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.

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*

Having worked around St Paul's Square for the past 4 years, this Georgian square is one of the most…read moreprettiest parts of Birmingham's City Centre. Located in the historic Jewellery Quarter, the square itself is the only Georgian square left in Birmingham. With St Paul's Church located in the centre, the grounds make for a lovely green spot to take a picnic or catch some rays in the Summer time. It also looks gorgeous in the winter when topped with snow. It's also far less busy than other green spaces such as Birmingham Cathedral which can attract unwanted types. Their is the 24 Carrots market held here twice a year as well as live music from Birmingham's Jazz festival and I've even attended a film event at the church for Jameson's Cult Film club and seen live painting classes. Surrounding the church and it's ground the rest of the square is a mix of residential and commercial premises as well as a flourish of bars and restaurants. It's definitely a sought after area and one people pay a premium to live in and you can see why. This is a piece of Birmingham heritage that I'm proud to shout about.

Birmingham has loads of green public spaces (200 parks maintained by the Council) and areas close…read moreto the Centre, but this space is one of the better spaces in the Jewellery Quarter. It's technically a graveyard, but doesn't feel like one! In the summer it's filled with people reading, playing games and picnicking and over Winter it's full of sledgers and urban snowman makers ready for cold weather fun! With the background of the Church, it's a great place to take your lunch or just sit and while away some time enjoying the view. The area around the square has Coffee shops, bars, art galleries and restaurants. It's really easy to get to from the City Centre (a 5 minute walk) and is reasonably well signposted if you fancy an explore. It feels like the gateway to the Quarter, as from the square you can get straight to Caroline Street which is a haven for hairdressers, signmakers, spa's and deli's. A couple of great places which are just a stones throw away from the square are the RBSA Gallery and St Paul's Gallery (which showcases album cover artwork and all manner of interesting pieces). 3 times a year a community market is held on the space, so a good chance to buy locally produced food, crafts and goods while taking in the Church and meeting the residents of the area. St Paul's Square is well maintained and green all year round. If you feel like you need a little retreat from the bustling centre of town, this is a great place to chill and contemplate.

Leicester's Cathedral was its parish church until the creation of the Diocese of Leicester in 1927…read more The church has mediaeval elements but was heavily restored in the 19th century. History Leicester was established as a diocese in 680AD by the Saxons, but after 200 years was abandoned as a diocese as the Danes invaded the East Midlands, and was ministered instead from Lincoln and then Peterborough. The Normans built a church here to replace the Saxon one in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, which was progressively enlarged throughout the mediaeval period: the present nave and aisles date from the mid 13th century, and a large second south aisle (the Great South Aisle) was added in the 13th and 14th centuries. The nave was lengthened in the 15th century. The building was heavily restored 1861-67 by Raphael Brandon, who replaced the original tower and spire and erected the present spire, which rises 220ft. Further restorations were carried out by Street and Pearson, and the south porch added by Bodley in 1897. The church was elevated to cathedral status in 1927 but, unlike many former parish churches, was not enlarged or rebuilt for the purpose. The church Most of the exterior dates from the Victorian rebuilding, but inside the church retains more of a mediaeval feel: the South Aisle in particular, with its large corbel statues depicting people's ails and discontents, is well preserved. The only remains of the original Norman church of 1086 is a string of billet moulding in the north aisle. Although not especially well endowed with notable furnishings, the church has a good collection of memorials, the oldest in the main church being that of John Whatton and his two wives, dating from 1656, in the north aisle. A defaced 14th century tombstone said to be the oldest in Leicestershire is hidden away in a corridor behind St Dunstan's chapel. A modern memorial to Richard II lies in the chancel. St Katherine's Chapel, beyond the north aisle, has a large collection of memorials to the Herrick family. The church has a cycle of daily services (details on the website), regular concerts and recitals, and is open daily for prayer and visitors. Guided tours can be arranged on request (advanced notice required).

Wow!! The Coventry Cathedral ruins are spectacular. In a way, the bombing highlighted the splendor…read moreof 13th century architecture and when walking around, I kept getting reminded of the Cologne Cathedral, which was built in the same century. I'm so glad the cathedral wasn't torn down, like a lot of destroyed buildings after the war were, but instead this area was left alone, to stand testament to the horrors suffered by this city and its people during WWII. Compared to the old Cathedral, I am not a massive fan of the modernist architecture building of the new cathedral but it sure is much more comfy! I was super lucky to be in town while the "Knife Angel" sculpture was on display in front of the Cathedral in April 2019. I was with a very witty colleague, Adam, and his comment on the sculpture was, "Anyone have a fork?" :-) :-) :-) Similarly when he saw the Archangel Michael & the Devil sculpture in the front of the Cathedral, Adam turned to our group and with his quick wit said, "Smell my foot. No, I insist! I really want you to smell my feet!!" :-) :-) :-) The cathedral is really an interesting place to come and check out, and for me, more than any other landmark, it really personifies Coventry City. Yelp 151/ 2019

