All Saints

Settlement in Warwickshire

England

All Saints

Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park This galvanised steel tower was designed by the Birmingham artist Pauline Bailey. The mandalas cut into the truncated pyramid roof were designed by Bailey in co-operation with local elders, mainly Bangladeshi women from a sewing group, who expressed their life journeys through these circular patterns as part of a project called Veranda Stories. See the website of Handsworth Creative <span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.handsworthcreative.com/veranda-stories-pyramid-tower" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.handsworthcreative.com/veranda-stories-pyramid-tower">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> .

In the distance can be seen The Sons of Rest Building, erected in the 1930s by a society of retired men. — Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park Credit: A J Paxton

All Saints is a parish church located in the county of Warwickshire, England. Situated in the town of Warwick, this historic church holds significant religious and architectural value. Dating back to the 12th century, All Saints has witnessed centuries of Warwickshire's history.

The church's architecture follows the traditional Gothic style, with its striking presence dominating the town's skyline. Its impressive tower, adorned with intricate stonework, stands as a testament to the skilled craftsmanship of the time. Inside, visitors can admire the beautiful stained glass windows and the ornate wooden carvings that decorate the pews and pulpit.

All Saints also holds a notable collection of historical artifacts. Among them is an ancient baptismal font believed to have been used since the 13th century. The church also houses several impressive tombs and memorials, including the Beauchamp Chapel, dedicated to Richard Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick.

The church continues to serve as a place of worship for the local community, hosting regular religious services, weddings, and funerals. Additionally, All Saints often welcomes visitors from around the world who come to admire its architectural beauty and delve into Warwickshire's rich history.

All Saints, Warwickshire, stands as a testament to the region's religious and cultural heritage. Its timeless architecture and historical significance make it a must-visit destination for those interested in experiencing the charm and history of Warwickshire.

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All Saints Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.492916/-1.922789 or Grid Reference SP0588. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park

This galvanised steel tower was designed by the Birmingham artist Pauline Bailey. The mandalas cut into the truncated pyramid roof were designed by Bailey in co-operation with local elders, mainly Bangladeshi women from a sewing group, who expressed their life journeys through these circular patterns as part of a project called Veranda Stories. See the website of Handsworth Creative Link

. In the distance can be seen The Sons of Rest Building, erected in the 1930s by a society of retired men.

A J Paxton

Handsworth Mandalas

The mandalas, circular patterns, have been laser-cut into the galvanised steel roof of the Pyramid Tower in Handsworth Park SP0590 : Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park. They were designed by Pauline Bailey together with a group of older Bangladeshi women from the locality, who were reflecting on their life journeys as part of a project called Veranda Stories. The tower dates from 2017 and "has a meditative quality to it when standing or sitting underneath and viewing the sky through the patterns in the roof of the pyramid" according to the website of the Handsworth Park Arts Trail Link

A J Paxton

Handsworth Cricket Club

A match is underway under a leaden sky on a September afternoon in Handsworth Park.

A J Paxton

Church Hill Road, Handsworth Wood

Richard Vince

Wellesbourne Road, Handsworth Wood

Off Hamstead Road.

Richard Vince

A pair of poplars, Handsworth Park

To the right, and nearer the viewer, stands a Lombardy poplar, with its distinctive fastigiate habit (branches upright and branched together), to the left beyond the bandstand can be seen a native black poplar; they are both coming into leaf in late April. Both are subspecies of the black poplar, Populus nigra.

A J Paxton

Pond, poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park

Handsworth Park is a late 19th century public park, formerly known as Victoria Park, and now managed by the city of Birmingham, with active support from voluntary groups. For more on its history, see the Historic England site Link

. Here we see a fine black poplar coming into leaf in late April and reflected in one of the park's two large ponds. The tree is a wild black poplar, Populus nigra subspecies betulifolia, according to the Woodland Trust tree inventory Link

. This is the native black poplar of Britain and northwestern Europe, although in this location it is likely to have been planted rather than being naturally occurring. The bandstand is a Grade II listed building and was made in Scotland in 1903 by the Lion Foundry Company of Kirkintilloch, according to the listing at Historic England Link

. It was restored for the reopening of the park in 2006; see SP0590 : The bandstand in Handsworth Park.

A J Paxton

Black poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park

The tree is a wild black poplar, Populus nigra subspecies betulifolia, with a trunk (shaggy with ivy) of 5.28m girth at a height of 1.5m, according to the Woodland Trust tree inventory Link

. This is the native black poplar of Britain and northwestern Europe, although in this location it is likely to be a planted ornamental tree rather than one that occurs here naturally. The bandstand is a Grade II listed building and was made in Scotland in 1903 by the Lion Foundry Company of Kirkintilloch, according to the listing at Historic England Link

. It was restored for the reopening of the park in 2006; see SP0590 : The bandstand in Handsworth Park. Inner Birmingham is not well-provided with green spaces, and the park is extremely well-used and appreciated by local people. A baby-welcoming gathering was taking place in the bandstand.

A J Paxton

Churchyard of Handsworth Parish Church

The churchyard adjoins Handsworth Park and is leafy and overgrown; here branches have fallen from a tree, possibly a poplar. The church of St Mary is a medieval Staffordshire parish church that was completely rebuilt in the 19th century. It is famous as the final resting place of the industrialists James Watt, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch, the Golden Boys (SP0686 : The 'Golden Boys; are back,) come to dust, but their tombs are inside the church building itself. On the church, see the listing at Historic England Link

A J Paxton

SS Journey

SS Journey depicts a man standing on the bow of a steamship and looking into the distance. He is modelled on Hector 'Mr Handsworth' Pinkney, OBE, a well-known and respected figure in the local community. The sculpture is the work of Luke Perry and was installed in 2017. In the words of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, 'It is inspired by the migrations to Handsworth made by people from around the world from the 1940s onward. It is also a reference to the Windrush generation who travelled to the UK in 1948 first arriving on the SS Empire Windrush ship.' See the comments section of the Historic England list entry for Handsworth Park Link

A J Paxton

Pond, Handsworth Park

This is the smaller of the two ponds in the park, though still large enough for its own small island. wider, eastern, end, can be seen at SP0590 : Pond, poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park. On Handsworth Park see its Historic England list entry Link

A J Paxton

Former Grove Lane public baths, Handsworth

The baths were built on a corner of the Handsworth Park site by the Handsworth Local Board, as the district had not yet become part of Birmingham. They opened in 1907 and offered "First and Second Class Swimming Baths, suites of First and Second Class Private Baths for Men and Women and an excellent Turkish Baths designed in ‘an appropriate Eastern style’." See the Baths and Wash Houses historical archive site Link

. Only the front survives, converted into housing, with the site of all those baths replaced by a street of housing, Pike Close. Houses should now have baths or showers, while a swimming pool is provided by the Wellness Centre in the park.

A J Paxton

Front gate, Hamstead Road, Handsworth

The exception, not the rule.

Robin Stott

Handsworth Park and railway

View from west of railway line looking across towards the lake. Through the trees on the right can just be seen the bend in the railway line towards Soho Road.

Michael Westley