Several missions were formed in the 19th and 20th centuries. The first opened in Walsall Wood in the 1820s, and was followed in 1840 by another in the Lime Pit Bank (now Bank Street). In 1854 Pleck mission opened, and later became St. John’s Church.

In 1866 Caldmore mission opened, and later became St. Michael’s. In 1871 a mission room opened in Bott Lane, which was superseded by St. Luke’s Mission Church in 1879. By 1896 a mission room had opened in Adam’s Row, Digbeth, and 1960 saw the opening of St. Martin’s mission church, on the corner of Sutton Road and Daffodil Road.

Parish churches include: St. Andrew’s, St. Gabriel’s, St. George’s, St. John's at Pleck, St. John’s in Walsall Wood,  St. Mark’s, St. Mary & All Saints, St. Michael & All Angels, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Paul’s and St. Peter’s.


All Saint's Church, Bloxwich. From an old postcard.

All Saints’ Church in High Street, Bloxwich is on the site of a medieval church that was substantially rebuilt in the 1870s. Prior to 1875 the church was dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury. Little is known about the earlier church, which seems to have consisted of a 3 bay nave, and a tower with two bells, later reduced to one. It was rebuilt in the 1790s, extended in 1833, and described as a plain and ugly building. Work on the existing church began in 1874. It was designed by Davies & Middleton of Dudley and Birmingham, and built in brick with stone dressings. Work included the rebuilding the tower, and the reconstruction of the western porches. The work was completed in 1877. Seven new bells were added to the surviving bell, which were cast by Mears & Stainbank of London. The south porch was added in the mid 1880s, and the lich gate dates from 1936.

The church was probably founded as a chapel of ease for St. Matthew’s Church by Margaret, widow of Sir Roger Hillary of Bescot, in the early 15th century. The old sandstone churchyard cross still survives, and is now Grade II listed. There was a medieval graveyard which remained in use until the time of the Reformation. In 1733 land adjoining the church was consecrated as a graveyard, and enlarged in 1845. Having fallen into disrepair, it was tidied-up and levelled in 1957.

Christ Church in Blakenall Heath was built in 1872 to the design of Naden of Birmingham. It is built of local limestone and consists of a chancel, a nave, aisles, a vestry, an organ chamber, north and south transepts, and a tower with five bells. It started as a mission in a schoolroom at Blakenall Heath in 1843, which must have been a great success because in 1865 work began on a church in Bloxwich Road, Leamore. Around the same time a piece of land in Blakenall Heath was given to the church by Lord Bradford, and so work on the new church was abandoned, in favour of the Blakenall Heath site. In 1995 the interior was reorganised, and redecorated. In 1998 the roof was replaced, and in 2002 the bell tower was strengthened, an extra bell was added, and the bells were re-hung.

Several missions have been formed by the church, which with its sister churches, St. Aidan's and St. Chad's, became a team ministry in 1978.

St. Andrew's Church in Birchills Street was built in 1884 to 1887 to the design of J. E. K. Cutts of London. It is built of red brick with stone dressings, and consists of a chancel, a nave, aisles, an organ chamber, and a turret with one bell. On the outside of the east wall is a memorial to the members of the parish who died in the First World War.

St. Gabriel's Church in Walstead Road, Fullbrook was built when the parish was formed in 1939, to the design of Lavender & Twentyman of Wolverhampton. It is built of red brick, and consists of a chancel, a nave, an organ, a lady chapel, and a baptistery.


St. George's Church. From an old postcard.

St. George's Church in Pershouse Street was built in 1875 to the design of Robert Griffiths of Stafford. Built of stone, it consisted of a chancel, a nave, aisles, and a south organ chamber. It closed in 1964 because the building became unsafe. It was demolished in December 1964, and the parish ceased to exist.

St. John's Church in Pleck Road was built in 1858 to the design of Griffin & Weller of Wolverhampton. It was built of stone, and consisted of a chancel, a nave, aisles, transepts, an organ chamber, a north vestry, a north porch, and a turret containing a single bell. In 1976 the building was demolished, and replaced with the existing church in Scarborough Road.


The interior of St. John's Church, Pleck Road. From an old postcard.

St. John’s Church in High Street, Walsall Wood was built in 1837, and became a parish church on the formation of the ecclesiastical parish of Saint John in August 1845. The church is built of brick with stone dressings and consists of a chancel, a nave, aisles, a vestry, and a tower containing a clock and a single bell. The chancel, the vestry, and the aisles were added in 1886.

