Christ Church, Birkenhead facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Birkenhead
Christ Church from the northeast
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
OS grid reference	SJ 309 879
Location	Christchurch Road, Oxton, Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Conservative Evangelical
Website	Christ Church, Birkenhead
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	3 March 1854
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	28 March 1974
Architect(s)	William Jearrad
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1844
Completed	1849
Construction cost	£9,000
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Birkenhead Christ Church
Deanery	Birkenhead
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

Christ Church is located on Christchurch Road in Oxton, Birkenhead, England. It's an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. It's also a "listed building," which means it's a special historical building protected by the government. The church is built on a hill, so the ground slopes around it.

History of Christ Church

Christ Church was built between 1844 and 1849. William Jearrad was the architect who designed it. The church cost £9,000 to build. It first opened for worship on 25 February 1849. However, it was not officially "consecrated" (made sacred) until 3 March 1854. Bishop John Graham of Chester led this special ceremony. The church was big enough to seat 1,209 people.

Between 1878 and 1880, some changes were made to the east end of the church. Because the ground sloped, two staircases were added for extra exits. Two new rooms were also built on the lower level. In 1881, the organ and choir moved from the west gallery. The organ went to a new room in the south transept, and the choir moved to the chancel. The pulpit was made lower, and a clock was added to the spire.

In 1992, the roof and ceiling were replaced. The inside of the church was also reorganized. The spire was damaged in a storm on Christmas Eve in 1997 and had to be rebuilt. In November 2018, a special episode of Songs of Praise was filmed at the church. This marked 100 years since the death of war poet Wilfred Owen, who used to attend the church when he was young.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

The church is built from red sandstone found in local quarries. Its roof is made of Welsh slate. The church has a long main area called a nave with six sections. It also has north and south transepts (parts that stick out like arms). There's a chancel at the east end with aisles on both sides. At the west end, there's a tower with a tall spire.

The rooms under the east end of the church are used as an office, kitchen, and restrooms. The tower has two levels. It has a main door on the west side, with a four-leaf shape (quatrefoil) and a clock face above it. The openings for the bells are in pairs. The spire on top of the tower has small windows called lucarnes. Along the sides of the nave, there are supports called buttresses that go up to pointed tops (pinnacles). Each section has a wide, tall window called a lancet window.

The transepts have two sections and two stories because of the sloping ground. Each story has five windows, and there's a round rose window above them. At the corners of the east end, there are parts that stick out with sloped roofs. These contain stairs and a doorway. At the east end, the aisles have paired lancet windows and a doorway on the lower level. The main east window of the chancel has three tall, stepped lancet windows with a rose window above them. Below these, there are three more lancet windows that light the lower area.

Inside the Church

Inside Christ Church, there are balconies (galleries) at the west end and in the transepts. Many of the church's items were given as gifts to remember people. These include the baptismal font (for baptisms), the lectern (where readings are given), and the pulpit (where sermons are preached). The pulpit was given to remember two soldiers who died in the First World War. It has carvings of two soldiers kneeling at the foot of the cross, showing a Crucifixion scene.

Much of the church's stained glass, including the east window and windows on the north side, was destroyed during the Second World War. This happened when a landmine exploded nearby. The stained glass in the east window that you see today was put in in 1951. The stained glass windows on the south side of the church were also given as memorials. One of them shows a scene from the famous book The Pilgrim's Progress.

The Organ

The church's original pipe organ was built by Henry Willis around 1860. It had two keyboards (manuals) and was first located in the west gallery. In 1881, it was moved to the south transept. The sound wasn't as good there, so Willis added more parts, including a third keyboard, in 1888. Between then and 1925, another part called a "vox humana" stop was added by a different builder.

In 1925, the organ was damaged by fire after a lightning strike. Willis's company repaired the damage and added even more parts. The organ was not damaged by the landmine during the war. It was cleaned and repaired again in 1948 by the Willis firm. Another major repair happened in 1977 by a company called Rushworth and Dreaper.

See also

• Listed buildings in Oxton, Merseyside