The cathedral church of St Philip in Birmingham was built as a parish church in 1711-15. It was promoted to cathedral status in 1905. The church was designed by Thomas Archer in the Baroque style, inspired by Italian churches Archer has seen on visits to the country in the late 1600s. The church was opened and consecrated in 1715 though the tower was not completed until 1725.
The cathedral's nave has five-bay arcades. The chancel was enlarged in the 1880s. The cathedral was built from brick faced by Warwickshire stone from Archer's own quarry. However, the cathedral had to be refaced in the 1880s due to the softness of the original stone used.
