A word about one aspect of Church history of the time may be helpful at this point, as it is not possible to understand the development of the Small Heath Churches without knowing something of the renewal of the catholic tradition in the Church of England.

Often dated from the 'Great Assize' sermon by John Keble at Oxford in July 1833, and associated with names such as Newman, Pusey, Liddon and others, the 'Oxford Movement', or 'Tractarians' sought to re establish within the Church of England an acceptance that it was, as it had always been, the true catholic faith of the land since the coming of Augustine and Aidan.

There was much controversy, including court cases and imprisonings. But the catholic movement rooted itself firmly in the worst urban areas of the country - the east end of London, the north west of the country and here in the east side of Birmingham in the parishes of Holy Trinity, Saltley (St Saviour), Sparkhill (St Agatha), Highgate (St Alban), Small Heath (St Aidan, St Oswald, St Gregory and St Benedict) and many others besides - the 'biretta belt' as it became known later on.

The Church was to live out the incarnation in the worst places, bringing light, beauty and truth and humanity into drab places and lives. That was and is the guiding idea of the catholic tradition in the Church of England.

The founder and first priest of St Aidan was the Revd James Agar Ellis, represented in the west window of this present building, holding a model of St Aidan's church.

A small mission church was quickly built in the garden and a photograph of it survives to this day. Loasby, who was for many years a churchwarden, describes it in his 1921 book as:

'a simple oblong building with no ornament except a few bold prints...the altar was large and well lighted, with quiet coloured hangings, a small uncased organ stood out from the wall near the chancel step, and the long narrow mission church, which could accommodate about 200 people, was bright, airy and very peaceful'.

The building was located on the site of the present All Saints Church.

Because of the Church's love for the people and its desire to serve their whole needs, spiritual and physical, the congregation grew rapidly and by July 1893 it was resolved to begin the building of a permanent church.

Loasby describes their feelings: 'the time had come to leave the dear little place where many had so learned the truth of God's love that all the changes and chances of many years of varied life have not dimmed the joy which those truths bestowed...'

St Aidan's church was built on virtually the last remaining space in Herbert Road, in a garden left in the midst of the surrounding houses and to a considerable extent at the hands of parishioners themselves.

It was not long however, before the congregation had grown to such an extent that it was decided to extend the building further to the west end. This was largely completed by Christmas 1898 and included the bell tower ('in the desert a voice cries aloud') and the baptistery.

Thomas Frederick Proud was the chosen architect. He died in January 1901, not very long therefore after the church was completed.

Some decorative features of significance were placed in the building at this time, notably in 1907, the Good Shepherd window in the Guild Chapel by Bentram Lamplugh of The Birmingham School of Art.

Canon Newell Long succeeded Fr Agar Ellis at the end of 1901 and development continued, including a new clergy house designed by Arthur Dixon.

Dixon is better known for St Basil's church, Deritend, St Andrew's Barnt Green and other Arts and Crafts works.