The Church of Saint Thomas is a Grade II* listed Church of England Anglican parish church in Dudley in the West Midlands County of England. Known locally as 'Top Church', as opposed to the 'Bottom Church' of St. Edmund's, it was originally established in the 12th century,[3] when it was dedicated to Thomas Becket who had been murdered a few years before.
| St. Thomas', Dudley | |
|---|---|
| Parish Church of Saint Thomas | |
 St. Thomas' Church in Dudley, viewed from the North | |
  St. Thomas', Dudley Location within the West Midlands | |
| 52°30′31″N 2°05′12″W / 52.5085°N 2.0866°W | |
| OS grid reference | SO942900 |
| Location | Dudley, West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | c. 1182 |
| Dedication | St Thomas and St Luke |
| Earlier dedication | Thomas Becket |
| Events | Rebuilt in 1815 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* Listed |
| Designated | 14 September 1949 |
| Architect(s) | William Brooks |
| Style | Neo-Gothic |
| Years built | 1815 - 1818 |
| Construction cost | £12,650 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Bath Stone |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Worcester |
| Archdeaconry | Dudley |
| Parish | Dudley; St. Thomas & St. Luke |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley[1] |
| Archdeacon | Nikki Groarke[2] |
The church is mentioned in a Papal Declaration of 1182, which granted it to the nearby Priory of St. James.[4] At some point in its history, the church's dedication changed to the Apostle St Thomas.[4] The current building dates from the 19th century. It was rebuilt in 1815 under an Act of Parliament after the existing building was declared unsafe, for a cost of £12,650.[5]
On 7 September 1940, the Luftwaffe dropped a bomb opposite the front of the church, blowing out most of the windows and leaving shrapnel damage which is still evident.[6]
The church is in the Anglican Diocese of Worcester, despite the town of Dudley being transferred into the county of Staffordshire in 1966, and later the West Midlands county upon its creation in 1974. The church's original parish, Dudley St. Thomas, was abolished in 1969 to form the current Dudley St. Thomas & St. Luke Ecclesiastical Parish.[7]
The church building was granted Grade II* listed status in 1949.[8]
References
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- ^ "Martin's consecration as Bishop of Dudley". The Diocese of Worcester. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ Setchell, Sam. "London Vicar to be new Archdeacon of Dudley". The Diocese of Worcester. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ^ "Saint Thomas's Church" (PDF). Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ a b Chandler, G.; Hannah, I.C. (1949). Dudley as it was and as it is today. London: B.T. Batesford. pp. 57–63.
- ^ "Parishes - Dudley". A History of the County of Worcester. British History Online. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ "St Thomas & St Luke 'Top Church', Dudley Welcome". discover.dudley.gov.uk/. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ "Dudley St Thomas - Worcester". Parish Records. Worcester Branch of the Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ "Parish Church of St Thomas - Dudley". Grade II* Listed Buildings in Dudley. British Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 4 November 2012.