The Parish Church of St. Paul Blackheath

St. Paul's Church was conceived in 1865 to serve a growing population in the Blackheath area of over 5,000 people, and today the ecclesiastical parish has a population of over 18,000 situated in the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley and Sandwell in the diocese of Birmingham.   The foundation stone was laid in 1868 and the Church consecrated in 1869.
        
        The Church cost £7040 and was built in red brick. The design included a tower and spire that was never added due to unsatisfactory foundations but a small belfry was installed instead.  This was later removed due to gale damage and was subsequently replaced by a bell amplification system.

        The form of the Church consists of a chancel and nave with a central and two side aisles, all surmounted with tiled roofs.   It had traditional pews seating over 600 and has the following dimensions,
                          Nave :   83' x 32' x 59' high to Apex
                    Chancel :   40' x 23' x 50' high
            Total Length  :  123'
           Total Breadth  :  60'
              Massive brick pillars with stone capping flank the nave.
              Walls are 3'3" in thickness.
















The Lady Chapel at the east end of the south aisle was dedicated m 1926 as a memorial to those men of Blackheath who died in the 1914-18 war.  It contains memorial tablets for both the 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 world wars.  Also along the south side is a beautiful stained glass window.  The octagonal font situated inside the west door is in grey stone with inset reliefs supported on four pillars and mounted on three steps.  The chancel contains a carved wooden altar in front of a reredos with sculptures of St. Peter and St. Paul.  There is a stained glass window above the altar in commemoration of the coronation of King Edward VIl and Queen Alexandra.  The upper part of the pulpit and the altar rail were refurbished in light oak and new choir and clergy stalls were installed around 1961.  The lectern originally of wood was replaced with a carved white stone pulpit that came from a church near Worcester.  The original organ cost £521 and was installed in 1875.  It was rebuilt and enlarged and fitted with an electric blower system in 1931 and apart from several cleanings and electric action is the organ which we have today.  A wrought iron screen and gates separated the chancel from the Nave but were removed in 1971.

The church is heated by a gas fired hot water boiler and overhead electric heaters.  The flood light illumination situated at a height of 30' superseded the original electric chandeliers which had replaced original gas lamps.

The west door porch was erected in 1934 and after the addition of an internal glass and wood panelled lobby in 1962 became the main entrance.  Until then the north porch had been the main entrance. A hospitality facility, situated in the south-west corner, provides refreshments in church.  This was added in 1995. The north west corner has been refurbished as a children's play area.

        Toilets for the disabled in the west porch and a Nave altar were completed during 2005.

           No record of St. Paul's would be complete without the inclusion of the Church Hall which is situated in Vicarage Road.  This building was the culmination of the efforts of the Rev E. A. Bevan to foster the life of the parish.  The opening took place in 1952 and has been used extensively by many church and other local organisations.