Plans were made and the work begun, but when the skeleton church was almost complete in November 1843 part of it fell down, which was attributed to both high winds and defects in the building work. Little progress was made for the next few years due to lack of funds as an amount of £2500 was required in total. Eventually, thanks to a gift from the Rev. H.E. Lowe, visiting relatives in Atherstone, the building was completed.
The first Holy Communion Service was held there on Sunday 30th April 1848 by the Vicar of Mancetter (as the new Vicar, Rev. W.J. Edge, had not yet been appointed) and the Consecration took place in June.
In 1848, of course, the Church looked very different from how we see it today. The path to the Church, which now has a tarmac driveway and parking spaces, was originally on the north side of the Church not the south. The ground on the south side of the Church was again donated by Richard Jee. To the north of the Church was an old farmhouse, which was added to and became the Old Vicarage, built from the same stone as the Church itself. The land around the Vicarage was a gift from the Trustees of Nuneaton Grammar School. The west doorway is one of the largest to be seen on a Parish Church in England and was built in the Norman style with decorated arches and pillars with carved capitals. Below the great wheel window are four stone roundels with symbols of the Evangelists which today are unfortunately too worn to make out. However, above the window, at the base of the tower, you can still just make out the two quaint heads - one of a gossip with two tongues. The tower holds one bell which has now not been rung for many years as the tower itself has become unsafe to do so.
Originally the Church was lit by oil lamps which were suspended from the heavy oak beamed ceiling, which is now hidden by the new false ceiling erected ten feet below it. There was a small organ situated where the left hand choir stalls are now, and a pulpit on the right hand side. Over the years the Church has been enhanced by many gifts from its Parishioners, the first being a brass lectern in memory of George and Elizabeth Tippetts in 1893. Stained glass windows were also added - the first being given by the daughters of Joshua Fielding Matthews (Churchwarden) and his wife Maria in 1895. There are two other windows which commemorate Charles Abel (1905) and Catherine Grant Matthews (1907). In 1909 the Vestry was built adjoining the north side of the Church and was used for meetings and other social functions, the architecture blending in very well with the main building. In 1926 electric lighting was introduced.
Major alterations were made in 1938-9 and the Church was closed whilst these took place, services being held in the newly built Church Hall. This was when the false ceiling was erected due to complaints about draughts. The gallery was strengthened and the organ moved to the centre of it. The old pulpit was replaced, and also the altar rails were replaced by the present oak ones dedicated to the memory of Miss Maud Wilson. An inner porch was added and the old pews and floor replaced as a gift from Mr Walter Tremlett. All this restoration work was carried out at a cost of around £2000.
On Saturday 29th May 1948 the Centenary Commemoration Service was held by the Rev. W.A. Richards. A recording was made of the service and a box was buried somewhere beneath the floor of the Church by the Vicar and Mr Kenneth Branston which contained a 1948 penny, a Church Service Programme and a document, contents unknown. The Centenary Celebration Funds amounted to £1000!
Over the years many other gifts have been made for the adornment of the Church and in 1965 the whole interior was redecorated by a local contractor having the welfare of the Church at heart. In recent years a new Vicarage has been built as the Old Vicarage was expensive to maintain and difficult to heat and so was sold off.
During these 150 years the Church has seen many activities. Summer fetes have been held on the Vicarage lawn and Christmas Bazaars in the Church Hall; many years ago the dramatic society put on performances and concerts in the Hall, Sunday Schools were held, there was a Sewing Circle, playgroup, baby clinic, Mothers Union meetings and more recently the Hartshill Windscape Handbell Ringers are based there. As Hartshill celebrates its 150th Birthday let us hope that there is much more to record for the future.