Christ Church, Alsager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Alsager |
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| OS grid reference | SJ 789 556 |
| Location | Alsager, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | www.christchurchalsager.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 26 March 1987 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Stringer |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Georgian |
| Groundbreaking | 1789 |
| Completed | 1790 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Ashlar yellow Keuper sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Christ Church, Alsager |
| Deanery | Congleton |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
Christ Church Alsager is a church located in the town of Alsager, Cheshire, England. Its main goal is to show love for God and for other people. The church offers many activities for everyone, including kids, teenagers, and older adults. It also holds worship services on Sundays and during the week, along with special events like weddings, baptisms, and funerals.
This church is very important historically. It is listed as a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a building of special interest and importance. Christ Church Alsager is an active Anglican parish church. It belongs to the diocese of Chester, which is a large church area.
Contents
History of Christ Church Alsager
The church was built a long time ago, between 1789 and 1790. Three wealthy women from Alsager, Mary, Margaret, and Judith Alsager, paid for it to be built. The church was designed by an architect named Thomas Stringer.
At first, it was a "chapel of ease." This meant it was a smaller church that helped people attend services more easily, as the main church was St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley. Christ Church Alsager became a full parish church in 1946. In 1889, a new organ was added to celebrate the church's 100th birthday.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
Christ Church Alsager is built from yellow sandstone and has a Georgian style. This style was popular in the 1700s. The church has a tower at the west end, a long main hall called a nave, and a chancel with a rounded end called an apse.
The front of the tower has a main door with special columns called Tuscan demi-columns. These columns support a decorative band and a triangular shape at the top. Above this, the tower has a clock on each side. Higher up, there are openings for bells. The very top of the tower has a decorative edge and a railing. The windows on the sides of the church are rounded at the top.
Inside the Church
Inside, there is a gallery at the west end, supported by Doric columns. This gallery is covered with wooden panels. The main part of the church and the chancel also have wooden panels up to a certain height. In the chancel, these panels are separated by decorative columns.
The font, used for baptisms, is from the 1700s. It has a rounded base and an eight-sided bowl. The church has beautiful stained glass windows that show the Apostles. These windows were made by different artists at different times.
For example, a window showing Saint Paul was made in 1907. Another window showing Saint Luke was made in 1924. There are also windows showing Saint Mark from 1952. Some other windows are older, from the early 1900s, but we don't know who made them.
Inside the church, you can also find three special plaques. These plaques remember the five "Ladies of the Manor of Alsager" who helped build the church. The church keeps records of baptisms and burials from 1789, and marriages from 1852.
The organ in the church was built by Stringer and Company. It was updated in 1990 by Ward and Smith. The tower holds eight bells that are used for change ringing. Six of these bells were made in 1893, and the other two in 1902. All the bells were made by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough.
Outside the Church Grounds
Outside the church, there are two gate piers made of yellow sandstone. These were also designed by Thomas Stringer around 1790. On top of the piers are decorative vase-shaped ornaments. These gate piers are also listed as Grade II, meaning they are historically important.
The churchyard is also a special place. It contains the war graves of eight British servicemen. Six of these soldiers died in World War I, and two died in World War II.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Alsager
