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Summary

There was a church at Walsall by 1200. In the later medieval period the church was dedicated to All Saints but around the late 18th century its dedication was changed to St Matthew. The church occupies a prominent position at the end of a ridge of high land overlooking the medieval town and probably occupies the site of the earliest settled area. The present church is largely of 1820-1 by Francis Goodwin. He encased the walls of the medieval nave and retained the Perpendicular chancel with an arched passage below the east bay. The chance was restored by Ewan Christian in 1877-80. Beneath the three west bays of the chancel is a crypt. The outer (east) part of this has an ashlar tunnel vault of the 15th century. The inner (west) crypt has a blocked opening to the outer part which seems to be Norman.

Monument Type(s):

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1066 AD to 2050 AD)

Description

There was a church at Walsall by 1200. In the later medieval period the church was dedicated to All Saints but around the late 18th century its dedication was changed to St Matthew. (1) The church occupies a prominent position at the end of a ridge of high land overlooking the medieval town and probably occupies the site of the earliest settled area. The present church is largely of 1820-1 by Francis Goodwin. He encased the walls of the medieval nave and retained the Perpendicular chancel with an arched passage below the east bay. The chance was restored by Ewan Christian in 1877-80. Beneath the three west bays of the chancel is a crypt. The outer (east) part of this has an ashlar tunnel vault of the 15th century. The inner (west) crypt has a blocked opening to the outer part which seems to be Norman. (2) A small excavation during restoration of the crypt in 1981 revealed a crushed plaster and pebble floor. These sealed a number of pits interpreted as quarry pits to provide sand for construction work. Both the pits and the floor are probably of 19th century date. No medieval or earlier features were revealed, possibly because of 19th century building works or due to removal of deposits by volunteers undertaking the restoration of the crypt before archaeologists were called in. (3) (4) (5)
Listing Information: Rebuilt 1820-21 F Goodwin, LC15 chancel restored 1877-80 E Christian earlier remains. Chancel sandstone, remainder faced with Bath stone. Comprises nave with clerestory, N & S aisles, transepts, SW tower with spire, chancel with crypt & N organ chamber. W end: gothic portal. Tower 3 stages with angle buttresses & stone spire set back behind pierced parapet with corner pinnacles. Chancel windows: pointed arches with Perpend tracery restored 1877-80. Int: 5-bay nave arches with iron piers on stone bases. Flat nave ceiling plaster fan vault with pendant bosses. N, S & W sides are galleries: timber fronts with blind tracery decoration. Oct alabaster font EC15 dec with shields of arms. Lead lining dated 1712. Timber screen 1915. N side of chancel: window, orig C15 tracery, covered on outside by C19 organ chamber. triple sedilla & piscina. Open timber roof over chancel. Choir stalls incorporate C15 woodwork, incl poppy heads series of 18 misericords. Under W end of chancel LC13 crypt. To E is C15 tunnel-vaulted crypt. (6)
Detailed descriptions of church. 1756 - cemetery of church too small - consecrated piece of ground on south side of town for burials. (7) (8)

Watching brief conducted 2015 during repair works caused by subsidence. An excavated area 1.7m x 1.5m and 0.8m deep was monitored. Two stone walls perpendicular to each other were exposed, which may have been related to gallery structures dating before 19th century. A possible later wall, and a stone and brick pad which supported one of the iron stanchions was constructed on top of the East-West aligned stone wall. The North-South stone wall did not appear to have any relationship with present day structures, but may have been a foundation to an earlier west gallery. No finds were recovered. (9)

<1> Pugh R B (ed), 1976, Victoria County History: Staffordshire Volume 17, 226-233 (Bibliographic reference). SBL5477.

<2> Willmore, Frederick W, 1887, A history of Walsall and its neighbourhood, 108, 140-1 (Bibliographic reference). SBL5217.

<2> Pevsner Nikolaus, 1974, Buildings of England: Staffordshire, 292-3 (Bibliographic reference). SBL5243.

<3> BUFAU, 1980, Excavation in Crypt, 4; 34 (Bibliographic reference). SBL1166.

<4> Cane J, 1981, Walsall, 119-120 (Bibliographic reference). SBL1167.

<5> Oswald A, 1981-2, Crypt of St Matthews Church Walsall, 119 (Bibliographic reference). SBL1169.

<6> DoE, 1986, 16/25 (DoE Statutory List). SBL1164.

<7> 1795, English Topography, 1; 281 (Bibliographic reference). SBL5318.

<8> 1795, English Topography, 2; 763 (Bibliographic reference). SBL5318.

<9> John Moore Heritage Services, 2015, St Matthew's Church, St Matthew's Close: Archaeological Watching Brief (Bibliographic reference). SBL7701.

Sources and Further Reading

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