Home          Area Profiles         Ward Profiles          Sitemap

Harborne Old Village Conservation Area

 

Harborne Old Village Conservation Area provides a traditional village setting for several public buildings in and around Old Church Road.

These include Saint Peters Church, a largely Victorian creation with a 15th century tower, and Bishops Croft, a Georgian brick mansion (circa 1780) which has been the official residence of the Bishop of Birmingham since 1905.

Other buildings of interest include Saint Peters School (circa 1821), the white pebble-dashed Bell Inn (circa 1810) and the red-brick Harborne Hall (circa 1850) which is now a conference and training centre owned by the VSO.

 The conservation area, which is semi-rural in character, is enhanced by low density housing and screened by Harborne Cricket Ground and Grove Lane Recreation Ground.

St Peters

Visitors will note that the door, belfry and clock on the west tower are out of line when viewed from the vicarage; this is due to poor workmanship since the tower was completed after the Black Death (1348) when there was a shortage of skilled craftsmen.

The interior contains the traditional symbols of the Four Evangelists above the west door; Mathew is represented by an angel, Luke by an ox, John by an eagle and Mark by a lion.

Other treasures include marble and alabaster statues of Jesus, Saint Peter and the four Apostles on the pulpit, six figures of angels and some impressive Victorian tiling in the sanctuary, and an East Window dedicated to the 19th century artist David Cox who is interred in the churchyard.

Guide Harborne - Landmark Churches -  St Peter's Website