Smethwick Old Church

Smethwick Old Church is an Anglican parish church, located in the town of Smethwick, West Midlands. It is located on the junction of The Uplands and Church Road, adjacent to the Dorothy Parkes Community Centre and the 18th-century Old Chapel Public House.

Old Church, Smethwick
52°29′12″N 1°58′19″W
Denomination	Church of England
Website	smethwickoldchurch.org.uk
Administration
Province	Canterbury
Diocese	Birmingham
Archdeaconry	Birmingham
Deanery	Warley and Edgbaston
Parish	Old Church, Smethwick
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Sara Moore

History

The Old Church is the oldest surviving building in Smethwick, consecrated in 1732 as a chapel of ease to St Peter's in Harborne. It was originally known as 'Parkes' or 'Smethwick' Chapel, the name Parkes came from the wealthy local woman Dorothy Parkes who bequeathed the money to build the church. It became known as the Old Church in 1837, when the Holy Trinity Church was built on Smethwick High Street.^[1][2]

Public House next to the church

The public house next to the church gains its name from the church, and is the second oldest building still standing in Smethwick. The archives of Smethwick Old Church are held at Sandwell Community History and Archives Service.

References

1. "Brief History from the Old Church Website".
2. From the Smethwick Local History Society