The church building you see today is the 3rd St Stephen’s, the first was the gatehouse chapel of Cistercian Abbey at Bordesley around 1138. This survived the dissolution of the monasteries (circa 1538) and continued in use. The building did revert to agricultural use but the Earl of Plymouth brought it back into use as a church in 1687 and placed it in the care of the Vicar of Tardebigge.
As circumstances and the population of Redditch changed the church moved. The church was moved up the hill to what is now Church Green in the Redditch town centre and completed in 1808 using stone from the original building. This building was later deemed to be too small for the expanding town and the current Gothic Style building was consecrated in 1855. A more detailed history of the church can be found here.
Since then the outside of the building has changed less but the nature of Christian worship and the inside of the building have continued to change. This process of change is continuing. We are continuing to seek to be a church, a building and people, where we seek for serve God, and our community and witness to how a relationship with Jesus can transform our lives and our community.
Church Records
Search for your ancestors at Worcestershire’s new landmark – The Hive – only the most recent baptismal and marriage records are kept locally.