service and theres a Mothers Union and a Womens Fellowship group both of which meet here.Theres also a midweek service of Holy Communion on a Thursday morning around ten thirty. The church is set in lovely surroundings,ideal for a wedding.This is a really lovely church...the best in Sutton Coldfield in my views.Do not be afraid to come along on your own...you will soon find people will come and talk to you and invite you to join them for coffee after the service.Everyone here is really friendly,including our vicar Rev Matthew Rhodes. Come Along and give us a try,i'm sure you'll love it here!

St Alphege Church is a must see when visiting Solihull. In the heart of the town centre just at the…read moreend of the High Street, the church is one of the oldest attractions in Solihull, as well as the Manor House (on High Street). The spire can be seen for miles, and the church is surrounded by an interesting and old graveyard. Church services are held here regularly, as well as marriages. If you visit the church on a weekday, and ask any of the staff who may be wondering around, they will gladly give you some history of the church and possible a tour if you're lucky. The church is a minute from Touchwood, and opposite the Ramada hotel.

In the middle of the busy shopping High Street in Kings Heath lies the beautiful New Life Baptist…read moreChurch. No matter what your religious persuasion, I'm thoroughly convinced that anyone can enjoy the Baptist church. The courtyard has been thoroughly modernised, to become a restful, quiet area to relax in after a hard day shopping. The flat lying tomb stones have been inventively worked into the new footpaths, creating a unique blend of tradition and modern functionality. The building itself is an impressive architectural site, and too has been modernised, with glass doors and the stereotypical hard wooden pews replaced with cushy seating, making it a great place to go and have a sit and a think. The church also has a coffee shop that sells, among other things, homemade cakes.

This is a lovely Victorian church with a friendly congregation, situated at the top of the hill in…read moreTettenhall Wood. The church was built in 1865-6 to designs by the local Birmingham firm of Bateman and Corser, to cater for the expanding suburbs to the south west of Tettenhall village (then called Tettenhall Regis). The church consists of a very wide nave with aisles (which have unusual transverse gables) and a polygonal apse, all in the Decorated Gothic style. The exterior is rock-faced with ashlar detailing, and the windows have geometrical detailing. The church has a brand new parish room (and office) at the rear, which hosts groups during the week and parish events. Services are 08:00 and 11:00 on Sundays and 09:30 on Thursday mornings. Services are in the 'broad' style, ie it has a choir, vestments, a mix of modern and traditional music and modern language. Tea and coffee are served after the Sunday 11:00 service (which also has a crèche and Sunday school) and after the Thursday 09:30 service.

An interesting church building in Tettenhall Wood…read more Christ Church is clearly visible from the Church Road, and although there's a lack of parking nearby it's quite an easy place to get to. The entrance to the church is at the opposite end of the building to Church Road, if that makes sense! The building itself is fairly traditional, with perhaps enough space to seat 300 people. Never having been to a service here I can't comment on what is on offer every Sunday morning but from what I know, I am sure it is a warm, friendly place that would provide a genuine welcome for any visitors.