Coventry Cathedral, the bombed-out church that fell prey to the first carpet bombing of WWII, is an…read moreimpressive and sobering reminder of the futility of war. As such, it's a mandatory place to visit [I hesitate to call it an "attraction"] in Coventry for a brief time of quiet introspection. The remains have been beautifully preserved, augmented with several works of art that pay tribute to the bombing, but also to the spirit of reconciliation after the war. It's moot to weigh this early carpet bombing against the ones committed by the Allies in the aftermath, them being much more destructive - "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind." The house, in this case, being Europe. And we did learn the lesson - or did we? Anyway, it's a must for any visit to this city.

Close to Bishop Challoner's Catholic school lies the church where the Catholics go to prey to the…read moremother of the lord, Mary. The modern building that houses the church has often split opinion within the community. Some see it as a modern concrete mess; others think it is a beautiful place to worship. I like to go with the latter half. The swooping roof is quite eye catching in my opinion and the size of the building is quite big compared to the older Church of England's churches. The atmosphere inside is very holy, I felt guilty that I was an Atheist by just coming here. I guess that is the influence the church has on most people. I have chosen not to convert as a result of the guilt I feel, I just get on with my life. There are many believers out there and I think that they would be proud of this church. They sell rosary beads at a little shop at the entrance of the building, some of the beads are very nice to look at, just like the church itself.

Similar to the Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool, but on a much, much, much smaller scale, this is a…read morefine example of 1960s architecture that pulls off the neat trick of being yards from the Kings Heath High Street but somehow remains out of sight. I'd lived in Kings Heath for nearly a year and had walked passed it many, many times before I noticed it. The only time I've been inside was for a funeral, so it wasn't a happy occasion. The interior matches the functional exterior. Not being a religious man, I can't comment further than that. My friend's family were well looked after, however, and made use of the function room and bar adjacent to the church for the wake. 4 stars for the building, however, as I think it's lovely.

Firstly, St. Francis church in Bournville is quite simply a beautiful church, both inside and out…read more I can't really comment on the general work or services of the church, but I had the good fortune to attend a friend's wedding there recently and was impressed by how beautiful, bright and welcoming the building is - as well as the clergy there. It is a big church, but simple and elegant, tastefully decorated inside in light blue and cream - which was, conveniently, the colour scheme of the wedding. I have no idea whether this was intentional on the bride's behalf, or just plain co-incidence. I do know that they were an extremely accommodating lot at St. Francis, so who knows? Maybe they re-painted just for her... The wedding party rocked up with their own vicar, musicians, decorations and what have you; all of which were readily welcomed and accommodated by the vicar - Peter Babington - and his staff. According to my (now married) friend, they were great at keeping in touch and making sure everything ran smoothly as well. So, as I said, I can't tell you about Sunday services or other day-to-day church activities, but for a wedding, this place seemed perfect.

This is actually quite a fantastic looking church. It's one of those churches I've been to for a…read morewedding that I attended a couple of months back. It's pretty large inside and offers traditional features which I always adore when walking into a religious building. The colours they've used are colours I'd expect to see in a church. It's effective and presents an image of an important place. When I went there for this wedding I attended, the church looked great in the backdrop of all the wedding pictures. Due to the traditional look of the church from the outside, it worked well in regards to offering a scenery for the wedding party. The church congregation and vicar are very welcoming and it's nice to attend a church where you are not badgered about attending their church. This left me with a positive feeling about the religious establishment that I may visit the place again.

Despites the natural built of this construction from 12th and 13th century style, I would never…read morethink that my visit to the Coleshill Parish Church, St.Peter and St. Paul would be an unique experience in life. Visiting the area in my trip back from Jubilee's Holiday, I have stopped in the church for taking some photos but surprisingly, because the festivities in the country, its tower was open for visitors for only £1.50. My husband didn't think twice and accepted the challenger for both of us. Not before buying a cake to eat in the top of it. Meaning, 46 degrees of stairs later! Cakes and stairs are not a good combination. I thought the whole experience surreal but I didn't have too much time to think about it and there I was in a very narrow (and very stip) spiral staircase that would lead me to one of the most beautiful views from Birmingham. That was a truly claustrophobic experience to say the least and I probably won't repeat in life, but the view I got from the top of this church worth several times more than the price I have paid to be there! By the way, I didn't eat the cake. I was too shaking and sweating in the end of my stairs marathon to think about it, but when we got the stairs down to the ground again we still have a stop in the middle of it to learn a bit more about the bells of this wonderful landmark. The tower of Coleshill Parish Church was open just for the Jubilee celebrations but you can always check with the nice people from this community if there is another change of visiting it.