Christ Church, Chester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Chester
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OS grid reference	SJ 407,670
Location	Somerset Street, Chester, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Evangelical
Website	Christ Church
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	23 July 1998
Architect(s)	John Douglas
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1876
Completed	1900
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone and red brick Grey-green slate roofs
Administration
Parish	Chester, Christ Church
Deanery	Chester deanery
Archdeaconry	Chester archdeaconry
Diocese	Diocese of Chester

Christ Church is a special Church of England parish church located on Somerset Street in Chester, Cheshire, England. It is part of the Archdeaconry of Chester and the Deanery of Chester. This church is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical and architectural site.

The Story of Christ Church

This church was built to replace an older church from 1838. That first church was designed by Thomas Jones. The current church was rebuilt in different stages by a famous architect named John Douglas.

The first part, the chancel (the area around the altar), was finished in 1893. The southeast chapel was added in 1897. The main part of the church, called the nave, was completed in 1900. Finally, the northwest baptistry (where baptisms happen) was added in 1904.

Interestingly, a tall steeple was planned for the southwest side, but it was never built. Instead, a porch was added in 1936 where the steeple was supposed to be.

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

The chancel and southeast chapel are made of sandstone blocks, which are carefully cut stones. The rest of the church is built with red brick and has stone details. The roofs are covered with grey-green slates. The church's style is Gothic Revival, which means it looks like churches from the Middle Ages.

The church has a nave with five sections, and a higher row of windows called a clerestory. It also has north and south aisles (passageways), a chancel, a baptistry, a southeast chapel, and rooms for clergy called vestries. There's also a south porch. Above the porch, you can see a small, timber-framed bell tower with a sloping roof. The pointed tops of the gables have crosses on them. The nave roof also has five small, blocked windows on each side.

Inside the Church

Inside, you'll find many beautiful features. Sir Charles Nicholson designed several parts between 1900 and 1910. These include the gold-covered reredos (a screen behind the altar), the organ case, and a side screen. He also designed the rood beam in 1920, and possibly the gates to the chapel.

The reredos in the chapel, from 1897, was designed by Kempe. Its figures were carved by Joseph Mayer from a town called Oberammergau. The paintings on the organ screen, from 1910, were done by Gertrude Siddall. Robert Hilton designed the bishop's chair and a prayer board.

There are two fonts in the church. One is made of stone and is octagonal, likely from 1837. The other, from 1904, is made of alabaster (a soft, white stone). You can also see the churchwardens' settles (long wooden benches) from 1837. These benches used to be in St Mary's Church, Eccleston.

The church also has a painting from 1826 by Westall, showing Christ prepared for the Entombment. This painting was once an altarpiece in Eccleston church. Another painting shows Mary Magdalene in a wood, by Herbert Gustave Schmalz.

Much of the beautiful stained glass in the church is by Kempe. This includes glass in the southeast chapel (1897), the south aisle (1901), the west window (1902), and outside the baptistry. Above the older font, there's a window from 1906 by A. Hilton, showing an angel. The baptistry glass, also from 1906, is by A. K. Nicholson.

You'll also see small alabaster plaques as memorials, dating from around 1895 to 1917. The church's organ has two manuals (keyboards) and was built by Brindley & Foster of Sheffield. This organ is planned to be refurbished in the next five years.

Since 2015, the church has made some updates. A glass door replaced the old wooden doors to let in more light. The stage at the front was also moved forward. In 2019, a project called "Stage Four renewed space" began. This project will add an extension to the vestry and create community rooms. These new rooms will be used for children's activities and to help the homeless community in Chester. This work is expected to cost £1 million and be completed in the next five years.

See also

• Grade II listed buildings in Chester (north and west)
• List of new churches by John Douglas