St Nicholas’ Church, Radford is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

Radford, Coventry Radford is a suburb and electoral ward of Coventry, located approximately 1.5 miles north of Coventry city centre. It is covered by the Coventry North West constituency. Geography Radford ward is bounded by Holbrooks, Foleshill, St Michael's, S ...

History

The previous church was built to the designs of George Taylor of Coventry, as a chapel of ease to

Holy Trinity Church, Coventry Holy Trinity Church, Coventry, is a parish church of the Church of England in Coventry City Centre, West Midlands, England. Above the chancel arch is an impressive Doom wall-painting. History The church dates from the 12th century and is t ...

and consecrated on 29 September 1874 by Henry Philpott, the

Bishop of Worcester A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. It comprised a chancel with vestry on the north side, and a nave with the entrance porch at the west end of the south side. The nave was by , the chancel by . There was accommodation for 300 worshippers. The stone font was made by Mr Seager of Coventry. It was destroyed on 14 November 1940 during the

Coventry Blitz The Coventry Blitz (blitz: from the German word ''Blitzkrieg'' meaning "lightning war" ) or Coventration of the city was a series of bombing raids that took place on the British city of Coventry. The city was bombed many times during the Seco ...

and four of the fire watchers were killed. The destruction left only one course of stones standing. Some of the people seeking shelter in the church crypt were killed or injured. The new church was started in 1955 by the architect

Richard Twentyman (Alfred) Richard Twentyman (1903–1979) was an England, English architect based in Wolverhampton; chiefly known for modernist buildings around the English midlands. Life Twentyman was born in 1903 in Bilbrook, Staffordshire, Bilbrook, Staff ...

and consecrated by the

Bishop of Coventry The Bishop of Coventry is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield. The present ...

. The construction is of reinforced concrete faced with yellow brick. The side walls slope inwards at an angle of 10 degrees. The nave and chancel are undivided. The brick campanile contains two bells. The north aisle includes a Lady Chapel and baptistery. The stone font was rescued from the old church of 1874. It is in the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

of the

and receives

alternative episcopal oversight A provincial episcopal visitor (PEV), popularly known as a flying bishop, is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who on grounds of theological conviction, "are unable to receive the ministry of ...

from the

Bishop of Ebbsfleet The Bishop of Ebbsfleet is a suffragan bishop who fulfils the role of a provincial episcopal visitor in the Church of England. From its creation in 1994 to 2022, the Bishop of Ebbsfleet served traditionist Anglo-Catholic parishes that could not ac ...

. The church has been designated by the City of Coventry as a Building of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Services have moved into the church hall, and the main building is to be demolished.

Organ

The church is equipped with a pipe organ by Nicholson dating from 1955. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coventry Church of England church buildings in the West Midlands (county) British churches bombed by the Luftwaffe Rebuilt churches in the United Kingdom Churches completed in 1956 20th-century Church of England church buildings

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

Churches in Coventry Richard Twentyman