St Thomas & St Luke
Dudley, West Midlands
Built in 1818, an ambitious pioneer work by the architect William Brooks built in neo Gothic style, with the only window by esteemed glass painter Joseph Backler known to have survived.
The parish church of Old Hill came into existence in the early 1870s when an Act of Parliament was passed to create a new Church of England parish church to serve a thriving and expanding Black Country village. The church was built in the decorated Gothic style. The building was consecrated in April 1876 with the bulk of the funding coming from local industrialist Walter Bassono and George Alfred Haden-Best, the builder of Haden Hill House. The church is valued as the only listed historic building in the locality, and serves the parish needs of over 4000 households. The large plot with established grounds and mature trees provides the local community with a green open tranquil space.
This project will secure the fabric of the tower roof and stonework enabling the building to continue to be the hub of this urban community. The tower structure will be structurally secure and water tight. The pyramid shape lead roof will be replaced, the timber structure repaired and made safe. The 1970s kitchen will be re-designed to allow provision of a wider variety of food that will attract new groups to use these facilities.