St. Alban the Martyr

The First 'Permanent' Church of St Alban


This page is part of our project "Revealing St Alban's Hidden Heritage" supported by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to players of The National Lottery.



The new church was designed by local Architect John Davis with space for 480. Digging the foundations began on the 17th of October 1870 and the church opened on the 7th of March 1871. The new District of St Alban the Martyr was created by Order in Council on the 17th of August 1871.

 The First 'Permanent' Chruch as Built

The Interior of the First 'Permanent' Church of St Alban.

After the opening of the present Church of St Alban the Martyr on the corner of Conybere Street and Stanhope Street, this church on the corner of Dymoke Street and Leopold Street was rebranded as St Columba's Mission and served as St Alban's Boys School during the week.

The First 'Permanent' Church Rebranded as St Columba's Mission with Enlarged Windows.

In December 1910 services at St Columba's ceased and it was then used only as a school.

The Final Phase of the First 'Permanent' Church as a Boys' School

The Exterior of the First 'Permanent' Church as St Columba's Mission
(Image supplied by Balsall Heath Local History Society)

In 1915 the building was demolished (together with the first 'temporary' church) and a new purpose-built building was erected on the site for St Alban's School.