St. Luke's Mission Church in Selbourne Street was designed by H. E. Lavender of Walsall, and built in 1879 as a chapel of ease for St. Matthew’s Church. It is built of brick with stone dressings and consists of a sanctuary, a nave, a baptistery, and a turret containing one bell. A chancel was added in1934. The baptistry and turret have been removed, and a community room has been added.

St. Mark's Church in Butts Road was built in 1871 to the design of Robert Griffiths of Stafford. It was built of red brick, with blue brick dressings and consists of a sanctuary, a nave, an organ chamber, and has a turret with a bell. A vestry was added in 1949. It became a parish church in 1925 on the formation of the parish of Saint Mark. The parish ceased to exist in 1973, and in 1974 the church was demolished.

St. Martin’s mission church on the corner of Sutton Road and Daffodil Road was built in 1960, and designed by Shipley & Foster of Walsall.

St. Mary & All Saints’ Church in Dale Street, Palfrey was built in 1901 to 1902 to the design of J. E. K. and J. P. Cutts of London. It replaced a former mission church built of corrugated iron in 1893 which became too small for the congregation. The church is built of red brick and consists of a chancel, a nave, a north chapel, a south chapel, an organ chamber, and a vestry. There is an east window that was added in 1926 as a war memorial. It is now the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God.

St. Michael & All Angels Church in St Michaels Street, Caldmore was designed by J. R. Veall of Wolverhampton and built of red sandstone in 1871. It consists of a chancel, a north and a south chapel, a nave, vestry, and aisles. The north aisle was built in 1878, and the south aisle in 1880. The south chapel, built by J. F. Laing was added between 1880 and 1884, the west porch and vestry were built in 1896. The north chapel was added in the 1920s. The building was destroyed by fire in 1964 and rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1967.

St. Michael and All Angels parish church in Church Road, Pelsall was built in1843 to 1844. It is described in White’s 1851 Directory of Staffordshire as having 632 sittings of which 484 are free. It is a plain brick fabric, with a gallery, but no tower. £1,000 was lately granted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners towards the erection of a parsonage house, and they have augmented the perpetual curacy to £150 per annum.

Some time later a square tower with pinnacles, a clock, and a peal of five bells was added, as a gift from Mrs. Sarah Dickenson. The church was renovated and extended in 1889. Changes were made to the interior in 1980 when some of the pews were replaced with chairs, and a new alter, made of wood was built. At the same time the old vicarage was demolished after falling into a state of disrepair.

St. Michael the Archangel in Leigh Road, Rushall was a chapel of ease which later became Rushall parish church. The original church, built by the Lord of the Manor of Rushall was described in 1220 as a chapel of Walsall. It probably stood near to Rushall Hall. In the early 15th century a replacement church was built by John Harpur and his wife Eleanor, and consecrated on 19th January 1440. It was on the same site as the present church. In 1854 work began on the present church, which is built of limestone, in Early English style. The church, which opened in 1868 has a tower with a peal of six bells, and a spire.


St. Michael the Archangel, Rushall. From an old postcard.


St. Paul's Church. From an old postcard.

St. Paul's Church in St Paul’s Close was built in 1826 to the design of Francis Goodwin as a chapel for the Grammar School. Built of stuccoed brick, it consisted of a nave and a tower. A chancel was added in 1852.

The minister was the headmaster of the school who received an annual stipend of fifty pounds, and a house. The church warden was chosen from the school governors.

The church was sold to the town in 1873 for £1,000, restored in 1874, and became a parish church in 1875 with the formation of St. Paul’s parish. In 1892 it was rebuilt of stone to the design of John Loughborough Pearson of London and consisted of a chancel, a south aisle, a nave, aisles, and transepts. The building is still a church, and also a multi-purpose community facility, now known as 'The Crossing at St Paul's'.

St. Peter's Church in Stafford Street was built in 1839 to 1844 as the parish church for St. Peter’s parish, formed in August 1845. It is built of brick and stone to the design of Isaac Highway of Walsall on land given by Lord Hatherton. The building consists of a chancel, aisles, a nave and a tower, with pinnacles and a bell. It was restored in 1868, and in 1910 the chancel was added. Three missions were formed at the church. Birchills mission in 1855, John Street mission in 1886, and St. Chad’s mission in 1896.


From an old postcard.


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